Don't Fly United

Chromaflage · Mar 7, 2025

I typically fly Alaska Airlines unless they don't go to a destination I"m traveling to. I fly about 25-30 times per year for work and probably another 4-5 times for pleasure. My Plan B airline has been United. I flew Alaska to Houston for both business and pleasure. I had to extend my stay and Alaska did not have a return flight that suited my schedule, so I booked a one way home with United. I took a rifle and a few pistols with me for a family shoot at a gun club that my family are members of.

After I booked my return flight home on my United app, I made my way to the airport to check my rifle case. Much to my surprise, they popped a $200 "oversize baggage" fee on me. No where in the app - or online - do they indicate that there is a $200 fee for a firearm. While I am fuming, I'm watching others with golf club cases and other items that were bigger than my rifle case, check theirs in with no fee. WTH? The lady who checked me in was very sympathetic and I could tell she was bracing for a nuclear explosion - must have been the look on my face. I knew it wasn't her fault, but holy crap! Now I'm being held hostage in Houston unless I pay a $200 ransom. I will burn my miles then I'm done with United.

Just a PSA - beware the rifle ransom and United's anti 2A extortion.

Xmark1 · Mar 7, 2025

That makes me think of the new cars that do not have oil or tranny dipsticks.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FZNtu8n9KOk?feature=share

Tlock · Mar 7, 2025

I'm gonna do everything i can to never fly again!

Gunbuggy · Mar 7, 2025

Tlock said:
I'm gonna do everything i can to never fly again!

I can't stand flying. I used to enjoy it when I was a kid but now I get so anxious for days leading up to the flight and while on the flight.

We flew to Hawaii this summer and I felt like I was triple digit heart rate the whole way LOL

kenboy · Mar 7, 2025

My buddy flew back to Pennsylvania a few months ago. I believe it was on Delta Airlines.

He arrived at the airport 2 1/2 hours early and checked his rifle case in. He had three padlocks on the case. Everything was fine so he went and had a beer.

As the plane was boarding, he was called to the counter and he had to go back to baggage check and they required him to buy two more padlocks because they said there were two more places on the case that could accept padlocks.

He had to leave the airport to buy locks, get a hotel and fly the next day.

Anything they can do to make traveling with firearms a pain in the butt.

P7M13 · Mar 7, 2025

An acquaintance was moving to Boston and recently flew United to bring his cats there. He purchased two tickets, one for himself and one for his companion. The companion got sick and couldn't make it, so there he is with the two tickets and two cat carriers. United canceled the companion's ticket without refund, and made him pay $450 for the second seat for the 2nd cat carrier. At that alone, he was fuming. Then they told him that his bag was 60# and charged him something like $125 for an overweight bag. I used to fly like you, @Chromaflage, around 30-45 times per year. I don't miss it at all.

Alexx1401 · Mar 7, 2025

Xmark1 said:
That makes me think of the new cars that do not have oil or tranny dipsticks.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FZNtu8n9KOk?feature=share

Damn! Did not know they were doing away with the oil dipstick too. Last couple cars I bought with auto trans they did away with the trans stick but, there is still a fill spot on top. So video's showing how to make a way to check. I figured the trans one was too many people screwing it up. I have never had a vehicle that got low on the auto trans fluid unless the damn thing was leaking.

Tlock · Mar 7, 2025

Gunbuggy said:
I can't stand flying. I used to enjoy it when I was a kid but now I get so anxious for days leading up to the flight and while on the flight.

We flew to Hawaii this summer and I felt like I was triple digit heart rate the whole way LOL

I'm always afraid I'm gonna have explosive diarrhea on the plane.....can't imagine $hitting myself on the plane

Andy54Hawken · Mar 7, 2025

A long time ago....
I was coming home on leave.....flying United.
When buying tickets....I said I was bringing a rifle * with me.
No problem....make sure it is empty...and have it in a locked hard case.
Sign it in...and pick it up when you arrive.
Easy.

Well ....
I get to the airport....declare my rifle....the clerk looks to make sure it is empty...and puts it back in the case....Locks the case.
Then...wraps the case with a wide orange sticker tape which states :
"CAUTION FIREARM"......
Was told I could pick up my rifle at the declared baggage claim when I arrived.
Get to my final arrival...met my dad...we make our way to the declared baggage claim area....
And wait in a long line....only to be told that my rifle was going out with the regular baggage....
So we beat feet back to where we came from....and there....rotating around on the carousel was my rifle.
WTH....!!!!

