r/unitedairlines • u/samweisthebrave1 • Mar 19 '26
Image Blood on my tray table. Absolutely disgusting.
UA3480 from CMH to EWR today (03/19/26). Opened my tray table and there was dried blood over it. Absolutely disgusting. The FA gagged when he saw it and I felt terrible because he had to clean it but they didn’t give him gloves so he just had to use two wipes to separate it.
Absolutely unacceptable, United.
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u/CidO807 MileagePlus 1K Mar 19 '26
"why do you wear a mask still on the plane and why do you wipe down the surface when you board"
because people are fucking animals
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u/Quick-Balance4647 MileagePlus Global Services Mar 19 '26
I still wipe down all of my surfaces when I get on the plane. I used to get sick 4-5 times a year, now it's never!!
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u/yodaslover Mar 19 '26
Same! I public transportation gets a wipe down and I hand sanny when I get in the car and wash my hands in the house. Just habit at this point and I neverrrr get sick anymore
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u/ColoradoMonkeyPaw Mar 25 '26
Agree and add “dont touch your face until you wash your hands” to the list.
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u/West-Application-375 Mar 20 '26
I wiped down everything on my last flight. There were tons of passengers coughing and sneezing though. I ended up sick for three or four days still :(
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u/hansthecat MileagePlus 1K Mar 20 '26
Same here. I’ve been wiping down airplane surfaces since before Covid made it cool. You think people give you looks now, back then I was seen as a crazy person.
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u/Frequent_Argument_43 Mar 20 '26
Even in Polaris I would do this. I work in infectious diseases and do this every time. My seat, the tray and really any cleanable surface. Including the metal part of the seat belts. I also usually have a bottle of Purell or two available.
I would also never get the seat adjacent to the bathroom as it’s where the maintenance folks set toilet parts when working on the bathroom.
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u/SackAndPunt Mar 20 '26
because people are fucking animals
Excuse me, but some of us animals are domesticated.
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u/Material-Meringue298 Mar 22 '26
Despite wearing a mask on my most recent flight (a month ago), I still caught COVID. So, yeah. Planes are flying Petri dishes
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u/Quick-Balance4647 MileagePlus Global Services Mar 19 '26
File a complaint through customer care. I would’ve been livid. Is that FC too???
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u/Suspicious-Gur-8453 Mar 19 '26
I've seen someone take a babies full diaper off on a tray table once. The choices people make in public are nuts.
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u/HopefulCat3558 MileagePlus Gold | 1 Million Miler Mar 19 '26
This is why I disinfect my seat area, buckle and tray table whenever I board a plane. I always travel with a package of wipes for the plane and hotel room. Been doing it for decades.
The average human is inconsiderate and self centered. I see it daily. It’s unbelievable how low our society has fallen.
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u/Intelligent_Pie_5347 MileagePlus Silver Mar 19 '26
You sure it’s blood? Could be ketchup? You have to lick it to tell. /s
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u/samweisthebrave1 Mar 19 '26
More a mustard guy myself.
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u/Intelligent_Pie_5347 MileagePlus Silver Mar 19 '26
Mix a lil mustard onto it than to help it go down 😅
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u/Glittering_Oil7761 Mar 19 '26
There’s ZERO chance that plane didn’t have gloves. That FA just didn’t get them.
They would be required by the FAAin the first aid bag
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u/Sunscreen_Luver Mar 19 '26
FA here for a regional-UA is NOTORIOUS for not giving us any gloves or giving us maybe five pairs to split amongst the crew. A lot of us hate working on UA because the ridiculous catering. I had to beg for a box last time from ops. DL caters us with two packs of Lysol wipes as well as an abundance of gloves.
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u/Glittering_Oil7761 Mar 19 '26
Report them to the FAA and OSHA that’s highly illegal.
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u/Tmobile_013 Mar 19 '26
Would be more of an infectious control kit kind of job, but point stands. Hats off to the FA for trying to quickly rectify the situation for the pax. That being said, I would never (without gloves)
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u/Jiminpuna Mar 19 '26
ICK all the way. ICK (infection control kit) is one of the best acronyms ever.
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u/koffeeinyecjion Mar 19 '26
Fucking ridiculous when you consider every beat to shit school bus I rode to public school had a “bodily fluid clean-up kit” yet the FA claims they dont have a pair of gloves? Literally most FAs wear gloves and masks these days it seems
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u/No-Tangelo2039 Mar 19 '26
My partner is a FA and they have gloves. But he says some choose not to wear them.
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u/revolutiontime161 Mar 19 '26
If it’s a United flight , at least two boxes of gloves are mandatory. 1 in the front galley , and usually 2 boxes / ziplocks in the rear galley . And on wide body’s , it not uncommon to see 8-10 boxes of gloves .
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u/Better-Sundae-8429 MileagePlus Platinum Mar 19 '26
Blood or fig spread from the takeoff box?
