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Just how Prada is bonded with the fashion world, United Airlines has a strong bond with drama. The American airline is trending again, however, this time, no dogs were misplaced or killed.
Nevertheless, it’s been a rough few weeks for United Airlines. Firstly, a ten-month-old bulldog puppy died after the flight attendants insisted that the animal be stored in an overhead bin. And the pup died of suffocation on the flight from New York to Houston. Moreover, it only happened a few days ago that the airline accidentally shipped a family’s 10-year-old German Shepherd from Oregon to Japan. And the dog was supposed to meet up with the family in Kansas.
This time around, founder of ‘We have stories,’ a writer and marketer, Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) took to Twitter to explain how he had sided with the worst kind of passenger on a United flight from Newark, New Jersey. It’s an unwritten rule when it comes to traveling by air. You’re not supposed to take your shoes off because it traps every odor imaginable. You’re basically traveling in a tin. Joseph claimed that a woman put both her feet up on her tray table while he was trying to eat. And guess how the staff reacted to it? They didn’t say anything to her. Nothing. Zilch.
The audacity of white privilege:
This woman next to me took her shoes off and placed both feet on the table. So I’m waiting for flight staff to say something… pic.twitter.com/ldOIgwiPWi
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So flight staff walks by numerous times without saying anything, and I’m irate, because no black person would ever get away with this shit. So I start looking at the staff noting that there is an issue. You know, giving them the snitch eye… pic.twitter.com/953966yubs
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So finally I decide to say something to the woman myself. So I say “ma’am, I’m trying to eat, and your feet are next to my food.”
She says “what do you want me to do, the seats are small” pic.twitter.com/AlizfVNAMB
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So I’m like “I understand, which is why there is room for your feet and legs under the seat in front of you”
So she says “this is why I fly first class, and I don’t come back here with everyone else.”
So I’m like “that’s great, so are you going to put your feet down?” pic.twitter.com/u3ZAOsrnxB
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So she calls over a flight attendant as soon as I say that!
She says to the flight attendant “this man is disrupting my flight, I’m just trying to be comfortable”
So I point at her feet and explain my stance.
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
The flight attendant says… “well what if she puts her feet closer to the window or puts one down”
The woman says “if I put one foot down, I want to be accommodated for accommodating him” pic.twitter.com/NrUHKDj6m9
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So I ask “what voucher will I be receiving for my suffering”
The flight attendant says “sir, we can only make but so many accommodations, and she has agreed to move her feet for you.” pic.twitter.com/617NE2aG06
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
So the flight attendant speaks to the person in-charge on the plane and they give promise this woman a fucking $1000 voucher … ONE.THOUSAND. DOLLAR. pic.twitter.com/0DEZKKDU1e
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
Now I’m on the phone trying to explain how problematic this all was to a white woman in customer service who doesn’t get my issue. pic.twitter.com/3lVxeqfVrC
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 13, 2018
UPDATE: so @united called me this morning to tell me that the passenger didn’t receive any compensation.
So I told the United representative “I’m happy to hear that, but I still have an issue with the flight attendant pacifying her and essentially taking her side.” pic.twitter.com/ODLGcRpdv6
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
The rep says “well, our staff can’t tell someone what to do. But, again, I assure you, she didn’t receive money.”
So I say “that’s great, again. But by attempting to momentarily pacify her, the flight attendant created a negative situation for me and took her side.” pic.twitter.com/yJE0SUffYG
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
I continue “also, I find it hard to believe that if this was a person of color someone wouldn’t have asked her to put her feet down.”
She says “sir, I personally don’t believe it has anything to do with race or culture. As you can hear from my last name, I am a Hispanic person” pic.twitter.com/Z4Y9vkMjee
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
She then did the whole “United accepts everyone” etc spiel.
So I told her that’s fine and she thanked me for my time and offered to give my feedback to the flight staff. pic.twitter.com/G2NW7IiuTn
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
Basically, United had a woman w/ a Spanish sounding surname tell me there should be no issue because the woman ended up not getting money.
Oh, and racial bias didn’t matter here, because again a woman with Spanish sounding name at United says it didn’t.
Tone deaf. pic.twitter.com/TH9cT9FbjY
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
Both @united and the passenger have their view and I have mine. At this point I’m moving on from the situation.
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 14, 2018
This surely isn’t the first time United Airlines pulled a biased move. It’s been a center of controversy, among other things for quite a while now.
