[Kfreed]

Of all the disturbing events I’ve witnessed at airports in recent years, I must admit that UAL’s abuse of its passengers, both on and off the ground, has put me over the edge. I was conned into flying United on two separate occasions - both overseas trips (to Germany in 2004 and to England in 2007). I insisted during the planning of the 2007 trip that I refused to fly United, and was overjoyed at the prospect of flying with Lufthansa only to discover after the fact that Lufthansa had partnered with United. Needless to say, I was royally ticked because I knew that the experience would be an excercise in terror. And I was correct: consistently delayed flights, cancelled flights, “broken plane”, lost luggage and beastly airline personnel (both ways). Though thuroughly disgusted with UAL in every respect I managed to maintain my composure right up until the moment, on the last leg of our journey back to Colorado from London, the UAL gate agent took to downright abusing an elderly woman for no apparent reason. I was sitting near the counter at the gate along with my ever-patient husband and a great many frazzled, exhausted, and stranded UAL passengers. Having listened to the gate attendant bark orders and rude remarks at the would-have-been passengers for more than an hour, I lost my nerve entirely when the man began to berate an old lady for “stepping over the line” in order to ask a question. When she politely suggested that he needn’t treat her so rudely, he labeled her a “security risk ” and screamed at her (yes, SCREAMED) that he would call security if she didn’t shut up and sit down. Then I lost it. I told the jacksas in no uncertain terms that he was, in fact, a jackass and should rather call security on himself. Moreover made perfectly clear that his attitude for the past hour had been intolerable and that the people he had been barking at were human beings who at a minimum deserved simple basic respect. I don’t remember quite what else I said to him, but could see the man fuming and turning over in his petty mind the prospect of calling security on me instead. Perhaps he thought better of it as the passengers seated around me appeared to have my back on the issue. In the end he shut up, i shut up, and people began exchanging contact information. After many hostile glances in my direction, which I returned in equal measure, we finally boarded an airplane. In the future, United is on my **** list (pardon the French). I’m done. I vow never again to to fly with United and henceforth will only utilize international airlines that are in no way affiliated with domestic airline companies. The airline industry has become an abomination and I refuse to further enable its lunacy.