Urine-Soaked Seat and Pants on United Airlines Flight 1188
July 18, 2008 · Print This Article
Below is my story. Their reply basically was ‘we’ll clean your pants.’
American Airlines
American Airlines Customer Relations
P.O. Box 619612 MD 2400
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9612
Fax: (817) 967-4162
RE: URINE SOAKED SEAT AND PANTS
To whom it may concern,
On Monday, May 19, 2008, I was scheduled to fly from Orange County, CA to Austin, TX on flight number 1188. The flight was an hour and a half late. But that is not why I am writing. When the plane arrived, they announced that they would do a quick cleanup to turn the plane around quickly and get the late flight on its way. When I boarded and sat on my assigned seat, 16A, I felt my butt get wet. I immediately stood and hoped for the best, water. Unfortunately, upon standing and wiping my pants with my hand to smell the foreign wet substance, it became readily apparent that it was urine. Unmistakably URINE! I went to the back of the plane where the two stewardesses were talking. Before I said a word to the two, they informed me that I need to take my seat, there are no extra seats, I’ll have to go back and sit down. Once they finished, I informed that I sat in my seat and it is urine soaked. They then went to find me another seat and a blanket that I could sit on. For the entire flight, several hours, I had to sit with wet pants soaked with somebody else’s urine. The thought was disgusting. The feeling was disgusting. The smell was disgusting.
I have attached a copy of the “Dry Cleaning Authorization” as proof of the occurrence as well as your records will no doubt show that seat being switched out in Dallas. I can’t tell you how disgusted I am at having to sit for hours with somebody else’s urine soaked to my skin. I don’t know who the person was, nor do I know what sort of diseases that said unknown person may have. Imagine yourself sitting for hours in wet pants soaked with the urine of someone else up against your skin. Had the plane been properly cleaned, this no doubt wouldn’t have happened. Before I take any further steps, I am writing you to give you the first chance at making this right.
James R. Gilkinson
photo credit: irishflyguy
AMERICAN AIRLINES…..OR United?????
based on your story and facts, YOUR HEADING IS INCORRECT. FLIGHT 1188 IS AMERICAN AIRLINES.
I have just had the worst experience with United Airlines ever. I was traveling to Harrisburg Pa. on a bereavement ticket trying to get there before a relative died.Flight #6638 to Denver We were delayed in Denver thus making it impossible to make the connection in Chicago #284 The flight out of Chicago was #392cancelled due to weather and I realize that the airline is not responsible for weather. The agent in chicago advised me that nothing could be done ” I can not help you” I was willing to go to Dulles, Atlanta, Wash. Pgh “I can not help you. I informed her that was her job.”Not anymore I’m off and she left the podium. Another passenger heard my story and volunteered to give me his seat so that I might get to Harrisburg before the death. The agent at the next station heard my story and said she had a seat to Pgh. that was leaving in 15 minutes. She appoligised for the other agent and got me on the flight. When I arrived in Pgh the airport was for all purposes closed. No one any where. I went to car rentles and they were all gone for the night.. NO ONE at any Untied Gates. I had no choice but to spend the night in the airport. Finally a janitor told me that there was a Hyatt Hotel in the airport. I took a room in the Hyatt with out luggage, medicine, tooth brush clothes etc.. The bill was $165.76 the cheapest room they had. Next morning I checked for flights and the only one was on U S Air and there was a seat so I bought another ticket for that flight in the amount of 287. The united ticket desk told me I could contact United about this fiasco, but they at the airport could not help me. I have receipts for all this information. This is the worst service I have ever had on United..
I need to have a refund for the hotel and the extra flight on US air. Untied needs to train their reps how to handle unusual cicumstances instead of saying I can not help you. The agent in Chicago should be fired. She was rude arrogent and for another agent to appoligise for her tells the story at how rude she was. She would not give me her name and she took her badge and put it inside her blouse so her name was not in view.
dry cleaning? This is an unacceptable response from AA
What a disgusting story!…Unfortunately, I know this to be true. It happened to a friend of mine and nothing has yet to be done by the airlines as far as any compensation.
The least that Mr. Gilkenson should get is a pair of round trip tickets to Hawaii…
Just another true event showing how the flying public is treated just like cattle…
Cattle paying high prices…To sit in another cattle’s urine…