UPDATE: United Airlines says the flight ban letter was automatically generated in error, does not apply, and has further apologized to Mr. Davis. It also says he received this letter weeks ago, calling into question why he would post it now as if it is a brand new development…
Per United:
“Mr. Davis received this letter the day after the incident. It was generated due to the report of the flight attendant – who is no longer employed by United. The day after the letter was sent, we discussed with Mr. Davis’ team that it had been rescinded. We have apologized to Mr. Davis for his experience and continue to review our handling of incidents like this to protect our highest priority – the safety of our customers and crew.”
So now the question is why is Davis posting this on Instagram and misleading many people, including me? If he’s trying to manipulate this situation for pecuniary gain, I am far less sympathetic to his cause. Shame on him and his legal team.
And also note that United now says it has not only suspended the flight attendant, but that the flight attendant is “no longer employed” by United.
Terrell Davis has (at least temporarily) been banned from flying United Airlines as the carrier investigates a kerfuffle that happened onboard a Denver – Orange Country flight earlier this month.
Terrell Davis Says United Airlines Has Banned Him
Davis and his family were traveling from Denver (DEN) to Orange Country, California (SNA) on United Airlines on Saturday, July 13, 2024. According to Davis, during the beverage service, he asked a flight attendant for a cup of ice for his son.
The flight attendant did not respond, moving past their row.
Davis turned and purportedly tapped the flight attendant on his arm to try to get his attention.
But the flight attendant “snapped” and yelled out, “Don’t hit me!”
The flight attendant quickly bolted down the aisle toward the front of the plane. He later returned with the cup of ice, but disappeared for the rest of the light.
When the plane arrived at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, “The pilot asked all passengers to remain seated” and six law enforcement officials boarded the aircraft. Davis was immediately placed in handcuffs and led off the aircraft.
Shortly thereafter, Davis was “cleared of any wrongdoing,” noting “the agents profusely apologized” and offered “to support me and my family in any way possible.”
United also purportedly apologized and even suspended the flight attendant…
But now Davis has been suspended as well.
Sharing the image above, Davis, a former NFL star, took to Instagram to share:
Adding insult to injury, United not only had me removed from their flight in handcuffs, but placed me on their No Fly List after it was determined I did nothing wrong and was released. While my family and I continue to have difficult conversations with our children, I will continue to fight for what is right for all passengers of United.
Davis is suing United Airlines for the incident and demanding accountability for an incident he says has maligned his character and scarred his family.
He’s also added further reflections on his Instagram account:
What Is United’s Passenger Incident Review Committee?
United Airlines has a Passenger Incident Review Committee (PIRC) that investigates these types of incidents onboard.
According to the AFA-CWA union representing flight attendants, the PIRC was founded in 2007 to “closely investigate instances where flyers act or are accused of acting, out of line.” The group is defined as “a cross-divisional team that includes Director level Leadership from Inflight Services, Corporate Security, Corporate Legal, and Airport Operations. It also includes Investigators assigned to each division.”
For an incident to be referred to the PIRC, a “level two” incident must take place against a flight attendant. A level two incident must include “an actual physical assault.” This may include “pushing and shoving to inappropriate touching and sexual misconduct against an employee.”
Thus, even the assignment of this case to the PIRC suggests 1.) a very broad definition of assault (should tapping constitute assault?!) or 2.) there’s quite a bit more to the story.
CONCLUSION
Terrell Davis is now banned from United, at least temporarily, as the PIRC investigates what happened onboard.
I do suspect this latest turn of events is due to very different narratives from the flight attendant and Davis, with potential additional viewpoints from passengers who witnessed the incident onboard.
My personal opinion (and unsolicited legal advice to United) is that “when you’re in a hole, STOP DIGGING!” Unless Davis is outright lying, there is ZERO justification for cuffing him upon landing in Southern California or even temporarily banning him. Making this into an even bigger issue won’t end well for United.
image: @therealterrelldavis / Instagram
He won’t be missing anything by not being able to fly United. Here is a very interesting thing that happened to me last week when flying on Delta One back home from Europe. I had read this article and apparently the FA snapped when Davis turned and purportedly tapped the flight attendant on his arm to try to get his attention. So, the Delta FA was serving lunch and I was so tired that I snoozed on my seat. Suddenly, I feel a tap on my arm and I woke up. It was the FA bringing me my food so since I was sleeping she tapped me on my arm so I could wake up to eat. What should I have done? Snapped on her and demand she was arrested because she physically assaulted me? C’mon!!! These FAs are way too soft and got way too much power. They should stick to doing their jobs instead of finding ways to get attention.
I would like to read real journalism that reports on the incident without the writer’s personal opinions. Is this blog?
