United (Airlines) Passengers Revolt After Being Stranded for 3 Days in China

good morning america ^ | 7-16-12 | JIM AVILA

[rawhide]

A United Airlines flight from Shanghai,China,to New Jersey should have taken just 13 hours,but it took some folks three days to make that trip,after a firestorm of protests,threats,even violence.

United Flight 87 was scheduled to leave Shanghai Wednesday and bring 225 passengers to Newark Airport in New Jersey.

The flight was canceled twice because of maintenance on the Boeing 777, and a third delay came because the flight crew had been on duty too long. Passengers say they couldn't get to their luggage, some of which was unceremoniously dumped off carousels, leading to fist fights.

"They [airport officials] grabbed him by the tie, and they pulled him physically across the counter and started slapping him," said passenger Pat Sinko, describing what happened to another passenger.

The nightmare began, passengers say, after the first cancellation because of maintenance. The airline put all the passengers up in hotels. Thursday arrived, and so did a second setback: The replacement generator, which has to be shipped from the U.S., didn't make it to China in time. On Friday, United Flight 87 passengers were promised they would leave, even if travelers on another flight had to be bumped.

That's when the pilot of the flight told the passengers the original plane had been fixed and was located at another gate. One Chinese passenger refused to go to the other gate and organized a mini revolt to block newly arriving passengers from getting on the plane.

"He was like if we're not getting on that plane, nobody is getting on that plane," said Borowka.

Eventually, Borowka and the other passengers were ushered to the other gate and began boarding their new plane, and were dealt a final humiliating blow: The flight crew had been on duty too long. The passengers were bumped off the plane again.

[null and void]

I got bumped off in the middle of a trip.

I’d never heard of anyone on an A-to-B-to-C flight getting taken off the plane at B.

Live and learn.

The airline put me up for the night and fed me, I was reunited with my luggage at C the next day.

A minor inconvenience, handled as well as possible by Delta.

[al baby]

Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air ,than in the air wishing you were on the ground

[rawhide]

That a revolting comment!

[struwwelpeter]

I had some fun last time I flew to Kazakhstan. Couldn't land in Astana due to bad weather, so we ended up in Almaty for the night. Absolute CF when customs didn't want to process an unexpected international flight - they expected us to just mill around in limbo for 8 hours without access to seating and bathrooms.

When they finally let us into the country, absolutely no info, no assistance. The Lufthansa rep was AWOL, the Air Astana rep claimed it wasn't his problem - go buy a ticket if you want to go to Astana. Some people did.

When they finally started handing out boarding passes, they had a deaf mute go into the throng and whisper the mispronounced names of 3 or 4 passengers, get confused, and disappear again 30 minutes, probably to ask his boss what to do if someone didn't take their pass.

At first it looked like they were just squeezing people in small groups onto little Antonov turboprops that were leaving every couple of hours.

I finally got a pass, get trucked out to the plane and low and behold everyone who bought a ticket earlier that night and walked around gloating about not being stuck in Almaty was on the same flight as those of us who were patient / cheap / didn't get into the ticketing line on time.

We all got to Astana, but the baggage hatch was frozen and they had to warm it up with a power cart. Of course, no announcements, just people alternating stares at the empty baggage carousel and the lone baggage attendant asleep on the bench.

When the baggage carousel started up three hours after we arrived, first there was a bunch of frozen horse carcasses wrapped in dirty cheesecloth, followed by one suitcase at a time every 10-15 minutes.

My suitcase was, of course, last. And open.

And that's how I spend last New Year's eve ;-)

[dfwgator]

I had some fun last time I flew to Kazakhstan.

[Noamie]

I have personal knowledge that their are individuals in United (high up) that support Free Republic and support libertarianism.

I fly United because of it.

I don’t, however, fly to China so I have no idea if this was a United issue or the local Chinese authorities putting pressure on United to get some kind of kick-back. Which is common there.

[BerryDingle]

I’d never heard of anyone on an A-to-B-to-C flight getting taken off the plane at B.

I had that happen back in the mid 70's. The airline I was on went on strike and I was stuck for 18 hours. I finally managed to get on a shuttle hop (empty 747) to another airport to finish my 4 part connections on another airline.

[Revolting cat!]

These passengers oughta count their lucky stars that the pilot discovered maintenance problems with the aircraft and said to his co-pilot: “We’d better forget it, Jake, it’s China town!”

[Minutemen]

I will never have an ordeal like that! (You will never see me step foot in China)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

On two occasions, United stranded me in Chicago and because I wasn't a frequent flier with UA, let me sleep in a gate chair instead of putting me up at a hotel (which they did for others.)
The second time, i swore I'd pay more to fly Northwest or anyone else.

They sent me a $50 coupon when i complained. I sent it back in pieces.

[Popman]

Just got back from putting my kid on his first flight.....united of course.....

They Bumped him from a 45 minute layover to a 12 hour layover in Denver...

Ass holes .... He is flying to San Diego.....

[rawhide]

He ought to make out good financially for the bump? Flyer’s rights and all. You need to look into that! I can tell you where to go if you are interested?

I was bumped fom a United/Lufthansa flight and they gave me $600 plus they put me on a later flight only 4 hrs later.

[B.O. Plenty]

Well, in this eventuality, I would be forced to implement my plan to avoid the old folks home.....

[dixiechick2000]

Reading this, I feel as though I was there.

I’ve checked “visit China” off of my bucket list.

I’ve spent too much time trying to get into, or leave, Dallas. I don’t need to be stranded in China.

“The TSAholes are taking copious notes.”

Bet you’re right. ;o)

[Cementjungle]

I had an overnight one once in Paris when I was a teenager, due to bad weather I arrived too late to get my connection to Bordeaux. Air France gave me the choice between a nearby room or an all-you-can-drink voucher at their all-night airport bar.

Naturally I opted to pull an all-nighter at the bar, and met some interesting folks throughout the night. One guy impressed me with his collection of passports; American, Soviet (this was in the 1970’s), Panama, and some others. Said he worked as a bush pilot in Africa, doing “odd jobs”.

[Noamie]

Well then you have good reason to not fly them. :)

They’re based out of Chicago, aren’t they?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think so.