Apparently, asking the wrong question of aircraft personnel can get you booted off the plane — but not the next flight:
United Airlines ejected a loyal first class passenger from a recent plane flight because he asked if he would be getting dinner. At least, that’s his story. He may have been ejected because he’s the sort of security threat who claims he’s talking about food when he’s really talking about the police.
United takes such threats very seriously. At least for a few minutes.
The threat to the plane and its crew was so severe that United summoned the police and escorted him from the plane. Okay, if they thought he was a clear and present danger, they arrest him and charge him, yes?
No. He’s such a potentially dangerous character that they have an elite customer service agent met him coming off the flight to book him on the very next flight.
Joe Sugarman one of those direct marketing gurus we would all love to see get hoofed in the nads for materially contributing to the rise of mail order marketing schemes, egregiously stupid television infomercials, et cetera. So getting heaved off a flight due to a misunderstanding is more of a bonus than a PR disaster. United ought to get a public service medal.
Comment by Chris Taylor — July 25, 2010 @ 06:10