But this IS a blog.
And, this could be the correct process to terminate a FA for cause!
@ Matthew, are you going to add United’s comment on this?
“Mr. Davis received this letter the day after the incident. It was generated due to the report of the flight attendant – who is no longer employed by United. The day after the letter was sent, we discussed with Mr. Davis’ team that it had been rescinded. We have apologized to Mr. Davis for his experience and continue to review our handling of incidents like this to protect our highest priority – the safety of our customers and crew.”
They tried to stop digging the hole, Davis is now just trying to misrepresent what has happened since the incident. I think United has actually handled the incident remarkably well. They called and apologized to him and have been trying to work with him, they fired the flight attendant. I’m sure he will get some sort of payout. You should probably update the article at the very least…
Thanks – have updated story.
Also, I suspect you mean misleading:
“So now the question is why is Davis posting this on Instagram and leading many people, including me?”
Actually tell me how it is possible to receive the letter the day after? Courier service?
So it was automatically printed and sent via courier servuce?
More likely it was sent sometime and received later. Mail does not come same day.
I agree. How was this letter delivered? How do we know he personally received and read it? For now, I believe him over United. I also believe most politicians over United.
@James: The letter is sent via email.
*allegedly. Anyway, regardless, if they “rescinded it” then it should have never been sent. Also, since when do they do something the “very next day”. Sorry Matt, I don’t remotely buy Uniteds excuse. Especially since they have “I fly private” Kirby still in charge. Given my incident with AA (mask nonsense), i received a letter about 2 weeks later. So, I would believe he probably just received this because United wasn’t competent enough to kill the letter before it was sent.
You think United is going to lie and give very explicit timing on when they sent an email when they are about to face a legal battle on this and have admitted to wrongdoing? The risk/reward for lying here is so bad. They’ve apologized and fired the flight attendant, there’s not a heck of a lot more that you can expect corporate to do in this situation until they pay him out.
Considering he didn’t start kicking up a fuss until a couple of days after the incident anyway I don’t know why United is expected to have stop this email from being sent.
If you send something and later decide to rescind it, how do you “unsend” it? Yes, I prefer to get things right the first time, but if I make a mistake or later think better of a decision, I’ve yet been unable to change that after the fact. This is really troubling for me, as I once decided to destroy my time machine, thinking I could always undue that. Time travel is tricky.
This is one more example of why it is a good idea to fly only when it is absolutely necessary. That tube is a real cuckoo’s nest.
Dude PR team is getting their money worth! I see nothing wrong with it, delta is on the phone with them to help with their Microsoft CrowdStrike lawsuit lol
From this day forward. I DEMAND that every time a flight attendant taps me on the shoulder, bumps into me or hits me with the cart that the aircraft be met by law enforcement upon arrival and that the flight attendant be taken off in handcuffs until an investigation/interview had been conducted.
“ So now the question is why is Davis posting this on Instagram and misleading many people, including me? If he’s trying to manipulate this situation for pecuniary gain, I am far less sympathetic to his cause. Shame on him and his legal team.”
Jump to idiotic conclusions much? Did you ever stop to think about what it’s like being a large person of color and having someone lie about being threatened? Did you ever stop to think that maybe he’s trying to get the issue out so that more people realize how poorly some treat minorities? Ever had to have “The Talk” with *your* kids about race and police (or flight attendants for that matter!)?!
Yeah, I guess you’re right. A multi-millionaire well respected 2-time Super Bowl champion (Elway would’ve *never* gotten a ring without Davis) is just angling for a petty monetary payoff from United.
I’ll play *your* game back at you and jump straight to the conclusion that you’re a racist scum. How does *that* feel, being misrepresented by someone who has no clue about you?!
Choose your words more carefully. Oh, and try to do some minimum research before posting such drivel. Terrell Davis is a really nice, genuine, humble guy. He’s very well respected.
More than I can say about YOU.
I said “IF”
Like “IF the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.”
So you mean to tell me that he did not receive an email sent two weeks ago until yesterday or today?
Emails are misdelivered or held up all the time. Was there a read receipt with the IPs noted?
I support and believe Terrell on this 110% flying UA often as a GS I have seen more than enough power trippy and racist flight attendants . I am not shocked in the least by UA’s overreacting. Nor am I shocked by this feckless weblog clickbait, psuedo-analysis by people with no legal training or experience. I weep for the future.
What a cop out. ‘I said “IF” (I were a racist)…’”
I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but no more. I think you’re a racist scum. Additionally you’re one of those ignorant knee-JERK @ssholes who can’t seem to google anything before you jump to poor conclusions.
Everyone with a brain can tell a non-apology. You were absolutely wrong to post this disgusting disgraceful cr@p and should immediately generate a new post apologizing and then shut down this blog.
