• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales

United Airlines: 5 Times Airlines Have Treated Passengers Terribly

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 10, 2017, 6:03 PM ET

Airline travel has become one long sufferfest that starts with the extra fees for once-gratis amenities, escalates to the long security lines, and finishes off with the overbooked flights filled with passengers attempting to squeeze bags of questionable size into the overhead storage.

Sprinkled throughout the typical travel days are the cranky flight attendants and passengers, intermittent in-flight wi-fi, and long waits on the tarmac.

But even in these days of chronically late flights, unremarkable customer service, and excessive fees, there are still incidents that are noteworthy—and not in a good way.

What Happens When No One Volunteers

Anyone who has flown in the past several years has likely encountered this classic game of trying to coax passengers to give up their seats for a voucher. Airlines often overbook their flights and when everyone shows up the staff begins, like an auctioneer, offering $200, $400, how about $600—anyone?— to anyone willing to forgo this flight for another one.

What happens when no one steps up? This week, video was posted showing security forcibly removing a man from an overbooked United Airlines flight. The fallout has been swift and unrelenting even as United Airlines CEO apologized and said the company will work “with a sense of urgency” to review the matter.

The Ultimate Exit Interview

JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater made perhaps the most famous exit ever from a job. After an altercation with an alleged abusive passenger on a flight between Pittsburgh and New York City, Slater took to the plane’s public address system to air his grievances. He then publicly quit his job, grabbed two beers, deployed the evacuation slide on the plane, and bailed from the scene.

Computer Bugs

Several airlines have dealt with widespread computer outages in recent months that have led to hundreds of grounded flights, stranding travelers and causing general chaos. Southwest Airlines and United have suffered computer glitches that affected flights.

Delta has had not one, but two major computer outages over a six-month period: one in August 2016 and another in January. The fallout from Delta’s latest glitch was compounded by challenges among all airlines to comply with travel restrictions enacted by President Donald Trump’s executive order to block travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Diet Coke As a Weapon

An alleged incident between a flight attendant and a Muslim-American woman prompted United Airlines to publicly apologize and open an investigation. The 2015 incident on a Shuttle America flight centered on a flight attendant’s alleged refusal to hand Tahera Ahmad, a Muslim American chaplain at Northwestern University, an unopened can of Diet Coke.

Ahmad, who was wearing a hijab on the flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., says she protested when a passenger next to her received a can of beer. The situation soon escalated when another passenger upon hearing her request allegedly yelled, “You Muslim, you need to shut the … up,” and said that “You know you would use it as a weapon.”

It All Started With a Guitar

In the era of social media, customers often take to Twitter or Facebook to spread their tales of airline traveling woe. Musician Dave Carroll used music—three catchy songs in all—to share his account in 2008 during a trip on a United Airlines flight that resulted in a broken guitar and the company’s subsequent response.

The song “United Breaks Guitars” became a viral hit on YouTube and iTunes when it was released in July 2009.

About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Reverse Health App Review (2026): Our Honest Thoughts
HealthWorkouts
Reverse Health App Review (2026): Our Honest Thoughts
By Emily PharesMay 29, 2026
60 minutes ago
Green Chef Review (2026): Opinions from Testers and Experts
Healthmeal delivery
Green Chef Review (2026): Opinions from Testers and Experts
By Christina SnyderMay 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for May 2026
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for May 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Dan Rogers speaking on stage.
AIAsana
Asana was battered by the AI boom. Now it’s betting its future on humans and agents working together.
By Beatrice NolanMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Russia warns war costs are ravaging its finances while Ukrainian ‘drone overmatch’ sends Putin’s forces reeling in new phase of combat
PoliticsRussia
Russia warns war costs are ravaging its finances while Ukrainian ‘drone overmatch’ sends Putin’s forces reeling in new phase of combat
By Jason MaMay 29, 2026
4 hours ago
A Union Pacific freight train in Hutto, Texas.
PoliticsRailroads
Trump floated the idea of a 15% government stake in a massive railroad merger
By Jordan Blum and Alyson ShontellMay 29, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
Magazine
As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
By Emma HinchliffeMay 27, 2026
3 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
8 days ago
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
Success
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
Environment
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
By Dorany Pineda, Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressMay 27, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Banking
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 27, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.