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View Full Version : Thanks to UA 9789 Crew :-)


[Steve]
29th Oct 2006, 20:38
A little technical problem on our original flight gave us a 4 hour night-time tour of the Pacific Ocean before returning to San Francisco. After a 24 hour delay another technical issue prevented an engine from being started. At this the pax returned again to the San Francisco terminal (we got as far as a 10 metre push back this time). A new aircraft was made available and I've never been part of a boarding of a 747 that happened so rapidly.

I wish to offer my sincere thanks to the crew of the flight who, from talking to them, had similar problems to us pax in finding anywhere to camp out for the night (an Oracle convention had absorbed many hotel rooms in the area). I was certainly in no fit condition to operate during the flight, and I imagine that many of the crew were more tired than usual. As far as I could tell, they operated flawlessly on our eventually successful flight 9789.

I believe there was a fairly tight deadline for departure due to crew duty limits or something (I may have this garbled).

I heard reports of some passengers criticising the crew (and indeed the Captain made an announcement on our second attempted departure asking passengers not to blame the crew). I'm not overly familiar with these aircraft, but I certainly felt no reason to blame the crew for what, at worst, was a maintenance issue. Since I've not heard of the cabin crew doing maintenance on the fuel system, I had no reason to even consider blaming them <shrug>.

Due to my connecting flights and the fact that I had a paper ticket (which seems to make things more difficult) I spent quite some time with the UA people on the ground arranging alternate flights. There were lots of people doing likewise and again the staff were doing everything they could to help. Sure, some people at various points were demanding their money back, and saying they'd never fly United again, but although vocal, they did not seem to be more than a very small minority. I felt most for some, like the man who was pleading for reassurance that he would make his connection as it was only the second time in his life that he'd flown.

For some reason, my cheeky request about the possibility of being upgraded was granted, and for the business class seat I am extremely grateful :)

This is the first time I've had such a long delay that required I spend it at the terminal. I looked at it as an adventure, and have made some very good friends through it. (OK I'm weird, but I guess it's the lemons and lemonade thing).

Sure, it would have been better if United could have offered us accommodation, or if the problem had never occurred, but I could ask no more from the people who had to deal face-to-face with us pax.

*Thanks* :ok:

(Now, since pax probably shouldn't post here, please feel free to flame me and/or move this post somewhere more appropriate)

p.s. Just for a little light amusement, my next flight (a Qantas one) was slightly delayed due to a "technical problem". At this point I was pretty much "lemonaded out", but it only delayed us 10 or 15 minutes. :)

sinala1
31st Oct 2006, 12:35
Steve thanks for your kind words and recognition of the fact that probably 99 times out of 100 the cabin crew are not to blame for an aircraft delay (it does happen occasionally due to sickness etc). I am sure the crew of your UA flight would be grateful to hear your words - may I suggest you send your post on to the UA customer relations department and ask for it to be forwarded to the operating crew?

Today I got blamed & abused by pax for our on-time departing flight arriving at the destination gate 10 minutes late due to our stand still being occupied when we arrived - its amazing the mentality some people have, even after explaining to them why we had to wait :ugh: