Protesting is so good for the soul.....

[iris lilies]

Icelandic Air is making a big push for customers thru cheap fairs. DH flew Icelandic to Rejevek last fall, to get to Switzerland.

[bae]

Icelandic Air is making a big push for customers thru cheap fairs. DH flew Icelandic to Rejevek last fall, to get to Switzerland.

They have been offering some amazing deals, and they make it very easy/worthwhile to stopover for a day->week in Iceland on your way to wherever. And if you are not stopping over, their passenger-shuffling transport model of "everyone flies into Reykjavik, then swaps to the plane leaving Reykjavik in 60 minutes to their final destination" works extremely well, they have worked out all the steps with the customs/immigration/... folks, and it's very smooth.

[dmc]

United has already settled. Looks like they will stay in business. As I said, this will soon be forgotten.

[gimmethesimplelife]

United has already settled. Looks like they will stay in business. As I said, this will soon be forgotten.

I beg to differ, dmc, with all due respect. I will never forget this, as i've stated before, and will bring it up whenever appropriate in conversation for the remainder of my life. It is my moral and ethical duty as an adult and a decent human being to do so and I expect no less from myself. One way to put this is you know that saying "Friends don't let friends drive drunk"? In this case, friends don't let friends fly the Hostile and Threatening Skies of the United Airlines Brand. Rob

PS Came back to add that a big lesson here for the middle class and above that we in the 85006 (and many similar US zip codes, nothing makes the 85006 special) already know - smartphone video used in conjunction with social media can really level the playing field and lend you human rights against turbo-charged capitalism. I'm hoping that this lesson spreads upwards in the social classes. Rob

[catherine]

Here is the email I got from United this week. The subject line read "Actions Speak Louder Than Words."

Dear Ms xxx,

Each flight you take with us represents an important promise we make to you, our customer. It's not simply that we make sure you reach your destination safely and on time, but also that you will be treated with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we broke that trust when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words.

For the past several weeks, we have been urgently working to answer two questions: How did this happen, and how can we do our best to ensure this never happens again?

It happened because our corporate policies were placed ahead of our shared values. Our procedures got in the way of our employees doing what they know is right.

Fixing that problem starts now with changing how we fly, serve and respect our customers. This is a turning point for all of us here at United – and as CEO, it's my responsibility to make sure that we learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to put our customers at the center of everything we do.

That’s why we announced that we will no longer ask law enforcement to remove customers from a flight and customers will not be required to give up their seat once on board – except in matters of safety or security.

We also know that despite our best efforts, when things don’t go the way they should, we need to be there for you to make things right. There are several new ways we’re going to do just that.

We will increase incentives for voluntary rebooking up to $10,000 and will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy. We will also be rolling out a new app for our employees that will enable them to provide on-the-spot goodwill gestures in the form of miles, travel credit and other amenities when your experience with us misses the mark. You can learn more about these commitments and many other changes at hub.united.com.

While these actions are important, I have found myself reflecting more broadly on the role we play and the responsibilities we have to you and the communities we serve.

I believe we must go further in redefining what United's corporate citizenship looks like in our society. You can and ought to expect more from us, and we intend to live up to those higher expectations in the way we embody social responsibility and civic leadership everywhere we operate. I hope you will see that pledge express itself in our actions going forward, of which these initial, though important, changes are merely a first step.

Our goal should be nothing less than to make you truly proud to say, "I fly United."

Ultimately, the measure of our success is your satisfaction and the past several weeks have moved us to go further than ever before in elevating your experience with us. I know our 87,000 employees have taken this message to heart, and they are as energized as ever to fulfill our promise to serve you better with each flight and earn the trust you’ve given us.

We are working harder than ever for the privilege to serve you and I know we will be stronger, better and the customer-focused airline you expect and deserve.

With Great Gratitude,
Oscar Munoz
Oscar Munoz
CEO
United Airlines

So, the uproar did result in positive change.

