United Continental Holdings Inc. is reviewing an incident that left 250 passengers stuck on an airplane on a small Canadian airfield for about 12 hours last weekend, prompting some to email airline Chief Executive Oscar Munoz.
“We’re going to look at every aspect of this diversion to understand what we could do better,” a United spokeswoman said Monday.
A…
A lawsuit filed last week
accuses United Airlines of failing to protect a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on a July 2017 flight from Seattle to Newark New
Jersey.
A lawsuit filed last week accuses United Airlines of failing to protect a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on a July 2017 flight from Seattle to Newark New Jersey.
Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle
Caption
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A lawsuit filed last week
accuses United Airlines of failing to protect a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on a July 2017 flight from Seattle to Newark New
Jersey.
A lawsuit filed last week accuses United Airlines of failing to protect a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on a July 2017 flight from Seattle to Newark New Jersey.
Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle
A lawsuit filed last week accused United Airlines of failing to protect a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on a July 2017 flight from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey.
Vijaykumar Krishnappa, 29, was sentenced to 90 days at a federal court in New Jersey earlier this month.
But the complaint filed in King County Superior Court says that United failed to take appropriate action when the victim called for help, even letting Krishnappa walk off the flight afterward, prompting the girl’s mother to call law enforcement so he could be arrested the next day.
RELATED: 2 men charged with sexual assault aboard Seattle-bound airplanes
“The conduct of United in this case is unconscionable from start to finish,” said attorney Samuel Daheim, who, with Julie Kays, represents the victim and her mother in the case.
For its part, United issued a public statement indicating it cooperated with the criminal investigation and let the victim change seats.
The assault occurred July 23, 2017. The victim, from the Federal Way area, was about to fly alone for the first time to head for a young women’s leadership conference at Princeton University, according to the lawsuit.
The girl was assigned a seat toward the back of the aircraft and the cabin lights were switched off as the crew prepared for takeoff. The teen expected to sleep throughout the flight.
However, the passenger next to her, later identified as a doctor from India working in the United States as part of a fellowship, began to touch her knee with his fingertips. The teen thought he was asleep and didn’t think the touching was intentional, court documents say.
However, the touching escalated to his hand on her knee, then on her upper thigh and on her genitalia over her leggings.
RELATED: Sheriff: Son lived among parents’ dead bodies for days before killing self in Sammamish
The girl felt “trapped and afraid” in the dark cabin and thought Krishnappa might do something worse if she drew attention. But when he slid his hand beneath the waistband of her pants, she confronted him and summoned a flight attendant.
The lawsuit says that the flight attendant who responded did nothing to rectify the situation except to tell Krishnappa, “not cool, dude,” and move the teen a few rows ahead, where Krishnappa could still see her.
The Seattle-based flight crew allegedly did nothing to investigate or document the incident and only gave the teen a bag of peanuts as she cried hysterically.
Upon landing more than four hours later, Krishnappa walked off the flight — meaning, Daheim said, that United crew violated federal law by failing to report the assault to authorities.
The teen called her mother in tears to report what happened. Her mother booked a flight to come see her and contacted police, according to court records.
Krishnappa was arrested the next day.
The assault left the girl unable to participate in the prestigious conference and has since suffered social isolation, the complaint said.
United Airlines issued a statement about the case that reads, in part:
“The safety and well-being of our customers is our top priority. Our customer was immediately moved to a different seat when the flight attendant was made aware of the issue. We fully cooperated with law enforcement’s investigation and the perpetrator has been permanently banned from flying United.”
The FBI and federal prosecutors have encouraged passengers in recent months to report any sexual assault they witness or suffer aboard an airplane. During a press conference in August, the FBI said reports of sexual assault aboard aircraft have increased 30 percent in the previous four years.
SeattlePI reporter Lynsi Burton can be reached at lynsiburton@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI. Find more from Lynsi here.
More than 250 passengers suffered a travel nightmare on a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Hong Kong International airport on Sunday, when a medical emergency on the flight caused them to remain trapped on the tarmac for approximately 16 hours.
The United Airlines
UAL, -0.55%
flight was diverted to Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland, Canada so a passenger could be hospitalized and subsequently the plane was forced to stay grounded there for hours due to a mechanical issue.