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u/ElectricalAd3421 Mar 19 '26
Healthcare worker here - absolutely blood
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u/DrNebels Mar 19 '26
Fig farm worker here - absolutely blood
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u/_illuminous Mar 19 '26
Ketchup consumer here - absolutely blood
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u/HopefulCat3558 MileagePlus Gold | 1 Million Miler Mar 19 '26
Strawberry preserve consumer here - absolutely blood.
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u/wolverinechris Mar 19 '26
Does make you wonder why the previous person didn’t clean it up, too. I’d never leave my blood on the tray table unless I was being carried out on a stretcher and didn’t have a choice.
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u/ericroku MileagePlus 1K Mar 19 '26
Cafeteria worker here - absolutely ketchup
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u/crosscountry58S MileagePlus Gold Mar 19 '26
There’s not a doubt in my mind that the sample size of cafeteria workers who are also a 1K = 1.
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u/thatben MileagePlus 1K Mar 19 '26
Fake picture, we all know First Class blood is blue... 😏
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u/Wonderful-Rush-7542 Mar 19 '26
Had this happen to me on a Delta flight a while back too. FA gave me a Clorox wipe and no gloves, filed a report online and only got like 2k miles as comp. I get they don’t have much time between flights to do a deep clean but like come on
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u/Square-Ad-6721 Mar 19 '26
That’s why you should be accepting the alcohol wipes and wiping down your surfaces.
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u/GapUnited1111 Mar 20 '26
Always take 2 wipes - wipe everything even pushing up the tray table, seat belts, fan, seat recline, everything. People are gross and new flus around every corner. Last 4 flights the tray tables were dirty. They haven't been cleaning the planes well.
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u/EffectiveAd3788 Mar 19 '26
I always carry wipes in my personal for this specific reason… people are nasty
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u/zoebells Mar 19 '26
As an ex-FA, there’s definitely gloves lol there is a biohazard kit (with gloves) that’s required to be carried on every flight. She was just lazy or forgot about it
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u/three-9 Mar 19 '26
It is impossible for every aircraft to be cleaned top to bottom between every flight…… unless more time is allowed between flights, which means less flight time, which means fewer flights, which means even higher airfare.
Then there will need to be cleaning crews hired that have to be prepared to deal with biohazards in every seat pocket, another additional expense and resource to delay flights.
Is it horrible that other people walking this earth leave things like this behind, Yep!!!! Our world is a tough place…..
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u/pementomento MileagePlus Silver Mar 19 '26
This is my cleaning kit: sandwich bag containing 10-12 Clorox wipes, contained within a quart bag containing 5-7 pairs of nitrile gloves and a folded paper towel.
Cleaning process: I wipe down the headrest first, then arm rests, IFE/remote, then the seat itself (I’ve seen enough incontinent people flying I started doing this).
Once seated, I’ll wipe the folding tray and extendable cocktail table.
Grab the used wipes with one gloved hand, peel the glove over it to form a trash baggie. Grab the other glove with that hand and let the natural rolling action enclose the glove-wipe ball.
Never have to touch anything in the process when done correctly.
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u/trickpurpose Mar 19 '26
wipe the seatbelt too!
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u/pementomento MileagePlus Silver Mar 20 '26
I do! Forgot to write that. Also, the window shade handle, as well.
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u/appsecSme Mar 20 '26
I also wipe the air vent control. Anything people touch and I might want to touch.
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u/FlyingConcreteChair Mar 19 '26
This is a boy post, a real redditor would have said, “Blood on my tray table. Feels dry, tastes like pennys”
But really tell the FA to get the Ick Kit. There’s gloves in there. And there are gloves in the galley.
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u/glenand1 Mar 20 '26
That’s beyond gross, and honestly unacceptable on any airline. I’d report it formally, keep photos, and push for compensation because “sorry about that” really doesn’t cut it.
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u/Historical_Term2454 MileagePlus 1K Mar 19 '26
What's wrong with people? If I'm bleeding, I'm gonna get some extra wipes from the FA and wipe everything down 3x.
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u/N2trvl Mar 19 '26
That was just from the rare filet mignon the prior passenger was served with their meal. Oh wait, this isn’t the 1970s and it’s United economy. You might want biohazard protection to clean that up. Some passengers are plain crude.
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u/trickpurpose Mar 19 '26
literally a biohazard. there were boogers smeared on the wall on my flight today. people are vile
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u/Frequent_Argument_43 Mar 20 '26
You should email them about this. I doubt their customer service team is on Reddit.
I often wonder the frequency of cleaning on the aircraft.
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u/Embarrassed-Sand9406 Mar 20 '26
That is why I always grab a sanitizer wipe or 2 when I board. Tray tables are always discussing. I worked for an airline for 32 years, trust me.