[Tybee]

I am not understanding why this has become a class issue for you, Gimmethesimplelife. It was horrible that United bumped the passenger and called the police and manhandled him. It was horrible when the other airline manhandled the poor mom with her babies,and I really liked that guy that stood up for her. I had similar treatment once from Delta and contemplated suing but I didn't want to get caught up in that negativity, even though it left a really lasting dislike of Delta, and flight attendants in general.

But why is this a class issue, why a lesson for the middle class and above? I'm just not following. By the way, the doctor would be considered an upper class representative because he is a doctor, which is a powerful social position. He has already gotten a lot of money for his assault, which is great, but someone with a lot of money got more money from his attackers, but why would you consider this something that is a victory for the poor? I am just lost here.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I am not understanding why this has become a class issue for you, Gimmethesimplelife. It was horrible that United bumped the passenger and called the police and manhandled him. It was horrible when the other airline manhandled the poor mom with her babies,and I really liked that guy that stood up for her. I had similar treatment once from Delta and contemplated suing but I didn't want to get caught up in that negativity, even though it left a really lasting dislike of Delta, and flight attendants in general.

But why is this a class issue, why a lesson for the middle class and above? I'm just not following. By the way, the doctor would be considered an upper class representative because he is a doctor, which is a powerful social position. He has already gotten a lot of money for his assault, which is great, but someone with a lot of money got more money from his attackers, but why would you consider this something that is a victory for the poor? I am just lost here.

The smartphone thing? I am a big believer in the lower classes always having a fully charged (or very close to it) smartphone on their person at all times - at least when they are out and about - as it is the lower classes that experience more police brutality than anyone else as i have posted again and again on this board. Some posters here may be sick of hearing this from me by now and I can't say as I blame them as I have gone on and on about this one. But you asked so I am answering. With smartphone video, one can legally retaliate against the police and the municipality the police work for, reaping huge settlements and cashing in on what America has become. Plus if the video goes viral, there is the added benefit of the entire world having the chance to see point blank in no uncertain terms what America truly is for it's lower classes, which gives the world a chance to reflect on whether it wishes to embrace American values/rhetoric or mercifully kick such to the curb.

Smartphone video can be a blessedly powerful thing. My heartfelt advice is to never leave home without this power - not in the political, legal, and economic climate we face in America today. To not have a smartphone with video capability on your person at all times is to allow yourself be unnecessarily vulnerable to the United States. To anyone not agreeing with this, I ask you this question: Do you honestly think United Airlines would have made any policy changes or paid out a dime as a settlement to Dr. Dao without the video of the incident having gone viral? Of cource not, without the video the entire incident would have been swept under the rug as is the American way. Use smartphone video to empower yourself against the American way.....and this is not necessarily a social class thing - it's an empowerment against what America has become thing. Unfortunately, it is the lower social classes that need this empowerment the most - but I'd argue that EVERYONE these days in American needs this empowerment.....some more than others, mind you, but no one is truly immune from America and what it has become these days. Rob

[Tybee]

Thanks for clarifying that, Rob--so it is related to the smartphone and police brutality. That makes sense.

I respectfully disagree with you about "America and what it has become these days."
We are America, in my opinion. We the people.

[catherine]

Thanks for clarifying that, Rob--so it is related to the smartphone and police brutality. That makes sense.

I respectfully disagree with you about "America and what it has become these days."
We are America, in my opinion. We the people.

Yeah, I saw the movie Rosewood the other day--the movie about the massacre in the black community in Florida over a false accusation of rape. It may not seem like we've made progress since then, but we have. Sadly, there were no Smartphones, and no viral videos back then.

[iris lilies]

I beg to differ, dmc, with all due respect. I will never forget this, as i've stated before, and will bring it up whenever appropriate in conversation for the remainder of my life. It is my moral and ethical duty as an adult and a decent human being to do so and I expect no less from myself. One way to put this is you know that saying "Friends don't let friends drive drunk"? In this case, friends don't let friends fly the Hostile and Threatening Skies...Rob

I often wonder why your friends let you live in these United States, toxic as they are. Maybe you dont have very good friends? Hmmmm.