UPDATE: United Airlines reached out to Live And Let’s Fly concerning the Cleveland Browns charter and strongly refuted the assertion that the NFL team trashed the Boeing 757-300.
On Sunday, United flight 1893 took a brief delay after our cleaning crew got a late start servicing the aircraft. The aircraft did not require any cleaning beyond our standard practices, and we refute the speculation that any of our customers were the cause of the delay. We started the boarding process immediately after the cleaning service ended and the flight arrived in San Francisco just 14 minutes behind schedule.
I suspect someone at the Cleveland Browns did not like this story.
However, I asked United if it disputes that both a gate agent at Washington Dulles and pilot claimed the aircraft was “trashed” and received no reply.
The original story is below.
United Airlines passengers in Washington Dulles encountered a flight delay on their San Francisco flight, with a gate agent blaming a professional football team in Cleveland for “trashing” the aircraft.
United Airlines Flight Delayed Thanks To Cleveland Browns
As noted on FlyerTalk, UA1893 was delayed out of Washington Dulles (IAD) last night, July 30, 2023. Gate agents blamed the delay on a “trashed” 757-300, further explaining that it had been used as a charter aircraft for a professional sports team.
Using United’s flight tracking software, it was not hard to find out which sports team was involved. The aircraft had come in from Cleveland earlier that day:
Prior to Cleveland, it had flown from Greenbriar, West Virginia, where the Cleveland Browns have a training camp:
Onboard, the pilot apologized “multiple times saying it was the most disgusting he’s seen a plane in his career.” Special menus with the Cleveland Browns logo were found in seatback pockets. It was further explained that the aircraft was full of “garbage, spilled food and drink everywhere, etc.”
United has a busy charter business for professional sports teams (and faced some controversy a few years back when certain sports teams allegedly requested young, white, blonde girls to serve as flight attendants).
There are a few questions, I have though:
- The flight operated from Cleveland (CLE) to Washington (IAD) as UA2553 – it appears this was an empty leg, but why? Was the charter so last-minute that the aircraft had to wastefully be ferried between a United focus city (and former hub) and a United hub?
- Why wasn’t the aircraft cleaned in CLE, where it sat for 2.5 hours, or in IAD, where it sat for more than four hours, prior to the IAD-SFO flight?
- Do sports teams always trash planes?
The flight ultimately took off 36 minutes late, arriving in San Francisco (SFO) 14 minutes late:
Charter menus typically look like this:
CONCLUSION
A United Airlines flight was delayed after the Cleveland Browns trashed it. It does seems there were a couple of missed opportunities to clean the plane which would have avoided a delay, but even so it strikes me as disgusting that a sports team would trash up a commercial airplane to such a degree that a pilot would say it was the worst he had ever seen his entire career.
It’s not at all uncommon for aircraft operating sports charters to be ferried to the pick-up point and from the drop-off point. I live in SBN. Delta operates all the Notre Dame football charters. We get anything between a 757 and an A350 operating them. They always fly into SBN empty and depart SBN empty. Most often they ferry to/from DTW, but I’ve also seen them ferry to/from ATL and JFK. As an aside, it’s cool to track them and see them fly overhead. They park at the FBO and not our relatively small scheduled terminal, which I doubt could handle anything larger than am A320/737.
My personal advice, get rid of that pilot ✈️ for disrespecting your team .
Well Let me guess who or what you are, Jock Sniffer?
Hear, hear !
United does not normally operate a revenue flight fir charter aircraft repositioning. The aircraft arrived CLE charter at 247 and departed for IAD at 322. It landed IAD at 441 revenue flight to SFO scheduled at 839 it had more then a few hours to clean aircraft no excuse for departing late to clean aircraft,,
It’s totally conceivable that a sufficiently trashed plane might take more than 3 hours to clean (which is the point at which you’d have to announce a potential delay.)
You’re nuts! The point is these are grown men so act like it!! No one should even have to clean up such a mess they can be civil for goodness sake. Where were the coaches?? There would be some suspended players for representing my team in such a way if I was the owner. I then would fine the heck out of them!
The flight left IAD 36 minutes lates. thats huge win on United these days. My flight from LGA to ID arrives 4.5 hours late on Friday and the prior week, united never transported me. Flight cancellation after flight cancellation. (the weather was fine)
My goodness, it seems like your bad luck never ends on United.
It behoves you to reread Mr G’s offensive statement.
“LGA to ID” – did you mean IAD? If so – and I don’t mean to be rude – that’s kind of on you. Anyone with a little bit of travel sense knows not to take the plane for such a short hop in the northeast, given the alternative (Amtrak) and recent operational troubles.
At least my Brownies are good at something,
Heh-heh
Yes, they have done a great job of losing over the past quarter century. Congratulations.
Gate R22B is remote boarding at the private facility near the cargo operation at IAD. I doubt they have cleaning personnel stationed there and likely figured they could refresh the aircraft when it moved to the main concourse. Problem is they obviously underestimated the amount of time needed to properly clean the aircraft.