The flight was international and Goose Bay Airport did not have overnight staff, so no one was allowed to deplane.
Because the flight was international and Goose Bay Airport did not have overnight staff to process passengers through customs, no customers were allowed to get off the plane.
“The flight landed at 10 p.m. local time and customers departed at 3:30 p.m. local time on a new aircraft,” according to United. Their total delay was more than 17 hours, most of which was spent on their original aircraft.
A United Airlines spokeswoman told MarketWatch that the flight’s crew did everything possible to assist customers but could not allow them to get off the plane due to the customs problems.
“An alternative aircraft was flown in and transported customers and their luggage back to Newark,” she said. “Upon arrival, customers received reimbursement, compensation, hotel accommodations, and meals. We apologized to our customers for this experience.”
Frustrated passengers tweeted
TWTR, -3.97%
about the cold cabin and lack of food as temperatures dipped 30 degrees below zero outside. “This is not an airline,” passenger Cherie Martorana Neve wrote in a Facebook post around noon on Sunday. “It’s more like a prison.”
“There have been small groups of people discussing how agitated they are, discussing legal action, some even searching online what our legal rights as passengers are, and how long the airline is allowed to make us sit on the tarmac,” she added.
“U.S. laws do not typically extend to protect passengers internationally for tarmac delays,” said Henrik Zillmer, chief executive officer of air-passenger rights company AirHelp. “The rules also do not apply if the pilot determines there is a reason to keep passengers on the plane, pertaining to safety or security, or if air traffic control advises that taxiing to a place where passengers can deplane would significantly disrupt airport operations.”
‘U.S. laws do not typically extend to protect passengers internationally for tarmac delays.’
In other words, on many international flights and any flight in which the pilot deems it “unsafe” to leave the plane, passengers can be kept on board as long as the airline decides. In one case in November 2018, passengers were trapped on a tarmac in Siberia for six hours before deplaning and ultimately spent three days in and out of the airport due to delays.
According to U.S. law, after a tarmac delay of two hours, the airline must provide passengers with food, water, operational lavatories, and medical care. After a tarmac delay of three hours (or four hours for international flights) in the U.S., passengers must be given the option to deplane. This is not always the case, however, especially at international airports.
Airlines that are found to violate these laws can be fined by the Department of Transportation. The DOT fined Allegiant Air $225,000 in October 2018 for tarmac delays and fined American Airlines
AAL, -3.33%
$1.6 million in 2016 for more than 20 flights between 2013 and 2015 that violated tarmac rules. These fines go directly to the DOT and not to affected consumers.
Passengers affected should be able to claim compensation under the 1999 Montreal Convention, which governs international trips, according to Paul Hudson, President of FlyersRights.org, a U.S.-based airline-passenger advocacy organization. Under Article 19 of the treaty, airlines are responsible for damages suffered by passengers of up to about $5,700. This includes health issues.
‘Someone needs to stand up and say you cannot keep people trapped on the tarmac for more than 8 hours.’
To avoid liability, the airline must prove that it took all reasonable steps to avoid or mitigate the delay, Hudson said. This makes it difficult to take an airline to court if the primary reason for the delay was weather-related or any other delay deemed out of the airline’s control.
However, “Having airworthy aircraft is the airline’s responsibility,” Hudson said, meaning the passengers affected by this week’s delay could have grounds for compensation.
A long shot: If the airline will not compensate you, you could contact your credit-card company in an attempt to have the charge reversed, arguing that you did not get the service you paid for, said consumer advocate and travel writer Christopher Elliott. However, he says that may not work. “It may depend on the mood of the dispute resolution officer,” Elliott said.
Delays like these underscore ongoing issues with flying, Elliott said. Portions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 — designed to help investigate common complaints, the policy of “bumping” passengers from oversold flights and develop means of preventing sexual assaults on flights, among other things — may be delayed due to the government shutdown.
The Act, passed in October 2018, called for the creation of an Aviation Consumer Advocate and the examination of “tarmac delay contingency planning requirements.” (The Federal Aviation Administration did not respond to request for comment and has tweeted it is running with limited staff due to lack of funding.)
