Woman claims United gave away her first class seat to Texas rep
- 6 years ago
HOUSTON — United Airlines is again embroiled in a controversy after a passenger said she was booted from her seat to make room for a Texas lawmaker.
The Houston Chronicle reports that on December 18, Jean-Marie Simon was in Houston, waiting to board the last leg of her round trip D.C. to Washington flight.
Simon bought first class tickets and was supposed to be in seat 1A, but the gate agent who scanned her ticket found that it wasn't in the system, and asked if she cancelled her flight.
Her seat had apparently been taken, and she was given a $500 voucher and reseated in Economy Plus.
Simon soon found out that her seat had ultimately been given to U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston democrat. Another congressman on the flight also told her Jackson Lee made a habit of bumping passengers off flights, and it was the third time he'd personally seen her do it.
Simon also says a flight attendant approached her after she snapped a photo of Jackson Lee, and threatened to have her removed if she caused problems.
Responding to the incident, Jackson Lee claimed she never asked for special treatment, before then saying Simon may have easily targeted her as an African-American woman.
Simon flatly denies the racism accusation. She has since written United CEO of her ordeal, but only received an apology from a resolution manager.
The 63-year-old private school teacher has yet to receive a formal apology from the company.
The Houston Chronicle reports that on December 18, Jean-Marie Simon was in Houston, waiting to board the last leg of her round trip D.C. to Washington flight.
Simon bought first class tickets and was supposed to be in seat 1A, but the gate agent who scanned her ticket found that it wasn't in the system, and asked if she cancelled her flight.
Her seat had apparently been taken, and she was given a $500 voucher and reseated in Economy Plus.
Simon soon found out that her seat had ultimately been given to U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston democrat. Another congressman on the flight also told her Jackson Lee made a habit of bumping passengers off flights, and it was the third time he'd personally seen her do it.
Simon also says a flight attendant approached her after she snapped a photo of Jackson Lee, and threatened to have her removed if she caused problems.
Responding to the incident, Jackson Lee claimed she never asked for special treatment, before then saying Simon may have easily targeted her as an African-American woman.
Simon flatly denies the racism accusation. She has since written United CEO of her ordeal, but only received an apology from a resolution manager.
The 63-year-old private school teacher has yet to receive a formal apology from the company.