Andy

* Rifle was a Remington 700 set up like my issue M24 Rifle.

Gunbuggy · Mar 7, 2025

Tlock said:
I'm always afraid I'm gonna have explosive diarrhea on the plane.....can't imagine $hitting myself on the plane

Yeah I've had the poops on the plane before. Not fun. It was my usual "let's go get some beers and a burger before the flight to calm the nerves" plan backfiring on me. It was a flight from Portland to Oakland and I had to have blew that toilet up 5 times in that hour and a half. Horrible.

Also, sorry for anyone eating dinner reading this.

Jay Walk · Mar 7, 2025

Tlock said:
I'm gonna do everything i can to never fly again!

pain in the azz

Tlock · Mar 7, 2025

Jay Walk said:
pain in the azz

There is no reason with my new job I will have to fly....my last job i was all over the dam country doing bio security and depops of bird farms. Being a fed made it easier to travel with firearms

Ducati_Meister · Mar 7, 2025

Gunbuggy said:
Yeah I've had the poops on the plane before. Not fun. It was my usual "let's go get some beers and a burger before the flight to calm the nerves" plan backfiring on me. It was a flight from Portland to Oakland and I had to have blew that toilet up 5 times in that hour and a half. Horrible.

Also, sorry for anyone eating dinner reading this.

That sucks. I get a bit anxious myself and get the bubble guts and pray I don't get the s**ts and need the strato-john. On longer flights aka 4 plus hours, I found being in first class has helped a lot, being near the John without the awkward waiting, climbing over people etc. I only fly once maybe twice a year, so it's worth it to me to get the first class tickets.

Gunbuggy · Mar 7, 2025

Ducati_Meister said:
That sucks. I get a bit anxious myself and get the bubble guts and pray I don't get the s**ts and need the strato-john. On longer flights aka 4 plus hours, I found being in first class has helped a lot, being near the John without the awkward waiting, climbing over people etc. I only fly once maybe twice a year, so it's worth it to me to get the first class tickets.

Oh man. First class for sure. The wife and I flew first class on the way BACK from Maui this summer. We decided the extra 700 dollars was worth it because we were next to some drunk slob on the flight out. 2 person chairs instead of 3 with much more room. Was way more comfortable.

Edited to add: that was our first time ever flying first class. It was so worth it. I will budget for it for all of my next trips that require air travel.

titsonritz · Mar 7, 2025

Tlock said:
I'm gonna do everything i can to never fly again!

I will never fly commercially again; period, full stop. Those scumbags have lost my business permanently.

Ducati_Meister · Mar 7, 2025

Gunbuggy said:
Oh man. First class for sure. The wife and I flew first class on the way BACK from Maui this summer. We decided the extra 700 dollars was worth it because we were next to some drunk slob on the flight out. 2 person chairs instead of 3 with much more room. Was way more comfortable.

Edited to add: that was our first time ever flying first class. It was so worth it. I will budget for it for all of my next trips that require air travel.

Indeed. Being a small person, and getting stuck in the middle seat between two big people isn't fun. Being close to a crapper is high priority lol. Alaska first class has great service too.

CountryGent · Mar 7, 2025

Last week I turned down a job that was certainly neato sounding. If I'm honest they got a "gracias, pero no" almost completely because it didn't offer enough of a pay change for me to care. That it was based in upstate New York didn't help. (I'd like to say the fact it involved vehicles ferrying nuclear weapons now violates my ethics, but I've long ago accepted being somewhat morally flexible — beep-beep.) More germane to the topic, it was going to involve quite a bit of the surreal hellscape that is air travel, which is a big no thank you circa 2025. :s0112:

Tlock · Mar 7, 2025

CountryGent said:
Last week I turned down a job that was certainly neato sounding. If I'm honest they got a "gracias, pero no" almost completely because it didn't offer enough of a pay change for me to care. That it was based in upstate New York didn't help. (I'd like to say the fact it involved vehicles ferrying nuclear weapons now violates my ethics, but I've long ago accepted being somewhat morally flexible — beep-beep.) More germane to the topic, it was going to involve quite a bit of the surreal hellscape that is air travel, which is a big no thank you circa 2025.

Wtf line of work are you in?