[JOE MITCHELL]

U Ain't Leaving Air Lines from Anchorage Alaska to Jacksonville Florida via Denver, Chicago. Now, keep this time frame in mind cause it's important to the story, we were scheduled to leave Anchorage at 11:52 pm on Wednesday the 9th of June. We were delayed because of mechanical problems with the Aircraft and didn't leave 'till approx. 1:30 Am, 10th of June. My wife is on an Oxygen concentrator 100% 0f the time unless she is sitting still! The Airlines require us to carry enough batteries to cover one and one half the times of the length of the flight. I carry the extra batteries in a carry on bag and also a certificate from a doctor saying this is a necessary medical apparatus.

The late departure from Anchorage caused us to be in a rush to make our connection in Denver, (my wife also requires a wheelchair to go from gate to gate) and when we arrived at the departure gate to board for the Chicago flt, the Aircraft had already boarded and the last of the standby's were stepping on the plane. Our late arrival seemed to upset the lady that was standing at the A/C end of the Jetway (a UAL employee) directing the passengers on to the A/C.She was saying in a loud voice that there was no more room on the A/C and was particularly upset with me with my carry on! (the batteries, remember) She insisted that I surrender the carry on to be checked to Chicago and to be returned to me at that gate. I had figured how much battery we had left and knew we could make the flight to Chicago without the backup batteries and surrendered the bag to the attendant and received a baggage stub. They had to ask two of the standby's to offload to make room for us. Now this A/C is delayed leaving because of a problem with one of the toilets approx. 20 to 30 minutes. I'm not sure of the accuracy of these times 'cause all this rushing around makes each minute seem like ten. On to Chicago!!

By the time we arrived in Chicago, our plane to Jacksonville was already boarding, (sound familiar?). As we tried to rush from the one gate to the other I stood at the end of the Jetway as a baggage handler made endless trips from the cargo hold of our Denver A/C to bring several baby strollers to the mothers waiting with me. I tried three times to get him to take the stub I was given in Denver, saying each time, " I really need this bag, my plane is leaving from the other gate and I have to have this bag"! He never even acknowledged my request and I sensed I would get no cooperation from him. I went on up the Jetway where my wife and a couple of other passengers were waiting in the electric cart to take us to our gate. I stopped long enough to tell the gate attendant about my plight with the carry on and she told me there was nothing she could do from her position and I should tell someone at the gate we were going to. We were rushed pass the passengers that were loading and I managed to tell one flight about the lost bag and asked did they have emergency Oxygen on board since by this time we were down to about a half hours worth of Oxygen on our battery. I felt we could still make it if we shut the concentrator down once we were seated but I wanted to make sure we had a backup just in case.

Now comes the good part! We left Anchorage the day before and had been rushed from plane to plane and there were no opportunities to purchase food either on the A/C or in the terminals and all we had with us were a couple of packages of peanutbutter crackers. We were tired, hungry and pretty much stressed out with all the rushing and problems with the carry on and then a UAL representative comes walking down the aisle and says, "I'm going to have to remove you from the plane because you are not in compliance with that concentrator". I asked him what the problem was and he said we were not in compliance with their requirements because we didn't have sufficient battery back up. I asked him, "you mean to tell me that because you lost my bag with the spare batteries that you are going to take us off the plane??" he said yes and we had no choice but to walk up that aisle with somewhere around two hundred pairs of eyes staring holes in our back like we were some kind of terrorist.
The Company Rep. who removed us from the flight was a man name Sam McDonald but he was shadowed by another fellow in a suit with a name tag but I failed to get his name. By his demeanor I guessed him to be a supervisor of higher rank than Mr. McDonald although he never said a word to me or introduced himself. Also present was the gate agent standing at her computer and the most embarrassing part to me was the presence of three uniformed policemen which I took as an indication that I must have intimidated them ( I'm 76 years old, fat and crippled to the point it's difficult for me to walk more than fifty feet or so) and they wanted to be ready to tackle me in case I went berserk. The lady at the computer took my baggage stub and did her computer thing to come up with the info that my bag was in the cargo hold of the A/C they had just made me leave. I pleaded with them to get my bag to me so I could put a fresh battery in my wife's machine. During this time they had pulled the Jetway away from the A/C and were preparing to have it push back. Mr. McDonald and the "suit" went out the Jetway and down the stairs to the A/C cargo hold and had a baggage handler remove my bag and they returned to where we were at the gate attendant station and handed me the bag. Mr. McDonald asked me twice if I was sure I had sufficient batteries in the bag to make the trip. I had three more batteries in the bag that were rated at three hours apiece so with nine hours of battery available I said yes to the question the first time he asked and when he asked again a second time, I set the bag on the ground and opened it up to show him but he had walked away to talk to the "suit" so I went ahead and put a fresh battery in my wife's machine, ( the gate attendant witnessed this). Mr. McDonald returned from his conference with the "suit" and said we could go ahead board the A/C again. They ran the Jetway back to the A/C and we proceeded to board the A/C, walking down the aisle after delaying those two hundred people for fifteen minutes or more and endured the angry looks as we took our seats again. I was actually fearful of possibly being mugged in the baggage claim in Jacksonville.

