Access Politics
Jean-Marie Simon booked a first class flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. using her accumulated “miles.” However, when she got to the plane, she realized that United Airlines gave her seat to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, an anti-Trump Democrat lawmaker from Texas. United said they had no record of her ticket, though they gave her a $500 voucher and gave her a seat in the Economy section.
When Simon boarded the plane, she saw this Congressperson in her seat and accused the airlines of giving the politician preferential treatment. United responded:
“We were concerned by this issue and took immediate steps to fully understand what happened. After thoroughly examining our electronic records, we found that upon receiving a notification that Flight 788 was delayed due to weather, the customer appears to have canceled her flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. within the United mobile app. As part of the normal pre-boarding process, gate agents began clearing standby and upgrade customers, including the first customer on the waitlist for an upgrade.”
Simon claims that she did not, in fact, cancel her ticket. On her way back to her seat, she snapped a picture of the congresswoman. This prompted the airlines to threaten to toss her off the plane.
Simon described this experience as “so completely humiliating,” reports the Houston Chronicle.
Many pundits are outraged at this preferential treatment. David Clarke, former Milwaukee County Sheriff, tweeted, “Remarkable. Remember this incident next time Rep Sheila Jackson or any other liberal flaps their gums about white privilege. White woman forced to give up seat to a black politician. Did Rep Jackson Lee charge the gov (taxpayers) for this 1st class seat?”
Here’s a photo from Facebook that shows Simon’s ticket:
Hat Tip: Fox News
Image Credit: Pixabay
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