Flying the Unfriendly Skies: Kelly Price Starts Petition Accusing United Airlines of Racism

June 26th, 2012 - By Alissa Henry

Source: thisisrnb.com

This past weekend, Kelly Price posted on Facebook and tweeted about the poor customer service she and her husband experienced with United Airlines. Now, the singer/actress has started a petition on Change.org blasting what she called the “classist, racist practices hidden in corporate code”.

It started on Saturday night when Kelly Price says that a United Airlines agent in Houston named Stephanie asked her to go to the back of the coach passengers line. Kelly says she was in the line with the Premier and First class ticket holders and that Stephanie didn’t check her ticket first before sending her to the back of the “other line”. The singer alleges that Stephanie then helped the “nonblack man in a suit” instead of her. Kelly tweeted that the co-workers stood by while the agent yelled at her and when Stephanie realized her mistake (and that Kelly was indeed a Premier and First Class ticket holder), she didn’t apologize.

The Queens native kept it classy and filed a formal complaint with United Airlines, but she didn’t stop there.

She has started a Change.org petition titled “Demand United Airlines Treat ALL Passengers Fairly”. According to the website, she is petitioning: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, The Governor of CA, The CA State Senate, The CA State House and Jeff Smisek President United Airlines (United Airlines).

Her petition reads:

Profiling passengers is a common thing with air travel. The world has changed and traveling has not been the same since 9-11. The discomfort and sometimes annoying process of getting from here to there is a cross we all bear in this country to insure the safety of all Americans when we travel by airplane. Unfortunately, some use this as a bullying tool.

On Saturday June 23, 2012 I was bullied by Stephanie a United Airlines employee when she assumed I was not a first class passenger and refused me service at the Customer Service/Rebooking counter in Houston. Even once she realized she was wrong she still ignored me and refused to help me. Her co-workers also ignored me. When I asked to see her name on her badge she hid it and began to scream out loud that I was harrassing her in an attempt to have security come an remove me. I am not a terrorist. I am not a criminal. Had Stephanie (The United Airlines Employee) been successful in her attempt to have me removed I would have likely been arrested and certainly not allowed to travel that day.

As American citizens we are entitled to each have the same civil liberties and basic rights. I want United Airlines to have mandatory Cultural Diversity and Tolerance training for ALL employees of their company. I want United Airlines to implement better checks and balances that insure their employees CANNOT misuse their “authority” with customers and passengers. I want a United policy that demands the immediate termination of a United Airlines employee who discriminates or violates the civil and/or consumer rights of a customer/passenger in either of these manners. Classist, Racist practices hidden in corporate code cannot be tolerated. If we don’t speak out this will never change.

After talking about her ordeal, Kelly tweeted: I wish I knew 600,000 miles ago what I know now about @United. 600k that would be the # of miles I’ve flown on YOUR airline in the last 5yrs.

600-thousand miles is a lot and I’d be interested to know if she’s had a negative experience in the past. United Airlines is the world’s largest airline but last year, in a story titled America’s Meanest Airlines: 2011, US News and World Report ranked United as the “Worst Major Carrier”. The LA Times reports that the latest statistics from U.S. Transportation Department show United is the most complained-about airline in America by far.

Kelly says her complaint isn’t about money or fame, but about her civil rights being violated and that no one (celebrity or non) should have to put up with that. More than 500 people have signed her petition so far. Given the track record of Change.org and the major movements it has sparked around the country, it’s likely this petition will reach the necessary eyes and ears in the corporate office, possibly sparking a change in the company…or at least getting Kelly Price a sincere apology.

What do you think about Kelly Price’s petition?

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink

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http://www.facebook.com/lawyergirldgm Deonna Gene Moore

Totally agree! I was a Continental Airlines customer for MANY years! I had close to 300,000 frequent flyer miles between traveling and my credit card. United merged with Continental and it’s been horrible service. The last flight I took with United was to Chicago O’Hare a few months ago… I’ve never experienced such rude customer service reps in my life… Had I not been the person I am and highly known, I probably would’ve smacked the taste out of one of the baggage handlers for yelling at me about my luggage. Let’s just say that I’m now going over to Delta now… My new Delta American Express has arrived and I look forward to a long relationship with a more professional and courteous carrier.
Monte

She didn’t say in her petition that she had a Premier First-class ticket. Sounds to me like she’s petitioning for first class treatment for all travelers. I want to see receipts.
- Jasmine
  
  Obviously you didn’t read the article………her complaint is that the attendant “assumed: where she was supposed to be instead of looking at her ticket……
Suga

They should make sure they have the right people that want to do their job , correctly…I’m glad she spoke up and stood up for better service.Their employees knows better they just dont care…and think they can get away with bad behavior…Theirs people unemployed right now that would love to have her job and any other job that they dont care to do right.
Say What?

