http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/c...story.html

United's story is that the passenger cancelled her seat, so it was a complimentary upgrade was given to D. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee while the first class passenger was moved back into economy.

I know in our case, we once got moved from our assigned seats and split up from our young children (one was seated alone) and non-rev employees (who NEVER quit talking non-stop the entire flight) were sitting where we had been assigned. Now we got a neighbor to trade seats, so we got together. But it was all United messing with customers to benefit another.

And lying is not unusual. They claimed they were overbooked one time and telling passengers they could be kicked off without compensation (illegal) if not enough volunteered. And they weren't overbooked. I overheard the agents talking. Due to fog, they had too much weight due to the luggage and freight they were carrying, so they had to cut the number of passengers to make the weight.

As a member of congress, there is no way she should have remained in that seat once she learned it belonged to someone on that flight. Bad optics at a minimum. But yea, it sounds like the airlines doing a member of congress a solid.

Why in the hell are members of congress flying 1st class anywhere?

Best yet Sheila apparently labeled the complaint as being grounded in racism. You wonder how someone that venal and stupid ever got elected, and keeps getting elected.

Back when I lived in Houston I knew several people very well who were staff to Houston congress-critters (both D and R, several from Gene Green's staff, and even more from Repubs). The absolute most atrocious first hand stories about SJL's venality and stupidity were almost a rite of passage for them.

But unfortunately I lived in an area where she was my Rep for close to 5 years. And, unfortunately, I worked for a place that had very heavy political hand in Texas politics, so I had to grin and smile and countless functions of hers.

Her office knew of my office's political dealings, and they had the chutzpah to plant an election sign in my lawn without my permission. When I took it down and threw it away, her office had the balls to call a partner at the firm I worked at to get it replanted.

(12-25-2017 09:18 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  Best yet Sheila apparently labeled the complaint as being grounded in racism. You wonder how someone that venal and stupid ever got elected, and keeps getting elected.
Back when I lived in Houston I knew several people very well who were staff to Houston congress-critters (both D and R, several from Gene Green's staff, and even more from Repubs). The absolute most atrocious first hand stories about SJL's venality and stupidity were almost a rite of passage for them.
But unfortunately I lived in an area where she was my Rep for close to 5 years. And, unfortunately, I worked for a place that had very heavy political hand in Texas politics, so I had to grin and smile and countless functions of hers.
Her office knew of my office's political dealings, and they had the chutzpah to plant an election sign in my lawn without my permission. When I took it down and threw it away, her office had the balls to call a partner at the firm I worked at to get it replanted.

I had a not dissimilar experience with SJL. My question is why is United the one in trouble and not SJL?

I still want to know why taxpayers pay for members of congress to fly 1st class on commercial airlines. Its bull**** unless they are reaching into their own personal accounts to upgrade.

I want all of these perks removed. This should not be a job that people want because its a bump in pay and perks.

Not a United fan at all. I put them and American as the two worst...

(12-26-2017 11:26 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I still want to know why taxpayers pay for members of congress to fly 1st class on commercial airlines. Its bull**** unless they are reaching into their own personal accounts to upgrade.

I want all of these perks removed. This should not be a job that people want because its a bump in pay and perks.

Some pigs are more equal than others and you need to stop worrying about it peasant.

(12-26-2017 12:36 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  Not a United fan at all. I put them and American as the two worst...

I try to avoid domestic airlines if at all possible. Considering that I mainly fly international when I do fly, this is easy to do. I do not think I have take a domestic airline overseas in over a decade. Foreign airlines, for the most part, have customer service figured out. Domestic airlines still treat it like flying bus service.

I fly Southwest when possible. Good service, free baggage check, and they fly into smaller, low hassle airports.

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I typically fly either Delta or Alaska.

(12-26-2017 11:26 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I still want to know why taxpayers pay for members of congress to fly 1st class on commercial airlines. Its bull**** unless they are reaching into their own personal accounts to upgrade.

I want all of these perks removed. This should not be a job that people want because its a bump in pay and perks.

Wonder if she actually paid the coach fare, but got upgraded due to her position??

(12-26-2017 01:37 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  I typically fly either Delta or Alaska.

I will fly Delta if I have to connect. That way I can get a layover in ATL, where you can smoke.

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(12-26-2017 11:26 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I still want to know why taxpayers pay for members of congress to fly 1st class on commercial airlines. Its bull**** unless they are reaching into their own personal accounts to upgrade.

I want all of these perks removed. This should not be a job that people want because its a bump in pay and perks.

Couldn’t agree more. There also desperately need to be term limits. There is scum on both sides that have been there far too long making far too much money as career politicians.

(12-26-2017 01:35 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  I fly Southwest when possible. Good service, free baggage check, and they fly into smaller, low hassle airports.

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Couldn't agree more, and the $15 for early bird check in is worth it to get an aisle seat towards the front (especially if you're not checking any bags). Flying from O'Hare is close to the 7th circle of hell even with precheck so Midway is perfectly fine.

(12-26-2017 01:40 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(12-26-2017 01:37 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  I typically fly either Delta or Alaska.

I will fly Delta if I have to connect. That way I can get a layover in ATL, where you can smoke.

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I like to connect through Atlanta for a completely different reason...There is a Bojangles on the T Concourse.

(12-26-2017 01:40 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(12-26-2017 01:37 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  I typically fly either Delta or Alaska.

I will fly Delta if I have to connect. That way I can get a layover in ATL, where you can smoke.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

it's been awhile, but I easily remember seeking the 'fogged room'.......

lmfao....all the others, I had to go back through security.....

30 yrs. ago, the bathroom in plane was truly a valid option w/o fear from ATL to LAS.....21st birthday with 5k in my pocket and hooker in the wait....

oh my, how some times have or have not so rapidly changed.....

What are the odds that on everyone on the flight it was a Congresswoman that got the free upgrade??

Sadly, even if what the airline says happened is actually true, nobody believes anything from the big airlines anymore. So the woman cancelled her seat, but still ended up with a seat in economy plus? Sounds a little odd doesn't it.

I'd like to know why there isn't more investigation going on into this one.

Here's the deal. I fly an avg amount in my profession, and I'm willing to bet that SJL used United due to their contract with the US govt to fly govt personnel when flying on the gov't dollar. However, it is widely known that we may NOT use our travel card for upgrades. We are also not permitted to accept any sort of gift of any kind greater than $20 in value while serving in a professional capacity.

So here's what I'm interested in knowing...

If it's true, as United claims that the woman cancelled her 1st class ticket, there would be be record of that (no word of that yet, to my knowledge). Additionally, a member of the press should do their job and look into the finances a little further. How was SJL's seat upgraded? For free... if so that's a violation of receipt of a gift of monetary value well above the limit. Did she pay for it? How? Personal card... if so, this is back on United for booting the woman who had claim of the seat unless it's true she cancelled her upgrade. Gov't travel card... again illegal and punishable.

Curious situation indeed.