The stories I read on DM and from FReepers last summer made it sound like you had to pay just to exhale.
Complaints of size or weight of luggage or customers flying. Then they, and by they I mean the airline just goes and boots you off because they sell your seat to someone else. The seat you bought and paid in advance. They give you crappy service, and if you/and your your luggage gets to where you are going it’s a bloody miracle.
Now I don’t recall which airline was spoken of and what snacks and food had to be paid for but just remember FReepers complaining it used to be free now it’s not. The airlines have done a nosedive in standards and just not what they used to be.
You see I’ve come to expect anything and everything from airlines. They are like Ma Bell of the past “They don’t care they don’t have too” mentality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ_BwnbSrWs
You’re getting sensationalized stories that are mostly wrong.
They don’t boot you off for “sell your seat to someone else.”
People get pulled off for various reasons but it’s never for selling the seat to someone else.
Crappy service: maybe. Have you ever tried Southwest?
Luggage: 98% of the time it gets with you on the flight. When it misses, it’s usually because of the TSA.
With the cost of inflation, your ticket is way down from what it used to be. Again, check the government fees to see the real problem.
When is the last time you’ve heard of a major crash in the US? I can get anywhere in the US in a matter of hours because of the airlines—cut them some slack.
Morgana, have you ever flown on Alaska Airlines?
They are a totally different breed from United Airlines. I am familiar with both, and I won’t fly United anymore even tho their hub is in my home airport. My family has flown on Alaska Airlines many, many times—and they have always been accommodating, tho we usually fly into Seattle. I am not an Alaska resident, but they do offer special discounted fares for Alaska residents needing medical travel and I believe same for a trip or two annually down to the lower 48. I get a charge out of their “pineapple or wine exemption” for baggage fees.
My favorite example of their accommodation: My spouse and I were flying from Seattle to Chicago and had aisle seats separated by several rows. Immediately prior to boarding, we were called to the gate. Why? Because they believe families should fly together and that we should be seated nearer to each other and were changing or had changed our seats...they knew we were flying together because we were on their companion fare. Very thoughtful.
I was amused because we have been married 40 years were away together for 2 weeks, boarding our third plane of the day, and did not feel the need to sit next to each other on another 5 hour flight ;)
Point is, I will be very surprised if it turns out in court documents that the family had indicated their grandmother needed assistance and Alaska Airlines did not follow thru. Not sure about the contractor...I would think there will be a paper trail documenting family request for these services and payment of requested services.
Oh and I cannot say I would be surprised at a negative outcome had they been flying with United—used to be a great airline, now not so much :(
In any event, it is very sad what happened with the grandmother.
Please keep us posted as to the outcome.