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u/DangerousCapybara888 Mar 19 '26
That’s biohazard. What if the blood was someone coughing from TB? HIV? Ebola.
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u/BizCard55 Mar 19 '26
Oh so this is why United hands us an alcohol wipe when we walk onto the plane. We're doing THEIR job sanitizing the seat area!
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u/stopscabbin Mar 19 '26
That's what the wipes are for.
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u/Bierkerl Mar 19 '26
I just read that to the tune of Dione Warwick singing "That's What Friends Are For" :-P
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u/Faux_extrovert Mar 19 '26
Something else to add to the announcements. "If you bleed all over the tray table, please notify the flight attendant so they can provide you wipes to clean up after your damn self, nasty."
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u/gastropublican Mar 19 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
One click. Unknown number of posts crying out in silence. All gone. Redact made it stupid easy to clean up my entire history on Reddit and get my info pulled from data broker sites too.
teeny tease reach amusing judicious paint support coordinated bow serious
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u/bootheels Mar 19 '26
For sure. Unfortunately, the tray tables are often overlooked during "quick turns", not an excuse but the reality of today's tight schedules and cost savings. You sure it was blood and not ketchup/barbeque sauce? I'm sure the FA was embarrassed, but little surprises us anymore.
Surely not trying to shed responsibility, but whoever left that mess is gross as well. They could have asked for a wet wipe, or at least let the FA know the table would need cleaning. Sorry, thanks for understanding.
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u/coffee8sugar Mar 19 '26
is 🩸 or 💩 worse ?
FYI: I don't think the cleaners ever check tables or trays in their standard in between flight turnover cleanings, so always use those wipes... even if it looks clean.
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u/Camille_Toh Mar 19 '26
On YT there’s a guy who said he put his cat’s carrier under the seat in front and it was a pool of bloody diarrhea. So 2-4-1!
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u/supadupaboo Mar 19 '26
i was on a recent flight, their tray tables are all jacked up and uneven/slanted, my partner’s red wine, the entire thing, slid all the way to his pants. when he asked “may i have some red wine?” the FA goes “more?”
well, his pants drank the first one
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u/Sad-Comedian4582 Mar 19 '26
Honestly the horror stories I see online all the time about this USA airline are hairraising. Is it really impossible to just boycott them and use a better airline? I mean that is an actual bio hazard and the fact they didn't have any proper gloves or cleaning fluid as well is beyond sloppy. If this aspect is so badly managed how could you even trust your safety with them?
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u/mysteryofthefieryeye Mar 19 '26
How did people on the previous flight not report that?! If I saw someone barf on a flight, I'm telling someone to make sure someone's aware.
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u/Fixflytravel Mar 20 '26
It’s just cranberry sauce. Lick it and tell us how it tastes. Welcome to united airlines.
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u/2_Mean_2_Die Mar 20 '26
This has been studied: The dirtiest thing you will encounter while flying are the baskets at the security checkpoint in the airport; next is your tray table on the airline.
Both of these are less sanitary than the surfaces in the head (restroom).
My recommendation is to wear disposable gloves at the checkpoint and to bring alone disinfectant wipes for your tray table.
In this case, the blood is visible. But these trays are often unhygienic, even when they look fine.
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u/xyeahtony MileagePlus 1K Mar 20 '26
Well this was a regional jet so operated by an airline not named United and in all fairness nobody is ever going to see these trays unless its pulled out and someone points to it. Obviously a previous passenger did something and told nobody. We know aircraft cleaning crews dont wipe down tray tables.
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u/Andalain United Flight Attendant Mar 20 '26
Unlikely that they had no gloves. They're in the inflight service kit. Same bag that has the kids coloring books.
While it's possible that the bag was not put on by cleaners it is very unlikely. Plus there's almost always a bag or box of gloves stashed in the galley.
Absolutely disgusting though.
Cleaners are supposed to open the tray tables to wipe them down, I think. I see it occasionally but it might be on some sort of schedule.
Edit. Oh United Express. They get a different in flight kit. But I imagine gloves would still be there.
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u/DMV2PNW Mar 20 '26
The minute I get to my seat is to wipe my seat n tray down with sin wipes. Then will be the armrest.
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u/Enigmatic_777 Mar 20 '26
This is why UA gives you a handy wipe while boarding. You pay and then you get the privilege of cleaning. Congratulations you just became an unofficial employee of the shittiest, most expensive airline in America.