The biggest irony of all is that no one, not one single person, said 'Mr. Mitchell, we're sorry to have inconvenienced you and your wife because of our error!!!"
We were humiliated and embarrassed beyond anything we have had to endure in public before and we are having trouble sleeping because of re-living the embarrassment!

I expect someone from UAL to come to my home and apologize to me and my wife to our face and tape the whole thing with me receiving a copy of the tape. I'm not in the mood to be patient in this so I would expect to hear from you no later than July 1, this year or I will spread this letter all over the internet and see how your company likes to be embarrassed.

[jimworcs]

I pleaded with them to get my bag to me so I could put a fresh battery in my wife's machine. During this time they had pulled the Jetway away from the A/C and were preparing to have it push back. Mr. McDonald and the "suit" went out the Jetway and down the stairs to the A/C cargo hold and had a baggage handler remove my bag and they returned to where we were at the gate attendant station and handed me the bag.

You have been treated very badly, but typical of the standards of service of the big airines in the US. It will get worse when United are allowed to merge with Continental. However, I wanted to comment on the scenario you outline above. Many airline employees would have allowed that aircraft to go without retrieving your oxygen concentrator batteries. Think yourself lucky you were not on Delta.

It is also important to be realistic about your demands. No corporation is going to come to your house to make a personal apology, and film the apology for you. If you make unrealistic demands, they are more likely to ignore your complaint or write you off as a crank. The best you can hope for is an apology and perhaps some pratically worthless vouchers.

[JOE MITCHELL]

Thank you for your input; I plan to pursue my original course of action anyway! I'm considered by some to be a little stubborn so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Either way, they won't dismiss me as a crank.
Joe

[jimworcs]

Good luck Joe, look up "United Breaks Guitars" on youtube for a more novel way of complaining!!

[JOE MITCHELL]

I've seen that "United breaks guitars" before and can only wish I had 1% of his talent. Thanks!
Joe

[justme]

Think yourself lucky you were not on Delta.

This complaint has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Delta. You do this in every post because you have a personal beef that you cling to like a little child clinging to a blankie. I know FOR A FACT that Delta would get the batteries, as well as medicine, medical instruments, pumps, needles, you name it, I have done it MANY MANY times in my ramp days. Stop bringing Delta in to every complaint written about other airlines.

Now, on to the ACTUAL complaint...

I stood at the end of the Jetway as a baggage handler made endless trips from the cargo hold of our Denver A/C to bring several baby strollers to the mothers waiting with me. I tried three times to get him to take the stub I was given in Denver, saying each time, " I really need this bag, my plane is leaving from the other gate and I have to have this bag"! He never even acknowledged my request and I sensed I would get no cooperation from him.

You are correct that he should have acknowledged you, but it is against federal regulations to give a checked bag back to a passenger in the jetway. Once they put the tag on it and stowed it ion the cargo hold of the first airplane, it must stay there until your final destination where you can claim it at baggage claim. I hope if this situation comes up in the future, this info will help you.

I asked him what the problem was and he said we were not in compliance with their requirements because we didn't have sufficient battery back up. I asked him, "you mean to tell me that because you lost my bag with the spare batteries that you are going to take us off the plane??" he said yes

I may just be missing something while I'm reading, but where did they lose your bag? You made it from ANC to DEN (with carry-on in possession), then in DEN when you were boarding the ORD/MDW flight, you surrendered the bag in the jetway, which means it would have immediately been taken down and put in the cargo hold with the other bags and strollers which means it made it to ORD/MDW. So, when you get to ORD/MDW and go to board the flight to JAX, the bag wasn't transferred? Another reason I'm confused is because, since it was a domestic flight, there would have been no reason for them to make sure your bag was on board. They do not do positive passenger bag match on domestic flights. And even on international flights, it's not a security problem if the passenger is on and their bag isn't, it's only a problem the other way round.

the presence of three uniformed policemen which I took as an indication that I must have intimidated them

They could have been there for any number of different reasons. Maybe they had a problem with a different passenger, maybe they were all just friends, maybe there was an issue earlier and they were getting statements from the agent about a completely different issue. In my experience, if the police are there for you, they would have spoken with you. They didn't, so I can only assume they weren't meant for you.

