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.
Joe
Joe I am sorry I don’t think we are getting the whole story here. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. I have been sitting here repeating your words over and over and I’m sorry but I can’t get “Are you serving any meals on this flight” in any relation to “Are there any police aboard”. Now in no way am I calling you a liar or implying your making this up I just don’t think the whole story is here. Were you having a bad day? Did you possibly get an attitude towards the FA? Did the FA feel threatened by your tone perhaps? If this is the whole story than I will chalk this up to 9/11. Ever since that terrible day our country has not been the same. Cheers, Tyson
[...] Joe Sugarman had the gall to ask if meals were served on his flight. For that, the police removed him from the flight. 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?” [...]
Comment? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4872165/
Robert,
“After all, for all it’s many excellent qualities America right now has the largest percentage of its population in prison of any country on Earth.”
Most likely because of the lack of corruption on the US. In many other countries, the police force is so corrupt, you can pay them a bribe to get out of prison. They say that Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The problem is that in the culture, it’s considered a “dishonor” to admit that you were a victim of a crime. As a result, not as much crime is reported.
“so disinterested in “democracy,” and what came out is that they just don’t need democracy. Nobody bothers them. They get on and can live their lives without interference.”
Right. But what they aren’t telling you is that the government can search through their homes without a warrent, arrest them for no reason, and throw them in jail for talking against them.
The only reason you are even able to talk about how bad democracy is, is because of your freedoms brought to you by democracy.
Last year I was travelling with a group of about 10 people on a AA flight from Europe to NYC and after dinner we collected all the soda cans at one place to help the flight assistant collect them for garbage. But instead of thanking us he threatened us to call the flight police because we allegedly were not allowed to gather so many cans on one seat. On the flight back we got lucky and encountered the same crew again. The foresaid flight attendant saw us, immediately came to us and told us he remembered us and that he would have an eye on us during the flight. Scary travel…
Roman
This country is fucked. It’s only going to get worse.
This is crazy, Joe Sugarman the terrorist!
Joe you’re one of the biggest patriots I have ever known in my life.
Hope United makes good on this and that their staff gets some training
This is another reason why we can thank the regional airlines for existing. Please keep in mind this was not United Airlines, it was a regional partner, possibly Republic. Makes me wish that the airlines flew their own airplanes instead of out-sourcing their product.
“Are there going to be any meals on this flight?”
Maybe the flight attendant was on edge from something else and heard,
“Are there going to be any police on this flight?”
I’d file a formal complaint though.
Joe, you are the one representing yourself. Corruption is everywhere, in the air even,..
One other man with interity once said “none are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free”, and with these words of hope, we empower humanity. Airline crew are also just people, ofcourse human error still creates the biggest disaster.
I also boycot airlines because of ‘service’.
Keep on flying! I love it too.
Grtjs frm Holland
A
You should not switch to American they are getting worse by the day, the only good ones left are continental & virgin America, jetblue
James,
“They say that Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.”
That’s because it does. I’m quite prepared to believe that not all crimes are reported there, but a woman can feel safe walking all alone around downtown Tokyo after midnight. Kids of 6 or 7 ride trains through major cities to go to school, unaccompanied.
They do have serious problems with corruption, with the yakuza in bed with the police and governments, but for the average person who lives there, yes it is very safe.
I lived in Osaka (greater Osaka’s population is about 18 million) for 7 years and, aside from some crazy drivers, never feared for my safety. (I now live in a small city in Canada and also feel safe, by the way.)
this is just ridiculous. kari twedt
SSH is spot on! United Express(excuse) should not exist. It should be called whatever airline is flying the flight, such as Republic, Skywest, etc.
One more reason to fly your own airplane. The Airline world is just nuts, nuts, nuts.
That’s why I hate those fucking flight attendants. It’s like they have to go through a compulsory course of bitchiness.
Let me get this straight. They thought you were a terrorist, so… they took YOU OFF the plane, and LEFT YOUR LUGGAGE ON IT?
What’s the point? They didn’t care if the plane went down in smoke, but they were adamant to deny you your chance to be a martyr?
America isn’t just fucked up, it’s getting collectively stupider by the week.
“After all, for all it’s many excellent qualities America right now has the largest percentage of its population in prison of any country on Earth.”
Most likely because of the lack of corruption on the US.
What a joke !
Here in Europe, people go to prison for REAL raisons, not for having smoked a joint..
Some countries in US are becoming true idiocraty.
James:
I write as an Australian – specifically, a Tasmanian. I have had several dealings with our police in the past, and they have always been helpful and effective, and the crim has always been caught and dealt with, money or no.
This would seem to run counter to your claims that we, as a country other than America, must be endlessly corrupt. And yes, there are places in Australia rather worse off than this state, but nowhere approaches America’s level.
As to the Democracy: well, we have a Constitutional Monarchy, which works similarly in many respects. Of course, we managed not to create that horrific mess you call the Patriot Act. So I’m pretty certain we actually have greater freedoms than you (though it’s a little harder to get and carry firearms, doubtless you’d be endlessly upset about that).
The fact that America has a huge portion of its population in prison is not a positive quality, and Democracy is not the reason a man gets kicked off a flight because the assistant thinks he’s asking about police.
[...] cosa stanno diventando gli stati uniti – paranoia reprise [...]