“Flying is not fair,” Elliott said. “The only reason airlines are allowed to get away with this is that we are allowing them to get away with it. Someone needs to stand up and say you cannot keep people trapped on the tarmac for more than 8 hours, and maybe something will be done.”
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Kari Paul is a personal finance reporter based in New York. You can follow her on Twitter @kari_paul.
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Travel News | eTurboNews
Winter has been holding on tight this year, dumping snow and wreaking travel havoc around the globe. From airports to roadways, trying to plan a safe trip during these conditions is a challenge.
At this German airport, to ensure uninterrupted flight operations on the runways, taxiways and aprons, Munich Airport deploys up to 172 Winter Services employees with their special vehicles on every shift. The two runways and the taxiways are constantly cleared of ice and snow by a total of 22 airblast sweepers and six snow plows along with sprayers and grit spreading vehicles. It takes just 25 minutes to clear a runway at Munich Airport.
The Munich Airport Winter Services can draw on a pool of 672 employees. A total of 47 permanent employees of FMG are scheduled to support the crews, mainly in management or supervisory roles. The backbone of the airport’s Winter Services staff is made up of some 490 farmers and truckers from the immediate vicinity of the airport. Working with more than 155 of their own vehicles, they are called in to clear snow and truck it to dumping areas. The winter services fleet has approximately 197 vehicles for the non-public and public areas. The areas to be cleared at Munich Airport amounts to over 4 million square meters: more than the total area of New York’s Central Park. On the park positions alone, 89 sanding and snow clearing vehicles are used.
The Winter Services crews are put on the alert by Munich Airport’s Traffic Management Center, which is in charge of monitoring the condition of the airport’s operational areas around the clock. In addition to the up-to-the-minute forecasts provided by the German Weather Service, the Traffic Management Center is supported by an ice detection early warning system that continually retrieves updated information from 18 measurement stations distributed across the airport. In addition, the braking coefficients on the runways are continually tested using special vehicles.
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Air travel is not exactly optimal Tuesday as snow and freezing drizzle fall across a wide swath of the nation, including Wisconsin.
And, as the day wears on, things have gotten messier.
Both major airports in Chicago — O’Hare and Midway — are now subject to an air traffic control procedure known as a ground stop. That means flights destined for either airport are being held on the ground at their departure airports.
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Some flights destined for O’Hare were being delayed more than six hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
Departures from O’Hare also are experiencing delays Tuesday, according to the FAA. As of 4 p.m., 300 flights originating from O’Hare had been canceled, according to flightaware.com
Freezing drizzle was falling in Chicago, with freezing rain mixed with snow expected later in the afternoon.
At Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport, snow removal crews have been placed on 12-hour shifts around the clock to clear runways and taxiways once the snow arrives.
With the 12 hour shifts, “There is always somebody rested and ready to go,” said Pat Rowe, an airport spokeswoman.
Crews on Tuesday morning were doing maintenance on equipment to make sure everything is ready when snow arrives.
“They are expert at it,” Rowe said of the airport snow crews.
CLOSE
Crews at Mitchell International Airport were firing up massive machines that plow and sweep runways in precise, practiced movements done between takeoffs and landings of commercial jet airliners.
Mike De Sisti
Elsewhere, delays are being reported in Boston and Newark, according to the FAA.
Crews can’t use de-icing salt on airport runways or taxiways because the salt is corrosive to aircraft parts.
There have been a few cancellations at Mitchell so far Tuesday, according to online arrival and departure information.
More than 2,600 flights are facing delays across the nation’s air traffic system, according to flightaware.com. As of early afternoon nearly 1,000 flights had been canceled, according to flightaware.
Airport officials are advising travelers to check with their airlines regarding the status of their flight.
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Southwest Airlines, the market share leader at Mitchell, says in an advisory posted on its website that it expects weather to affect its operations in Milwaukee, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Omaha on Tuesday.