I expect someone from UAL to come to my home and apologize to me and my wife to our face and tape the whole thing with me receiving a copy of the tape. I'm not in the mood to be patient in this so I would expect to hear from you no later than July 1, this year or I will spread this letter all over the internet and see how your company likes to be embarrassed.

Like Jim(thegrump)worcs said, be realistic. Someone coming to your house and apologizing on camera will never happen. And as far as your threat to embarrass them on the internet if they don't... looks like you jumped the gun a little as it's not yet JUL 1st... your end date.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

justme wrote…

you have a personal beef (with Delta) that you cling to like a little child clinging to a blankie

Maybe, justme, if you worked for Great Lakes Airlines things would be different. Unfortunately, as my neighbors tell me, a large target is easy to hit. The fact that Delta shuttles between the middle of the pack and the cellar, on the DOT consumer ratings, doesn’t help. Delta, American, United, and US Airways would all give themselves a boost with the DOT if they could come to understand that ordinary civilized behavior costs nothing. It can also go a long way toward holding down complaints. The Delta staff I’ve encountered in Billings are kind and decent people. Based on some of the posts on this board Atlanta is another story. Apparently some (ATL) Delta staff “rule” their concourses like a banana republic dictator.

[justme]

Maybe, justme, if you worked for Great Lakes Airlines things would be different.

You're right Butch, I do get a bit more annoyed since I do work for Delta, but it would be equally irritating either way reading him typing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over... irritating isn't it?

Unfortunately, as my neighbors tell me, a large target is easy to hit.

Problem is, he's not even shooting at the right target. This is a complaint about UNITED... what the hell does his opinion of DELTA have to do with that? I'll answer my own question for you... NOTHING!!

Delta, American, United, and US Airways would all give themselves a boost with the DOT if they could come to understand that ordinary civilized behavior costs nothing. It can also go a long way toward holding down complaints. The Delta staff I’ve encountered in Billings are kind and decent people. Based on some of the posts on this board Atlanta is another story.

Agreed, agreed, I'm sure they are, it is.

Apparently some (ATL) Delta staff “rule” their concourses like a banana republic dictator.

I don't get the reference, but nonetheless, ATL is a monster of an airport that is understaffed at best and we try to do our best. I would be lying if I said everyone I have met, worked with, and interacted with was the nicest person ever, and honestly it really bugs me that I know they are out there representing our company. I wish I could reassign, remove, or replace all of them with your smiling staff from BIL. Ask them if they'd like to transfer next time you see them.

[jimworcs]

Justme,
When you are trying to determine the quality of something, it is often through the use of a benchmark which helps determine how someone has performed. This is a well established principle. I would suggest for example, that if you wanted to know what constituted "best in class" for service quality in relation to airlines, you might consider Singapore Airlines in that category. They have consistently, over decades, demonstrated the highest standards of customer service. Equally, when comparing "worst in class" I would argue that Delta Airlines would fit nicely as a benchmark. I am afraid that you appear to have the "Delta" arrogance and feel that you are entitled to determine who I choose as my benchmark. You don't.

You are correct that he should have acknowledged you, but it is against federal regulations to give a checked bag back to a passenger in the jetway. Once they put the tag on it and stowed it ion the cargo hold of the first airplane, it must stay there until your final destination where you can claim it at baggage claim. I hope if this situation comes up in the future, this info will help you.

Except that they broke "federal regulations" and gave him the bag when they realised that they had created the problem in the first place!! Funny how they can suddenly break federal regulations when it suits them. He did not wish to check the bag precisely because he needed the contents. How many times have passengers been advised not to put vital medicines or equipment in checked bags? He followed the guidance and was forced to check it anyway, by Mrs. Obnoxious at the jetway.

ATL is a monster of an airport that is understaffed at best and we try to do our best.

You have got to be JOKING! ATL is a hell hole and frankly, if that is your best, it is time to pack up and go home. Oh that is right, the customers drove you to the wall.. but nanny government rescued you!