United Flight Popcorn Debate

Whose side are you on?

  • Team United Airlines

    Votes: 180 93.3%
  • Team Parent

    Votes: 13 6.7%

  • Total voters
    193
I actually was asked to switch into an exit row on a B777 so a guy could sit by his wife in a worse seat. I asked this guy 3 times if he was sure and he agreed.

I got bumped up to first class on a domestic flight for same reason. I don’t know why, but apparently the guy was in first class, but his wife was in coach. So I was asked to switch to first class so he could sit in coach, next to his wife.

I was younger, so I was afraid to ask what was included in the ticket, since I didn’t pay for it. Ended up sitting next to a fund/hedge manager of some kind.

Also rant, I hate the people who sit in the exit row who have no ability in helping during an emergency.
 
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I'm on team clean up your mess. Reading the twitter thread thing. they seem kind of like douche people.

He's making $3,000,000 a yr with a 7.something era I'm pretty sure the blue jays are overpaying for that.
 
I've seen a lot of videos lately where people try to guilt others into giving up their seat for them so they can sit together or so their kid can have a window seat or something. Your lack of planning is not someone else's (who booked that specific seat) responsibility.

And of course when there are people split apart they're never asking the person next to the lower-priced seats to switch with them up to the higher priced ones.

Only once have I seen someone willing to switch TO a middle seat to keep their family together. And in the case, the person they asked was more than willing to accommodate them.
I got bumped up to first class on a domestic flight for same reason. I don’t know why, but apparently the guy was in first class, but his wife was in coach. So I was asked to switch to first class so he could sit in coach, next to his wife.

I was younger, so I was afraid to ask what was included in the ticket, since I didn’t pay for it. Ended up sitting next to a fund/hedge manager of some kind.

Also rant, I hate the people who sit in the exit row who have no ability in helping during an emergency.

I used to fly quite a bit, and would get upgraded to first class pretty regularly. If I had booked a trio with my wife and I got upgraded and she didn’t… First Class is awesome, but not THAT awesome. Someone else would be getting my seat.
 
There is a lot of info missing here, but generally I would say pick up after your kids.

Yes, parents should pick up after their kids, but if they don't, it isn't a flight attendant's job to insist they do. Cleaners with vacuums come on the plane between flights. It is their job.

I try not to make a mess, but I don't really worry much if I drop something. Maybe I'm going to be next.

P.S. I have taken dozens of long, international flights. The most recent was a 17 hour flight from Delhi to Newark. The plane is a messy wreck after that flight! I'd like to see the flight attendants insist on everyone picking up after themselves on that flight!
 
I mean......I try to pick up after my kids when they make a mess in public. But there is a line where picking the stuff up is so gross that it becomes unreasonable to expect a parent to do it with their hands. And yes I do think that a flight attending "making" someone get on their hands and knees to pick up popcorn on a plane is over the line. I doubt that is what actually happened (how does a flight attendant have the authority to "make" someone do that???), and we of course have no idea who was behaving inappropriately in this situation.....could be the mom or the flight attendant or both.

IMO, the appropriate course of action would be for the parent to apologize profusely for their child making a mess, pick up what is within reach while sitting in a seat, and the flight attendant saying no problem we can take care of it on the ground. And yes, they do have people who can get on that plane with a vacuum and take care of that mess very quickly. And yes it can be their job without anyone thinking they are our servants.

And I'm also calling BS on all the people claiming to pick up every scrap of trash their kid puts on the ground in public. Of course you pick up a couple of fries but what about a face down ice cream sundae? Are you picking that up with your hands?? Sometimes you need brooms, mops, swiffers....anything other than you bare hands to pick that stuff up. I usually just leave a generous tip and apologize to the server.
 
Kids crying on a plane doesn’t bother me, as a parent I get it, not much you can do. If your kid is making a mess that’s on you, just tells me how entitled you think you are when it’s someone else’s job to clean up after your kids.
 
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The article mentions that his wife’s pregnancy is high risk, and at 22 weeks.

I don’t understand why she’s flying in the first place.
 
Alright people, time to chime in on an online debate.

So to summarize, forgettable MLB pitcher takes to Twitter to slam United for making his 5 month pregnant wife pick up some popcorn his kids spilled during the flight. Said pregnant wife's marginally famous sister-in-law also chimed in. It's led to a decent debate on social media about picking up after your kids.

I'm always mortified by the mess my kids leave when are in public. I make them pick it up to the extent we are able without a broom, vacuum, etc. and will always leave a bigger than usual tip if I know they have extra to clean up. But I've seen quite a bit on social media about United being paid to clean the plane. Where do you land?

If I'd have been on the plane, and the pcorn was buttered, I'd have probably hoovered it up myself.
 

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