Alright, so first time with United, but looking crowd source and justify if it should be the last…

Going to lead by saying that our cabin filling with smoke from a burning hydraulic component and assisting an elderly lady with a busted leg after already being on the tarmac for 2 hours due to a severe lightning storm in Houston… was somehow a better experience than working with the United staff that day.

To start off this whole shebang, I had booked a round trip flight from IND to VCT with a connection at IAH totaling $950 (on me for terrible timing). I had hoped that the only problem I was going to have was when the plane I had taking me from IAH to VCT needed to be swapped and de-boarded due to a mechanical issue (which was understandable, I’m very glad they caught that), but everything that occurred from VCT to IAH is now on the record for one of the wildest and longest events of my life. 

First thing we were aware of that was wrong was when our plane at VCT had landed but our captain was expressing delays due to the lightening (again, completely understandable). However after hearing a debate between the staff on what was enough fuel, the vibe began to feel slightly shifted. After the 2.15 hour delay at the VCT airport, we boarded and took off. Now in flight, we heard a weird thud on the plane but disregarded thinking it could be landing gear or maybe an unfortunate day for a bird. The flight would normally take less than 45 minutes, however landing on the tarmac our captain had let us know that IAH wouldn’t open the gate until lightning had passed for 15 minutes (again completely understandable, inconvenient but understandable) however this lead to 2 hours of being sat on the tarmac. The show, however was just about to start.

As I was looking down at my phone the lady behind me had said something to likes of “Is that smoke?” I looked up to see a little haze around the cabin. I ignored it as it could have just been humidity. However roughly 3-4 minutes and several small coughs around the cabin we had noticed our flight attendant was beginning to sweat profusely and the cabin looked like a steam room. Our attendant sprinted down the cabin flinging open the bathroom door as the cabin continued to fill with haze. After sprinting back up the isle, the fire alarm began to start. And after 30 seconds we got one eerie ding* followed by a steady but panicked “EVACUATE… EVACUATE” that is when what seemed like every simultaneously stood up to get the heck out of dodge. One woman at our emergency exist thrusted the door off, unfortunately I believe the other gentlemen at the left door, who didn’t speak, fled the plain without opening the door. We piled out under the impression something a lot more dreadful would happen to the plane. However the only additionally, but very unfortunate event was an elderly lady falling off the steps of the front door evacuation where myself and 2 other gentleman came to assist her after her leg appeared busted open. But my friends, it was the rest of the experience that had taken this experience to the next level of a poop show.

Once we had gotten in, we had started to be treated like we were the ones that caused the smoke. We were first guided into an area by one of the green vest employees. (Keep in mind there are roughly 30 of us with 2 injured elders and 2 more who would definitely need wheel chair assistance) However, immediately another employee comes from the terminals and says “Who are these people? They can’t be standing here we are boarding, go find somewhere else to stand now.” Our vested guy didn’t even put up a fight and just said let’s go somewhere else. 

We finally go to the last station in terminal D next to the Turkish airlines. (Note: The rest of my story shifts from the group back to my personal experience leading to finally getting back home)

It became very clear that all these employees expect 2 gentlemen in glasses had one priority: “how do I get off the clock and away from these people as fast as possible.” I get that humans are human, that job clearly sucks, and I’m guessing this event doesn’t fall in the ordinary training, but the fact that the entire team (except the hispanic gentlemen wearing glasses) started leaving during this time to quite literally “be done with this, clock out and go home” (literally said out loud by 2 staff) and not making sure that everyone had been taken care of, spoken too, and prepared for their next step was genuinely infuriating. 

As I approached the desk for my turn to talk to this team about my next steps I had presented my boarding pass. (Know that the time is now 9:33pm and the expected boarding time to close for my connecting flight is 9:40pm). This associate looks at my pass for my flight out of Houston that showed boarding was ended, and proceeds to tell me that “I should be able to make it as it was just around the corner” and "better start going now". I hesitated but trusted it was close. (Now note I have never been here in my life, I was currently in the back of terminal D… my flight was in the back of terminal C…) Come to find out it was a 13-16 minute fast walk away, and when I finally arrived I get to find out by the customer service rep that no more boarding was possible. I got to walk my happy bit back and flag down the them down to assist again. 

The icing on the cake happened as I had to work 3 different people help me get a hotel and rescheduled my flight as the first two associates both typed on a computer, said it didn't work, pass me off to the person next to them, and quite literally say "I'm done for the day and going home". While keep in mind, 4-5 other people were still there as the others had either been ushered to the next flight or went off to connect there luggage as I found others later in the story. In addition, the first younger lady helping me didn't even offer to give me the hotel at first. I had to remind her and ask if for one that was offered to us earlier.  I didn't think this was unjustified either considering it was 11:15pm and she was giving me a flight at 7:30am (shame on me if that was unjustified). I guess I was first in the wrong too as she expecting me to "make it work" with the wait between the flight. 

To then make matters even better, the hotel that was given for me to select (Sonesta) did not pick up for the shuttle service or front desk. We were told to exit the airport and wait for the shuttle and once calling to a continuous ring and hang up to the shuttle and front desk, it was already 12:00 o’clock where myself and another passenger made the decision to just tough it out and go through TSA all over again and ultimately sleep in the terminal. 

Now wouldn’t fate just have it, the flight to IND that was set for 7:30am… gets delayed not once, not twice, but three times all the way to 2:15pm because there isn't a crew. 

But hey… I ask if it’s worth getting back because I got 2 $15 meal vouchers to use at Starbucks and their automated customer service email template from their “VP of Customer Relations” gave me a $300 voucher I can only use for myself, in one year, and only with United… thought? Am I the villain for complaining?

Evacuated, Potential Engine Failure, and 32+ hours at IAH… Am I the villain for complaining? (Full Story Time)