Don't Ever Fly United!!

I fly all of the time as a result of my work. Yet I had never flown United Airlines until today. I will never fly United again. Full stop!

I encourage everyone to avoid flying United. Frankly, I want them to go out of business--the sooner the better.

My roundtrip flight to Phoenix cost $185. Today, when I checked in to head back home, United charged me an additional $140 ($15 to check a bag + $125 for being over their limit) for my one checked suitcase because it was 10 pounds over their weight limit.

This is absurd. It cost more to fly my suitcase home, which weighs one third what I weigh, than it did to fly me home!

As a platinum flier on Delta, even though the bag would have been 10 pounds over their limit as well, they would have merely said, "Thanks for flying Delta." I wouldn't have paid anything--not even a silly $15 bag fee.

As I told the agent, "There will be a cold day in hell before I ever fly United again." He replied, "Well, I'm trying to get you to take 10 pounds out of your bag so you don't have to pay the extra fee." To which I replied, "It all goes on the same plane, whether I carry it in my hand or leave it in the suitcase. I'm leaving it in the suitcase! Today United has lost a customer forever, that's all."

My carry on bag, a backpack loaded with camera equipment, is heavier than hell, and I am in no mood to add an additional 10 pounds to hold in my hands. Besides, the only thing in the suitcase that might weight 10 pounds is my tripod, and I'm told that it must be checked because it "could be used as a weapon."

The absurdity of air travel today.

Again, I encourage everyone to boycott United so they decide to stop abusing customers with these utterly nonsensical policies.