Also a fun piece of trivia: out of the 113 gates at IAD, only 8 can accommodate a 757 and 767, even though they make up 14% of UA’s fleet…. so they likely don’t have space to park aircraft at a gate for an extended period of time. #TMYK
Unacceptable answer/excuse. When you land at your hub facility all of the major needs can be performed in order to turn around the aircraft. I know several personel that have worked United and the is just a major gaff on the part of operations. They, personel, have told me stories of having to turn around craft in rapid fashion, on many occasions, back to back. This situation is embarrassing.
Anyone know how many African American players the Browns have? Yeah, it’s probably racist to suggest they are the main culprits here but whatever! Professional athletes are some of the most inconsiderate people around.
Yea because white rock stars have never trashed hotel rooms or anything
…but the rest of society is great?!?! #weallfallshort
I don’t think you need to worry about your comment being considered “probably” racist…
Not as inconsiderate as blatant racists who hide behind screen names and demonstrate their idiocy to a bunch of strangers online. What a moron. “Whatever!”
Does the truth hurt you Little Kenny”? The guy that uses only ONE name…you must be a Rock Start….?
Ten bucks says Mr G’s wife has been railed by some of these folks while he watches.
My Guess Little Stew, so has your boyfriend, and probably you to…?
Not to worry Mr G, the usual excuse makers for this savages will trash your honest post…they, like all Liberals, cannot handle the truth…
Wow MR G. Any idea how many White Nationalist or Republicans were at Capitol on 1/6 causing millions of dollars in damages NOT to mention injuring officers
Far fewer than the rampaging hordes of BLM & Antifa clowns rioting and looting in multiple cities in the summer of 2020. If I recall correctly, DOZENS of people were killed and BILLION$ in damage was caused by thousands of stooges acting as shock troops for the left.
Probably?
Why wasn’t the plane cleaned in CLE?
Uhhhhhh…..Because UA wasn’t expecting to have to do a post Animal House cleaning and didn’t have the staff for an unscheduled 757-300 makeover before it was supposed to go back into service.
Just because CLE is a “focus city”, although that designation is pretty well dead and buried, doesn’t mean there are resources just sitting around, just in case a bunch of savages trash a plane.
Not a complicated issue. This happened because they’re slobs.
Yes this happens frequently on sports team charters. I have seen seat backs and arm rests completely ripped off the seat!!! Plus the plane totally trashed.
You are absolutely right ABJ.
Sports teams are notorious for trashing hotels, planes, people. The team should pay a penalty(via contract) for destruction.
Let them take a bus
Now that is a great idea!
They should have to pay for the damage/extra cleaning & fined. NFL people know what a fine is.
After several years of following your articles, I realized how biased you are when it comes to UA.
EVERY SINGLE TIME you mention UA, even though you might mention some positive words, you always make some negative comments.
UA has done great during and after the pandemic.
By now, you should know that logistics doesn’t always implement time to clean after a bunch of adult kids trashs an airplane.
Maybe, maybe you mentioning that the treatment of a property that doesn’t belong to the supposedly “professional team” is disgusting would go a long way.
Keep on kissing DL ASS
You must be reading a very different blog than I am.
Most call me a United apologist.
LOL. Whatever.
What do you expect it’s Cleveland
This is normal after a pro sports team. I’ve seen it literally hundreds of times worse than after a normal flight.
“Literally”? Hundreds of times worse? “Literally”. Which means you knew exactly now trashed the plane was and was able to quantitatively measure that against your experience to get “hundreds of times worse”? If people can’t figure out what literally means, well…, My head will literally explode.
He said he has seen “it” worse and not that he saw “that plane”
Sense to me that he meant that he has seen planes a hundred times worse, many times.
And “hundred times worse” is a figure of speech, not actually a measurable quantity.
So UA didnt do their job and clean the plane? Big deal. Trash article like most “journalism” these days. Everyone has to have an opinion and writes click bait. Im sure it happens weekly with overpaid athletes and celebs. The rich do what they want. This is not news.
You didn’t have to read it…
You didn’t have to write it
Dallas Cowboys fly AA 777, patriots have own 767. Browns fly shittty 757, wonder why they suck and will continue. Also they paid 250 million to a predator who should be in jail. Karma!
You sir hit the nail on the head, but the pointy head excuse maker for these savages won’t like your truthful comment…
I hope the team was charged for the extra cleaning needed.
CLE isn’t a “focus city”. Just a line Station.
The aircraft arrived in CLE at 1447hrs, departed at 1522hrs. That’s thirty-five minutes of ground time, not two and half hours. It then had four hours and thirty four minutes of ground time at Dulles, but arrived at a remote parking spot (R22B) and had to be towed to the gate (D1), where it got cleaned and serviced.
Yes, sports teams trash airplanes.
Why would you make an issue of the plane not being cleaned at some other point or even do such inconsequential research? You don’t know what kind of staffing they have at various times and locations, and it should be obvious that airlines don’t anticipate a team consisting of grown men thoroughly trashing a plane.
