Bei United niemals nach Essen fragen...

What is America coming to????

After attending a great three-day seminar in Austin, Texas sponsored by my friend Josh Bezoni, it was time to head home. In order to make my flight I had to wake up at 3:30am grab a taxi at 4am and drive the 45 minutes to the airport for what was to be a 6am flight. Hey, no problem right?

I get to the airport, boarded my plane and I’m sitting in first class. The flight attendant was right in front of me and was curious if they were going to serve meals onboard. So I asked her, “Are you serving any meals during our flight?”

She looked at me kinda funny and said, “I can’t answer that for security reasons.”

A little puzzled, I wondered how it affected security but I let it pass as she went into the cockpit. About three minutes later, two armed Austin police officers boarded the plane, looked at me and said, “Sugarman, follow us.”

I jumped out of my seat leaving my carry-on and papers behind and followed the officers half way up the ramp. “What’s the problem?” I asked.

“Let me see your drivers license,” they responded. I showed them my drivers license and they asked me when I was born, where I lived and as they held on to my drivers license I asked again, “What’s going on? No answer.

Finally a United representative approached me with my bags and said “We are taking you off this flight for security reasons.”

“Why” I asked.

“You apparently asked the flight attendant if the Police were onboard,” said the United representative. We’re not taking any chances and the captain asked that you be removed.”

“But I only asked her if a meal was being served,” I said. Only to be told that it was her word against mine and the Captain was not going to take any chances based on what the flight attendant claims I said.

Thrown off the plane for asking if a meal was being served was ridiculous. And why would I care if there was a policeman onboard anyway?

As I stepped off the ramp into the boarding area still in shock over what happened, the customer service representative was there to book me on the next flight, which was two hours later. Instead of landing in Las Vegas at 10:30 as I had planned, I had to be re-routed through Chicago and arrived at 1:45pm.

Question? If I was too dangerous to fly on my original flight why did they book me on the next United flight. It didn’t make sense. But there’s more.

They left my suitcase in Chicago

I arrived in Las Vegas before my bag did. And although they have yet to deliver my bag to my home, I fully expect to receive it shortly.

Another thing that puzzles me is that I am what is called a 1K flyer on United flying over 100,000 miles a year at a minimum. I have flown 2.5 million miles on their airline through the years as well. Couldn’t they use common sense and realize that I didn’t suddenly go off my rocker after being such a good customer of theirs. And why did they believe the flight attendant over me when they let terrorists on board with bombs in their suitcase? Can you make sense of this?

Lessons learned: I guess my business now goes to American where I am also a million mile flyer. Maybe I’ll get a lot more respect. Stay tuned and look for the final outcome of all this on my next blog. And remember, next time you fly, don’t ask if they are serving a meal on board.

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