The entire state of Wisconsin is covered by winter weather warnings and advisories on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
American Family Insurance to replace Miller Brewing Co. as naming rights sponsor for Brewers stadium
Wisconsin bill on pre-existing conditions has a problem: Experts say it wouldn’t work
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore-area aviation attorney Keith Franz said he is alarmed over the impact of the government shutdown on America’s air travel system.
Franz represented four Maryland families who sued airlines over security issues after their loved ones died in the 9/11 terror attacks.
“The consequences of a failure—as we saw during 9/11—could be catastrophic,” Franz said.
He said he is particularly worried about air traffic controllers, who were already dealing with the stress of understaffing and long shifts before the shutdown. Many employees who assist controllers have been furloughed.
“Even before, they were working 60 hours a week. Now—without support staff—the system is eroding, and we have real concerns about the safety of the flying public.”
Franz notes training for new air traffic controllers has been halted even as more are scheduled to retire this year.
He also worries about stresses on TSA agents.
“They need to be 100% right 100% of the time,” he said.
BWI-Marshall Airport had to shut down Security Checkpoint A over the weekend. It was open Tuesday and the airport said the temporary closure had minimal impact on passengers.
The TSA said on Monday that most passengers got through checkpoints in less than 30 minutes.
Still, BWI-Marshall had the third highest maximum wait time for standard passengers at 36 minutes. That is compared with the top 42 airports in the country.
TSA’s list of average wait times Monday; Checkpoint A is open right now at BWI Marshall—most passengers nationwide are getting through in less than 30 minutes @wjz pic.twitter.com/sdxDz7cNVS
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) January 22, 2019
The wait time for TSA PreCheck passengers was 13 minutes, tied with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as the nation’s longest.
“It’s a concern that will only get worse as the shutdown continues,” Franz said.
The government maintains it is safe to fly.
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United Airlines passengers faced a travel disaster last weekend when an onboard medical emergency forced an abrupt landing before the Boeing 777 was left immobile for 12 hours on a Canadian runway.
United Flight 179, which was carrying 250 passengers from Newark, New Jersey to Hong Kong, made its unplanned stop in Newfoundland before suffering mechanical issues. Several of the plane’s necessary exits had frozen shut and, upon a mechanic’s investigation and attempts, were unable to be repaired.
A United spokesperson, as cited by the Wall Street Journal, explained that the flight crew wasn’t allowed to release the passengers as they were in a foreign country and had not been cleared through customs. This was the start of their overnight stay, which officially began around 9:30 p.m. at CFB Goose Bay airport on Saturday.
Since the mechanic couldn’t fix the door issue, those boarded on the plane were forced to wait for a backup aircraft to arrive. Given the Newfoundland facility’s relatively remote location, they faced an extended wait period which led to major frustration. Some passengers contacted United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz after the captain reportedly gave out his email address over the intercom and said, “Send him an email right now and tell him how mad you are.”
Some passengers that emailed Munoz claimed that they still hadn’t received a response come Monday.
United Airlines said that it will examine what went wrong on a flight over the weekend that left 250 passengers stranded in a cold Canadian airfield for half a day.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, a United spokesperson said that the company is planning to “look at every aspect of this diversion to understand what we could do better.” The response came just days after the passengers were forced to sit on the airfield for 12 hours before another airplane picked them up to return them to the Newark airport.
United Flight 179 was set to carry passengers from Newark to Hong Kong before it was forced to make a stop in Newfoundland, Canada following a passenger’s medical emergency. Prior to departure, the plane suffered a mechanical issue that didn’t allow one of the plane’s doors to work. And because the passengers were now in Canada, with no way to clear customs because the airport didn’t have border control working at night, United (ual) had no choice but to keep them on the plane until help arrived.
For about 12 hours, passengers sat on the plane in the cold waiting for help. Soon, passengers ate through much of the food on the flight, forcing United to have food delivered. Even the flight’s captain had enough and read aloud United CEO Oscar Munoz’s e-mail address. The captain told passengers to e-mail the chief executive and explain their frustration.
A replacement aircraft eventually landed and brought the passengers back to Newark, but the incident caused more than a little displeasure and criticism both from passengers and on social media.
The United spokesperson didn’t say what, if anything, the company would do after its review is complete.
“We apologized to our customers for this experience—our crew and operations did everything possible to assist customers during this delay,” a United spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.