What a cop out. ‘I said “IF” (I were a racist)…’”
I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but no more. I think you’re a racist scum. Additionally you’re one of those ignorant knee-JERK @ssholes who can’t seem to google anything before you jump to poor conclusions.
Everyone with a brain can tell a non-apology. You were absolutely wrong to post this disgusting disgraceful cr@p and should immediately generate a new post apologizing and then shut down this blog
This is my third story on the matter – did you read the first two? I make no apologies for applauding that the FA was fired and call for UA to be held accountable, but I’m not going to support lawsuits in which I see no clear harm.
No harm? Turn the German off a moment kid.
Any credible doctor wi tell you his kids are harmed. Read the DSM5; my God it is mind boggling one who purports to be educated can type such feckless nonsense.
His reputation as well mind you, but his kids are harmed.
Wait until it happens to you, and I sincerely hope it does, then maybe you can educate yourself and realise the facts. It is not supposition there are scores of studies on it.
I know you think the big black dude is frighteningly bad. You are German it is in your DNA, but try to be intellectually honest if you an for a moment before posting garbage that is factually wrong.
Calling Matt “racist scum” is a sneaky, slimy and juvenile reaction to an analysis you chose to disagree with. And that’s what you did, even if you disingenuously couched it in a rhetorical fashion. What a disgusting individual you seem to be.
Now, let’s see you libel me for calling you out for dishonestlyplaying the card.
There is no libel when presenting facts kid.
It is not libel when I call you a racist, feckless incompetent. It is just a statement of fact.
No harm done to your rep right? The is what Fatty Gary Leaf 2.0 says above so “we all good”.
Airlines should fight back more against people who use to their advantage the fact that a corporation typically will not reveal details of its dealings with an individual customer. I would say, legally, once the customer has made communications public then it’s Game On.
Pretty damn lame of United to blame the letter on automation, as if they they have no control over it. They completely humiliate the guy in front of his family and a plane load of passengers. Wasn’t it reported that they immediately recognized their mistake once they started talking to him at the gate? Yet no one had the wherewithal to mange the incident process? Sheesh give me a break.
He’s not going to get anything from this. What’s the saying, where do I go to get my dignity back? He’s right to be pissed. I’d be dragging their name through the mud too.
More proof between this and yesterday’s bio hazard event that UA is a “sh#t”airline.
I was a stewardess many, many years ago and we put up with whatever passengers did or said. Now, flight attendants–male and female–act like prima donnas. And I say to them: Get over it. Do your job or move on.
So both United and Matt want us to believe this letter was sent automatically the day after the event and then rescinded hours later. However according to multiple unbiased reports United didn’t even acknowledge they’d done anything wrong or even issues Terrell Davis an apology until 3 day later. Terrell Davis went public with this story a day after his arrest if he had received that letter (I’m sorry I mean’t email) it most certainly would have been part of his social media post that thrust United Airlines into the spotlight over this issue. The fact that it took United 3 days to acknowledge and apologize to Terrell Davis and the fact that this wasn’t part of Terrell’s original social media post leads me to believe United is lying and this letter (email) was NOT sent the day after the event but days after the event. Was the letter sent in error? Yes it was. However, stop lying telling people United you saying you sent this letter the next day then rescinded it hours later when it took United 3 days to even acknowledge they’d done anything wrong.
I said UA sent the email the day after (Sunday, July 14, 2024 1:37 AM CT if you want to be precise) and that UA claims it was in touch with Davis’ team that the letter was rescinded the next day. Has Davis disputed that?
Yes.
Have you not read the news?
Or if nobody sends it to you you presume it does not exist?
I reported on the news first…before the article you cited…
What is your point? United says the email was sent weeks ago…Davis has not said when it was sent, but tried to make people believe it was sent yesterday…
Pretty bad take on your part Matt. Check the timelines.
1. July 15 – TD arrested, then he gets in contact with his attorney and posts to Instagram.
2. July 17 – United responds with an apology and says it’s under internal investigation. Other online articles note that United has apologized and that is United is still investigating, but TD’s reps say it is not enough.
3. July 23 – You write about the lawsuit where you poo-poo a black man getting arrested for zero cause and saying that basically it’s no big deal despite the history and high percentage of times black men are getting arrested, killed, etc. isn’t that a republican talking point – Willy Horton?)
4. July 23 – TD’s reps announce intent to sue. United response is they are closely reviewing the matter and FA under suspension.
5. July 30:
+TD releases info that he was banned by United.
–United responds that the ban letter was generated the day after (July 16). United also claim that they reached out to TD’s attorney’s the day after-July 17. (so how did United know who were TD’s attorneys that soon when no lawsuit was filed?).
