Last month, a viral TikTok video circulated in which a woman called out United Airlines and airport staff for mistreating passengers and the lack of care when the plane was grounded for seven hours. Now, the son of this viral passenger – who goes by the name of Jack – has released a video adding more context to this horrifying situation and alleging that the airline lied to its customers.
Jack shared a four-minute explanation about what had happened that led to this viral airport moment. He gave excruciating details about the wait when the plane was grounded, and how he was the one who distributed water to passengers in need, because “the flight attendant sat at the back of the plane, on their phone.” Not only did his family miss a day’s worth of their trip, but this situation also caused financial and medical stress for a variety of passengers who were there that day.
United Airlines gave a statement to USA Today on Aug. 9, days after the incident had gone viral. It claimed that it “offered passengers the chance to deplane,” and “provided food and snacks.” It also stated that it had given some financial compensation in hopes of making amends. Jack debunked these claims and said that they were only given $400 to use on any other flight of their choosing. According to him, that was not enough, as his family had lost $4000 due to this massive inconvenience.
“On July 3, United flight 40 returned to the gate at Newark Liberty to address a temperature issue. Once there, we offered customers the opportunity to deplane and later provided snacks and beverages.
“Our crew eventually exceeded their legally permitted duty hours and we had to cancel the flight. We regret we couldn’t provide our customers a better travel experience and offered compensation in the hopes of having an opportunity to welcome them back.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines are required to provide food and water during a tarmac delay. An official United Airlines document stated passengers are entitled to receive compensation if the flight is delayed or canceled at least 8 hours from the originally scheduled departure time. The document also stated that passengers would be provided with meals and beverages while they waited.
The airline’s website also mentioned that travelers can re book their flights through an app or at the airport if the flight was delayed or canceled. Unfortunately, none of these options were possible according to Jack’s version of events, as his family had to book with a different airline – and as mentioned earlier – passengers didn’t receive any assistance.
Jack was thankful for all the support that people left on social media when this video not only went viral, but also made its way to the news. Fortunately, his family was able to make it to Italy and “had a great time.” However, it doesn’t negate the fact that many people got sick and potentially hurt during that situation, which led to him losing trust in this airline. As he stated in the video, he’s never going to fly with United ever again.