United apologizes to passenger who says US Rep got her seat

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

United apologizes to passenger who says US Rep got her seat

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON — Dec 25, 2017, 6:07 PM ET

United Airlines has apologized and given a $500 travel voucher to a passenger who accused the airline of giving her first-class seat to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat.

An airline spokeswoman said Monday that its internal systems show the passenger, Jean-Marie Simon, canceled her Dec. 18 seat from Houston to Washington, D.C. after a weather delay.

Simon denies that she canceled the flight. She was given a seat in Economy Plus on the flight, and told the Houston Chronicle she saw Jackson Lee sitting in the seat that was assigned to her.

United says it upgraded Jackson Lee automatically and not because she was a member of Congress. The congresswoman says in a statement that she didn't ask for anything "exceptional or out of the ordinary."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/united-apologizes-passenger-us-rep-seat-51989490

[robertpaulsen]

1. Glad she got the apology and voucher.

But it does sound like United is playing a CYA game and not being completely forthright, IMO.

[Fred Sanders]

2. When FOX... first reported this no mention of fact woman still on the flight. Shit happens and you

can be sure Fox will be first to politicize any crap if it can be flung leftwards.

By the way I saw the picture of first class...really? What is premium economy, a wooden crate with a premium cushion?