–Per United’s Leslie Scott: “‘The day after the letter was sent, we discussed with Mr. Davis’ team that it had been rescinded.”
+TD reps say they did not hear anything about this from United and today was the first they heard that the ban was reversed. Per TD reps: Davis’ attorney, Parker Stinar, released a statement of his own on Tuesday – saying that United’s claim that the ‘apparently withdrawn’ ban was communicated to the Hall-of-Famer’s lawyers ‘is blatantly false’ – adding that only after his social media post was Davis made aware that the ban was reversed.
‘Engaging in tactics in an attempt to discredit the timeline of events is worrisome, to say the least,’ Stinar said.
United did not send any letter to TD or his reps…only that they “communicated” with TD’s reps (which they deny). It’s a she said, he said issue. However, Matt, seems you already took the side of Leslie Scott (a white woman) over a black man.
Steve, He is German…they are not known for liking those that are melanin-ly enhanced, and he has a history of racist tropes in early postings years ago (some of which were removed or edited) but even more recent posting show a bias.
Facts do not matter here to this kid, just clicks.
The only worse “blogger” is the fatty leaf guy in Austin or Enrilia the illiterate canadian. Throw in the racist German gives us the trifecta of incompetence.
So, an important part of your take here is to condemn a person because of national heritage? Wow! BTW, I thought I had German heritage. It turns out DNA tests confirm I have none. I’m in the clear now, right? Or, should I reveal my DNA heritage to see if I’m harboring genes of some other national group you have determined to be inferior? We should make those darn people of German heritage wear some symbol on their clothes to tell them apart.
Did he renounce his German citizenship kid?
Not sure what DNA has to do with nationality but as a non-American I have noticed Americans call themselves things they are not often. That seems to be your problem. Fatty Gary Leaf 2.0 is a racist. His history of posts here and on other forums like FlyerTalk back up that FACT. It is ok, most Europeans (and people) are.
Facts are stubborn things…
You’re a stubborn thing that likes to make up “facts.”
Yes, Matt is a German Nazi… That’s why he lets you post your idiot comments about him…
Matt is entitled to his own opinion. And its his blog so he really is. I personally disagree with him on this one, as many other readers do as well and he’s OK with that.
Lets just stop the name calling and present our side (which other posters did very well).
You can accuse the guy of being a United shill but racism is out of line.
When you start saying Willie Horton is a talking point, a thug who was a convicted murderer who committed another murder while on a weekend pass, you are nothing less than an IDIOT
And before you start accusing me of being a racist, you should know I am mixed race
As you can see Matt has chosen at this time to stop responding. This site is nothing more than a United Airlines mouthpiece which Matt will defend United to the ends of the earth but if it was any other airline he would be criticizing and calling them out.
Seeing it is his site he has every right to defend United even when United Airlines is clearly lying about the timeline as to when this letter was sent and when it was rescinded.
The timeline doesn’t match all Matt had to do was research the timeline instead he allowed United Airlines to use him/his site to continue to propagate their lies about this situation.
His timeline is wrong from the very first line!
@Substitute Steve: Your timeline if off…but I’m not engaging with you further. Hint: the incident occurred on 7/13/24.
Yes, 7/13. I was combining it with the Instagram post date of 7/15 (I don’t have Instagram but the bottom of it in your prior article show 7/15. )
But the singular focus on an incorrect date does not invalidate the rest. That’s very childish of you,
The timeline does not make sense and I understand Davis wants to hold UA accountable, but it should not be done by misrepresenting the dateline of events that transpired. The fact that the FA was fired seems pretty solid proof that Davis did nothing wrong onboard. No need to manufacture outrage over a “ban” that was rescinded on 7/15.
1st. Apologies for the harshness of my posts.
Just a couple things…
1. We don’t know when TD checked his emails and noticed the ban. There was no written reversal of the ban. He posts it, UA says he was told the day after the ban, but TD denied he/team were told until July 30. It’s a he said/she said.
2. Your contention that his rep or kids were not harmed: I think Maxwell Smart gave his personal experience on harm. Harm can also be mental. I’d suggest applying some EI and empathize. WWYD if you were arrested and cuffed in front of your kids and wife unjustly on a United flight? Now imagine it happening to a black man knowing the history and still ongoing racism/treatment of black men and what black children see in the news, then seeing it happen live.
I say there’s never been a better time than now to be an actual racist. Some people have thrown the term around so much that it’s lost it’s power to insult. A real racist just blends in nowadays. Maybe the word police need to find another insult that people will pay attention to. Oh yeah, half the country are already Nazis so that insult won’t work either! Until then, let’s get back to travel and airline talk.