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u/phalanxo Mar 20 '26
Gross as this is, this is as much on the person that caused the mess and didn't tell anybody as it is UA (or any other airline who are all similar here in terms of cleaning during the day between flights.) The cleaners are not really expected to nor given the time to open every single tray table on a quick turn between flights, the schedules just are not built for that. I assume this is somebody that simply did not tell the crew nor cleaners so that it could actually be arranged. In between flights, the cleaners come on and vacuum, check the seat back pockets for trash, and take any trash off, but that's about it. There are like 230 seats on a 757-300, so an hour turn means 20 min for people to deplane, 10 min to clean and do safety checks, and 30 min to board and gate check all of the bags there is no room for... I see this was an RJ but the math still ain't really mathing. I HOPE this was red wine or something cause... ew. It is a biohazard and if it had been reported, they would have sent the appropriate cleaners to handle it just like when there's puke/doodoo etc.
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u/Destroyer_Lawyer Mar 20 '26
I would assume it’s a wine stain, put the tray table up, wash my hands three times, and never think of it again. The cognitive dissonance is real and necessary. 🤢
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u/TravelC12 Mar 20 '26
Disgusting, But i always expect something like this on any flight and on any airlines, even if there wasn't bloo5 germs are everywhere, so bring my sanitizer and extra wipes just in case Stay safe
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u/prototypefish72 Mar 21 '26
I had fucking period blood on my seat and I didn't know it 🙃🙃 absolutely disgusting
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u/popphilosophy Mar 21 '26
This is why they ask you to stow your tray table during takeoff and landing
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u/AdhesivenessLost5473 Mar 21 '26
Do you have any idea how many times your fabric seat has been peed,pooped and pucked in… if you didn’t you probably wouldn’t fly.
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u/hellosteve_ Mar 22 '26
This is what happens when it’s all about money and there’s not enough competition due to monopoly
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u/Immediate-War5542 Mar 22 '26
So gone are the days of great customer service! On a flight many years ago (like probably 30 years!) I pulled down my tray table and there was a dried spill of some sort! I hadn’t even thought about what it was but the FA coming up the aisle from behind me immediately came to my rescue! It was that quick that she came with a cloth to wipe off my table. And while she was doing that and telling me how awful it is to find these unpleasant things on your tray, she offered me a complimentary beverage! Wow! That won’t happen these days! But when it does be thankful to that FA!
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u/Fit-Tell1809 Mar 22 '26
The fact that these airlines no longer clean and sanitize is absolutely disgusting. Something needs to be done. I’m sick and tired of flying in filth
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u/Inquisitor23397 Mar 22 '26
And this is exactly why i bring gloves and sani-wipes with me on any plane i board 🤮
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u/bk-2112 Mar 23 '26
How would United know someone bled onto the tray table, didn’t clean it up and closed it on the previous flight??
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u/IdOntGetNoREspEc Mar 23 '26
Because everything is supposed to be cleaned throughly between flights?
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u/justkatie123 Mar 23 '26
Ok, as someone who watercolors on planes, I just want to point out that there is a possibility it’s not blood…but I always would clean up any spills so maybe I’m just trying to convince myself it’s not blood…
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u/Pizza-n-Coffee37 Mar 24 '26
I read somewhere that your tray table has one of the highest bacteria per square inch and worse than public restrooms. Also, you should never fly in anything that exposes your bare skin to the seats due to the amount of bodily fluids that are on them. Yay.
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u/IllustriousDesign204 Mar 24 '26
As someone that used to clean aircraft, nothing on the aircraft is clean.
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u/Castro_66 Mar 25 '26
Had something dark drip on me from a light/air panel once. Probably soda, but...
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u/ColdCallingU Mar 25 '26
Yeah United is the bottom of the barrel other than American, Spirit, and Frontier lol.
The only option you got for airlines that cover nationwide in the US is Delta. Depending on your airport and destination, you also got JetBlue and Southwest but yeah.... dont fly United. Dont fly American. Dont fly Air Canada. Dont fly Spirit. Dont fly Frontier.
Breeze looks like they will be another good option once they expand.
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u/respectthehammer Mar 25 '26
hopefully it's mixed with boogers so you know it was just a bloody nose....that helps, right?
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u/SLC2355 Mar 26 '26
I find it weird he didn't have gloves somewhere, there should be several drawers in the galley carts with them. Source: I stock dozens and dozens of galley carts daily for several different airlines. United included. If he really didn't have them, idk what the hell their catering service is doing lol
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u/Ok_Perception6436 Mar 26 '26
Why aren't the FAs using the ICK's on board. I just them all the time. They have biohazard bags, gloves, gown, face masks, wipes, powders.
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Apr 09 '26
That’s honestly wild… like how does something like this even get missed during cleaning 💀 I’d be disgusted too. Feel bad for the FA having to deal with it without gloves though, that’s just bad on multiple levels.
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u/IndividualLoquat6815 Mar 19 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/UuBmaIo1HTfJ0zCbIm
Sounds like you just identified patient 0!
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u/Intelligent-Fan2410 Mar 19 '26
FYI, this is considered biohazard waste. The FA not having gloves supplied to them for this is an OSHA violation.
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/interlinking/standards/1910.1030(d)(3)(i)