United MileagePlus members can use their United Airlines miles to travel across the world on more than two dozen airlines. If you’re planning a trip from the United States to Europe, try these six airlines with a variety of amenities. Flights to Europe on these airlines each offer a unique experience.
Los Angeles, USA – March 29, 2018: A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Los Angeles Int. The airport is seen from a helicopter. photo credit: GettyGetty
Fly first class to Europe with German airline Lufthansa. They are known for having one of the largest aircraft fleets and bringing luxury to air travel. Lufthansa is also the world’s largest purchaser of caviar, which is good news for first and business class travelers. Note that first class seating is limited to a smaller number of aircraft than may be expected. However, if you can get in, this experience is renowned for being consistently excellent.
You can expect delicious meals in addition to the caviar service. There’s a solid selection of complimentary liquor and turn down service on all long haul flights. The seats extend to pretty comfortable beds. Though, the older seat design means that they are less private than the first class seats on other airlines. Aircrafts with first class seating usually have eight seats. The signature rose on each seat is a lovely touch. Lufthansa also offers economy, premium economy, and business class seating.
Swiss Airlines is known for having some of the best first and business class experiences, but what about economy? Even on longer flights crossing the Atlantic, Swiss Airlines delivers with more comfort and amenities compared to basic services often offered in economy class. The seats are fairly comfortable. The personal entertainment system is quite basic, but has a good selection of new releases.
As you might expect, Swiss Airlines delivers when it comes to in-flight meals. They especially tout their reputation for having some of the best vegetarian options. So even if you aren’t vegetarian, this might be worth trying. You can also expect to sample some Swiss gruyere cheese. You will receive a complimentary Swiss chocolate before departing the plane.
Swiss Airlines also lives up to its reputation for impeccable punctuality. Delays are minimal and it’s even more essential to arrive in time for boarding.
Be aware that some of the older aircraft have bulky boxes that power the entertainment system under the seat, which takes away from some of the leg room. It may also restrict some passengers from storing their personal items under their seat.
You can find some amazing deals on flights to Europe by flying out of Montreal or Toronto, but Air Canada also offers transatlantic flights departing from several major cities in the United States. The seats are fairly standard and not as comfortable as found on other airlines, and taller passengers will likely find that it’s a tight squeeze.
When flying economy, keep in mind that wifi is usually not available on these flights. However, the in-house entertainment system is top notch. They offer music, podcasts, travel video guides, and audiobooks. Food in economy class is, unfortunately, typical airplane food. But it will likely be enough to not leave you hungry during the trip.
LOT Polish Airlines offers a choice of economy, premium economy, and business class seats on its international flights. There are usually 18 lie-flat seats in business class, 21 in premium economy, and more than 200 in economy. When flying premium economy, the seats are roomier. Every seat has individual power plugs and USB ports for passengers to charge their devices. However, the cabin does look a little outdated, despite these flights being on fairly new aircraft.
LOT Polish Airlines is a great choice for premium economy for passengers prioritizing decent meals and being able to sleep on the flight. If you’re relying on wifi to work or a good entertainment system to occupy you through the flight, other airlines outshine this carrier.
Scandinavian Airlines offers a number of flights going to and from Europe. These connect to several cities in the U.S. including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The seats are very nice for economy, with six inches of reclining space and power parts to charge devices.
Economy service on these flights is very basic. They only offer one choice of meal and other amenities are limiting. Especially for vegetarians or passengers that need to avoid allergens, only having one option is discouraging. The entertainment system is very modern and has many selections. There is wifi service available for an additional fee.
United Airlines offers flights to more than two dozen cities in Europe. Using your United miles to book business class trips to Europe will help you take those miles a little further. You can look forward to comfy seats that extend to lay flat, luxury Philosophy toiletries, and quality entertainment.
The flight itself will be very comfortable. But, United doesn’t quite stack up to its competitors when it comes to the food and beverage service. United also offers economy and first class seating. If you plan on using United, don’t forget to use your United℠ Explorer Card to take your trip a step further.
No matter what flights to Europe you choose, you’ll have an even better time once you get there!