Everyone is a paying customer so for anyone to be treated like that despite what “class” they are seated in is terrible!
http://www.facebook.com/gstarks Gary Starks

Bottom line….simply said…we need to always remember that our money spending is POWER!
colliz6

Signed it, had a similar experience flying with that airline. The worst experience ever never felt more violated in my entire life.
MiscMel70

I know where she’s coming from. I fly American and have been a Platinum member for the past 10 years. I am often reminded that they are boarding “first class only at this time”. Thing is, after 10 years of flying AA exclusively I certainly know which line to get it and if I’m in the First Class line it’s because I’m flying First Class. This doesn’t just happen at the gate. Even going through security, AA workers often try to push me to the regular line instead of the Premier line where I belong. I have certainly noticed on Monday mornings that I, as a black woman, am a rarity in the business class line, but isn’t making assumptions (incorrectly) the same thing that got Zimmerman in trouble?
- Lisa
  
  I get that a lot with Delta. Typical business travelers, middle age white men, have tried to cut in front of me and told me that this was first class only. You can’t tell premier customers based on looks. It’s amazing how many stares and double takes I get when sitting in first class.
http://www.facebook.com/donita Donita Binford

Go for it! I’ll gladly sign that petition! As consumers we need to demand above average customer service and when we are not satisfied we should make it known that the business is failing in that area. I’ve worked in Customer Service/Hospitality for 10 years and I know for a fact if the customer does not complain, then the business suffers altogether. If businesses do not know they are making mistakes or have hired the wrong people, then they put themselves in jeopardy of going out of business. We all have experienced terrible service & I’m pretty sure everyone has felt the frustration of not getting what they want. On top of that if you are a person of color or look like you don’t have any money, people in general are more inclined to treat you differently just because of the way the US society is structured. When you are spending big bucks, you expect better and you should get exceptional service! First Class tickets are in the thousands of dollars, so yes I would be burning angry! And she didn’t apologize either? SMH… Stephanie doesn’t want her job anymore. It pays off to do your best and be your best…. this goes to show that you never know who you will encounter day to day.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LPWWRRHN34PQ2GCP7H25L5YUSE Krilly

Sorry, but this airline was labeled the worst by two reputable publications in 2011. I’m glad she spoke up/ stood up for better service. Last I heard air travel is expensive and passengers should definitely be treated well. Seriously tired of people getting screwed over by big corporations and their simple- minded employees.

From the article:
…in a story titled America’s Meanest Airlines: 2011, US News and World Report ranked United as the “Worst Major Carrier”. The LA Times reports that the latest statistics from U.S. Transportation Department show United is the most complained-about airline in America by far.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JAI4SRENU2A5WKRTELXXYJPDSI Kayla

why is she going after the entire airline. She said she flew 600,000 miles without a problem. but this one incident and suddenly the whole company is to blame. I say talk to her manager and see if she can take sensitivity training. Or fired. Don’t drag the rest of the company with you.
- colliz6
  
  This airline has managed to drag itself down. No one else needs to. It’s doing that all on it’s own. It is by far the worst most complained about airlane and they keep getting worse. They need to take drastic steps to salvage their shabby image. Something like this is exactly what they need to pull up their sleeves and deal with the matter of poor customer service. Penalizing Stephanie and her cohorts alone is not enough. There needs to be some radical changes and accountability put in place within the company’s framework for any effective change to come about.
Candacey Doris

I thin it’s a goo petition. Because it’s not about that one employee, it’s about the fact that others were there an id not see fit to make up for that employee’s lack of class, manners and customer service. It’s not just race that people are profiled for on airlines, it’s age, gender and weight. I never flew on that airline before but i think if it’s the only one flying I’ll take an extra day to get to my destination.
guest

she needs to relax, so because she has one bad experience with one bad employee, she has to label the entire organization racist and start a petition complaining about civil rights and what not. Seriously???.I’ve flown that airline and wasn’t treated badly. there’s always a chance you can run into a disrespectful employee at any company.Shes over reacting.
- ballsinspace
  
  She did not say that the airline was racist, said “Classist, Racist practices hidden in corporate code cannot be tolerated.” Also, I think implementing diversity and tolerance training should not be a big deal. When applying for jobs, some companies stress tolerance and even force employees to be trained. It is nothing new – it just needs to be addressed better.
- colliz6
  
  If she feels her civil liberties were compromised it is her right to have that addressed. You were not there so you don’t know. You don’t the know the culprit Stephanie or any of the coworkers. For all you and i know she could very well be a racist yet you’re defending this woman. You’re being kinda harsh for someone who doesn’t know all the facts don’t you think?
  - Irritated
    
    How is she a racist when she herself has a white girl as a background singer that works for her? Get your facts straight…

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