Ha. I was on this flight! I was wondering the same thing, since I looked where it was coming from, and couldn’t figure out why they didn’t clean it earlier.
I was pissed though. The Browns got Red Robin cheeseburgers (according to the menu). All I got was a microwaved pasta dish.
Did you happen to get a picture of the menu?
No, unfortunately no. But as an aside, I was super happy on this flight because I scored the mythical upgrade on a flight to SFO using plus points (I’m 1K). I feel like that rarely happens these days I was even joking with my colleagues about it before all of this went down
Being pigs on a plane is reminiscent of how they play on the football field. SLOPPY !!! I guess they don’t want to give us fans anything to be proud of !
AMAZING GROWN MEN ARE SUCH PIGS! ENTITLED!
Trash people do trashy things…
You mean “White Trash”
Pretty Sure he meant you and your ilk, Rufus…
I used to fly mlb, nfl, nhl and nba team charters back in the 90s and early 2000s. Believe me when I say it was commonplace for them to leave the aircraft a total mess. On one occasion an mlb team broke an entire row of seats. The flight attendants said the players were wrestling and horsing around. I witnessed many times a total lack of respect for the the aircraft in which their lives depended on. It was disgusting. And to think the world worships these guys…
Well Mr. “Avid Traveller”, perhaps it would behoove you to learn correct commercial aviation nomenclature if you want to continue to enlighten the general flying public. A “ferry flight” is one that is occupied solely by the flight deck crew (pilot and first officer) due to a mechanical issue. The aircraft is being flown to a maintenance base to rectify the problem. The empty flight to which you are referring is called a “Repo flight” (repo as in reposition). In this case the aircraft is not needed in its current location so it is moved empty to where it is needed. On repo flights, passengers are not allowed but uniformed company employees such as flight deck, cabin crew and aircraft mechanics are allowed. As you can see there is quite a difference
This is disgusting and not acceptable! These are athletes people look up to. They should be reprimanded and held accountable with fines!
And people are surprised. They just doing it big for the culture.
Coming from a guy calling himself Hoot….
In what ways was it trashed? Seems pretty nebulous to say it and have no details to help substantiate that.
Read it again.
Food wrappers and menus left behind? Again, that doesn’t seem to substantiate “trashed”. It really sounds mundane, as if it were any other full flight. What am I missing?
Well really if you were the pilot I would love to hear what you would say. I’m sure you would have been ten times worse than that pilot.
The Cleveland Brown’s are to b grown men.
I am always both truly amazed and disgusted simultaneously about how true it is that it usually takes between 6 and 10 posts before someone says something racist or sexist. Sure enough post number 6. Of course anonymous racist keyboard warrior.
So, what’s your complete name? Go wash you camels and goats, they stink…
I flew sports charters for Delta for 10 years.It all begins with the coach or General Manager of the team.Larry Bird has rules for this players when they are on charters,the players totally abide by them.
With a football team,a lil harder to manage the number of players.Also the flight time between Greenbrier and CLE is short.Did the flight attendants even have time to pick up items at all.
As for the stops in CLE AND IAD,that’s where someone lost the ball,,,either it wasn’t scheduled to be cleaned there,and would be cleaned in IAD,however,during a 4 HR sit at should have been done.With all airlines trying to cut costs,there may be less staff to do the work,,,all not really disclosed.
Football teams out of all sports teams are usually the more “rowdy” guys,,not all,,,,but there’s always some.
Ok you see in the United States we only have 4 airlines that we can respect and fly with security and dignity. But when they cancel they ask the live of the airline they trash the workers, no respect for next seating person. Always we blame the airlines. Ok you wanted you close this airlines or bankruptcy them and then what would you fly. Bird airline.
Is not the airline most of time is the people no respect at all.
I have worked these flights in the past, way past, the players as a whole treat the aircraft and staff with disregard and “trash” flight attendants as well as plane. Overpaid unsupervised children most of them.
Good… wait until the Cleveland Browns fly into town and trash your football team!
Cleveland Browns
Year Record Finish (Regular / Post Season)
2022 7-10-0 4th — AFC North
2021 8-9-0 3rd — AFC North
2020 11-5-0 3rd — AFC North
2019 6-10-0 3rd — AFC North
I have worked football charters too. I was blonde and young then. I gotta tell you they are out of control. Cleveland Browns were the worse. They chartered the plane, they owned the plane and they did whatever they wanted to the plane.
Everyone commenting is a loser except for me.
Pilot experience was 3 flights in his career…..that is why he was assigned to a charter flight…to gain experience.. anybody notice how pilot would have been in violation of FAA rules about flight time for his day? But for United, assigning a tranny pilot checked off many boxes in their corporate dei goals.
How do you keep Cleveland Brown out of your airplane?
Simple, put up a goalpost.
Haha! Should we believe the lie from United because the Browns told them to. Oh politics!