Wow-sounds like the FA had a serious “hearing” problem that day. Also I agree with Henry…if you were perceived to be a terrorist, why did they kick YOU off but your LUGGAGE was left alone….you should file a lawsuit for defamation of character, or at least a complaint! Good luck!
just because your a VIP doesn’t mean you can fondle the FA…. even if only to get her attention to ask if there are meals on the flight;-)
C’mon…. you must have touched her!!!
All joking aside…
Just because they work for an airline… doesn’t mean they are sane… or sober;-)
Let me ask you this – was First Class full? When you were at the gate, was there a passenger that the attendants were trying to let onto First Class?
If First Class was full, I will bet you a month”s salary that there was a passenger that an attendant wanted to sit in your seat. It could have been her boyfriend, or her sister.
Also, FAA regulations state that if an attendant removes a passenger from a flight, the attendant MUST tell the baggage handlers to remove baggage from the flight. If she didn’t remove your baggage, something’s fishy with United’s story because they were not thinking about security.
What’s inconsistent? The attendant kicked you off the flight for “security reasons”, but left your bags on the flight. That tells me that the attendant’s concern was NOT about security. She was up to something.
Last, only an inexperienced flyer would ask if there was police on board. United’s claim there you asked if there was police on board is inconsistent with the behavior of an experienced flyer.
I had a flight attendant “accidently” throw a glass of water over me because *heaven forbid!* I asked if the constant high pitched very loud whistling from the aircraft door was going to stop on a 10+ hour flight. You know, the door that stops us all getting blown out of the plane.
Joe, I believe you 100%. Fly with someone else.
I was on Virgin Atlanticbtw.
Joe, you can’t assume anything anymore. And who said flight attendants were trustworthy. I’ve been threatened by one for not shutting up my infant and putting her in a first class seat I paid for while she was teething. I refused, there was such a law and children being able to be seated on your lap. She threatened to have me arrested! I told her go ahead, the child was cutting a tooth and her ears were in pain and she wasn’t leaving my lap as the airline laws stipulate. She had me shaking and crying and to make a long story short, their attorneys and the captains and pilots of the vessel were all over me apologizing. She was way off base. She snapped! So do they think even their best customer can snap? You betcha, especially in today’s economy and marketplace.
The fact that you mentioned stepping into the cockpit would have made my skin crawl if I saw this because that’s off base to civilians and I would have freaked if I thought someone was going to make a move. As far as you only asked about a meal? I’m thinking you aren’t being truthful and take liberties because of your flight status, like they’re your chums??? I’m probably right and only 3 people know the truth about what really happened, you God and the other party.
You got off much easier than Josef K. did.
Don’t fly. Everyone, just for a few weeks, cancel your flights, stay home, drive to your destinations. If you are tired how you are being treated by the TSA and the airlines, why do you continue to pay them to treat you this way?
How many days of empty and half empty flights would it be before changes were made?
Joe your story is hilarious and at first I didn’t believe it but then realized I was kidding myself. The TSA and the airlines have gone overboard trying to make travelers lives miserable. Good luck getting your bag back and hopefully American wont ill treat you too!
[...] [...]
I have a friend who turned to a seat mate who had just sat down and said in his English accent: “Particularly nasty weather??
The woman immediately got up and went to the stewardess and complained. She asked to have her seat changed because the gentleman next to her said, “Tickle your arse with a feather?”
We see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.
An appalling situation. Featured as ‘This Week’s Security Horror Story’ here http://blog.thetravelinsider.info/2010/07/this-weeks-security-horror-story-23-july-2010.html
Perhaps if so many of your fellow American citizens did insist on being armed and if your police and fellow travelers were not so pumped up knowing they were armed to the hilt there would not be so much paranoia in the US.
@Leza …Quote: The fact that you mentioned stepping into the cockpit …..
I don’t think that Joe ever mentioned stepping into the cockpit. The FA stepped into the cockpit to speak with the pilot.
Regardless, overreaction on the part of the Flight Attendant. United owes Joe Sugarman more than an apology. Of course being such a litigious nation some might suggest a lawsuit. That, too, would be an overreaction.
Maintain your integrity, Joe (not that I think you would not) – the truth will out. My feelings are that the flight attendant simply did not hear you correctly and is now trying to cover her, uh, well – you know.
The Muslims won on 9/11/01.
The police state won on 9/11, and took game, set, match on 1/20/09.
Live it, learn it, love it. Or else.
These are my feelings exactly. I should have an outcome on Monday.
My condolences. That was a pretty rough turn of events for you. Hopefully there wasn’t anything too valuable in your lost suitcase. I, too, shall be taking my business to airlines other than United. This whole story just revealed how backwards and unorganized they really are.
I must say that they have been very responsive and are trying to get to the bottom of this. I will report on any results on my blog.
Joe
[...] 28 Jul When I was coming back to Canada from my lovely trip abroad I experienced a hell of a day while traveling with my least favourite airline. In a series I’ve entitled “Traveling Nightmares, or why is United Airlines against me?” I’ll recount the nightmare I had to live through to get back home WITH my luggage. This is part 1. There are other wonderful stories around the web on how UA screws up travelers in other ways. Read here, it’s outrageous. [...]
Thanks for your comments. I’m trying to work things out with them.
Joe
all I can say is WOW, what a little bitch
hope You get it sorted
So how was this situation resolved with UA?