[freqflyers]

I flew from Toronto to Hong Kong (HK) via Newark on June 15, but the flight from Toronto to Newark has been delayed. The ground staff kept announcing that there would be a flight delay and I was very concerned. Whenever they made the announcement, I told them that I would have to catch an international flight to HK three times. Each time the staff told me that the flight would arrive at 2:30pm or 2:40pm, and I SHOULD be perfectly ok. But when I arrived at Newark, I was SHOCKED to find out that the airplane’s gate has been closed. For other Asian flights, they did care about passengers having connections to another international flight, and the international flight did care to wait for passengers due to flight delay. UA simply DID NOT care about their international passengers! Can they understand what the delay meant to me? I cannot go home on Father’s Day and need to spend that important day ALONE wandering at the Newark Airport.

When I tried to make an arrangement for the next international flight, the staff at the service center (near Gate C130) told me that there would only be another flight on the next day. When I asked for a hotel voucher, he refused to give me one. He even tried to get me out of NYC by arranging a flight to Chicago and then a flight to HK on June 16. The problem is that he DID NOT CARE to tell me that I had to standby for the Chicago flight. When I went to the gate and tried to find out my seat number, I was SHOCKED (the 2nd time that day) to find out that I had to standby for that flight. The staff did not even care to tell me that! I was really distressed and could not bear any more risks! What if I could not take the flight to Chicago and then I would miss the flight to HK again! Then I decided to go to another service counter to try my luck, and fortunately I met a staff called Joanna (near Gate C90) who was the only one who was polite and patient to help out. She understood my concern and distress, and put me on a CONFIRMED flight from Newark to HK so that I don’t have to take any more risks.

Because I have spent all my money, I had to spend almost 24 long hours at the Newark airport and couldn’t sleep at all because I was a girl who was scared and all alone at the airport. Finally I got through the distressing long hours and was ready to board the plane. I met another passenger who was on the same delayed flight from Toronto and thus missed the same flight to HK as I did. We went to the SAME service counter together. I was SHOCKED (for the 3rd time) to find out that he WAS given a hotel voucher. Why were they staff SO UNFAIR to me? Is it because he who got a hotel voucher is a Canadian passport holder and I am only a HK passport holder, and thus a second-class passenger? I just cannot understand why their staff is so UNFAIR in treating passengers!

[jimworcs]

One of the great challenges when travelling is how to deal with the capricious nature of the morons who work for airlines. If you are lucky, you may get one of the few who want to help.... but mostly you will get sour, miserable liars who will do anything and say anything to get you away from their desk. Unfortunately, you got the latter, which is sadly more typical. It may not have been discrimination, it may have been....who knows, because almost all airline staff seem to be equal opportunity, abusive morons.