Apparently, United Airlines workers are still having problems heeding the advice of CEO Oscar Munoz to be more compassionate when problems arise.
A professional musician from Texas is alleging a crew member on a recent United flight tried to wrestle away her expensive and prized 17th-century violin upon boarding a flight. The woman was reportedly told it must be checked as luggage and stored in the cargo hold.
It is not known what kind of violin it was, but instruments from that era can fetch millions.
Orchestral violinist Yennifer Correia was on her way to St. Louis to play with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra during its summer residency when she said a United supervisor confronted her in Houston before her flight took off about the instrument.
Correia said she would keep the violin with her.
US airlines are legally required to accept musicians' instruments as a carry-on item. According to the Department of Transportation ruling in 2014, "each U.S. carrier subject to this regulation allow a passenger to carry into the cabin and stow a small musical instrument, such as a violin or a guitar, in a suitable baggage compartment, such as the overhead bin or a closet, or under the seats, in accordance with FAA safety regulations and the carrier's FAA-approved carry-on baggage program."
That's when temperatures rose.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Bad Customer Service Bites Everyone Back [/READMORE]
Correia's attorney, Philip MacNaughton, posted a letter on both his and Correia's Facebook pages asking if anybody has video of the incident.
He alleges that the United supervisor "lunged for Ms. Correia's case and, incredibly, tried to wrestle it away from the musician. Ms Correia screamed for help. The United supervisor threatened to 'call security' and Ms. Correia responded, 'Please do!', at which point the United supervisory ran away."
MacNaughton said that Correia missed her flight and, subsequently, her first rehearsal with the Symphony. He also alleges that Correia might have hurt her hand during the scuffle.
United Airlines issued a statement to the Washington Post saying "We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation. We are reaching out to Ms. Correia to gain a better understanding of what occurred and to offer assistance."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
