Passengers Frustrated as United Airlines Faces Delays and Operational Meltdown
In recent weeks, United Airlines has been facing a barrage of frustrations and complaints from passengers due to a series of delays and operational issues. Many passengers have expressed their disappointment and vowed not to use the airline again.
One passenger, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her experience, stating, “I am so frustrated with delays, but even more so with how they treated people at the airport. I don’t know if I will use United again.”
This sentiment echoes the exasperation felt by Southwest Airlines passengers during the winter holidays when the carrier suffered a significant operational meltdown. Southwest had to cancel more than 10,000 flights in the four days after Christmas, amounting to approximately 46 percent of its schedule. United had its worst day this week on Tuesday, with nearly 800 flights canceled, accounting for about 28 percent of its schedule for that day.
Not only have passengers been affected, but pilots and flight attendants have also experienced frustration. Many of them have had to endure long hours on hold to get reassignments after flights were canceled. Social media posts even revealed that some flight attendants slept at airports due to the disruptions.
Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing more than 25,000 United flight attendants, addressed the issue, stating, “United management’s failure to properly staff crew schedulers, the flight attendant support team, and more has exacerbated these operational issues and left passengers and flight attendants waiting for answers for hours at a time.”
Mr. Diaz further remarked that crews were “lost” in the airline’s system for days, and the union had warned the management last year about potential problems that could lead to more disruptions. However, the airline ignored the warnings and continued with an ambitious flight schedule this summer. United eventually implemented some of the union’s recommendations to navigate through the current disruption, including schedule changes and paying flight attendants three times their normal pay to pick up trips until July 6.
Pilots have also expressed similar frustrations, pointing the finger at United Airlines management. Capt. Garth Thompson, president of the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association union, representing over 15,000 pilots, accused the management of failing customers by ignoring warning signs and failing to properly plan.
As United Airlines faces mounting criticism and discontent from passengers, it remains to be seen how the airline will address these operational issues and regain the trust of its customers.