What is going on with the airlines? First it was American, then a JetBlue meltdown, and now Chicago based UAL Corp. (UAUA) the parent company of United Airlines has to follow suit? United Airlines Flight 907, was suppose to depart Chicago O'Hare International Airport bound for San Francisco at 5pm. But that did not happen.
With 181 passengers aboard the flight sat from before 5 p.m. until after midnight. During that time, the Boeing 757 was de-iced three times and repeatedly waited in line for takeoff until the pilots gave up and canceled the flight.
"The pilot kept saying, 'We're going to go get de-iced, were going to take off,' " George Simmons said. "People were remarkably calm. I was pretty calm until about seven hours into it."
If I was the CEO of United, I'd be out there pushing the plane back to the gate after only a few hours. The weather was obviously the reason the flight did not depart but if the pilots had to de-ice three times and could not get a slot to takeoff, they should have taxied back to the gate earlier. Any sort of situation that leaves passengers on a jet, other than in the air, would only add fuel to the Passenger Bill of Rights petition.
United is "continuing to look at ways we can be more consistent" with flights during severe weather events. The airline has apologized individually to the passengers involved and is sending them travel vouchers that can be used on future United flights.
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