I've always hated flying United Airlines, but in New Orleans, not flying is the ordeal

Passengers on United Airlines' Flight 711 to Newark board the aircraft at Gate D9 of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Editor's note: This post desperately needed a new headline to replace the tortured syntax of the original, so here it is.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

KENNER, LA. -- United Airlines' Flight 711 to Newark appears cursed.

Every time we've taken it at the end of a vacation in New Orleans, we've experienced delays.

On Friday, we waited at Louis Armstrong International Airport's Gate D9 for more than 4 hours after the scheduled 3:10 p.m departure before we were allowed to board the flight.

First, we were told our departure had been rolled back to 5 p.m., then to a little after 8 p.m.

Our 737-700 aircraft and the crew also sat there all that time.

What storms?

We were told thunderstorms in northern New Jersey would prevent the plane from landing.

At Newark Liberty International Airport, the Air Brook driver who picked us up on Friday night after 11 said there had been scattered rain, but nothing he'd describe as a thunderstorm.

The phantom thunderstorms also prevented the departure of New Orleans flights to La Guardia Airport in New York and to Washington, D.C.

By arriving late at Newark airport, I also incurred a $15 night rate surcharge on our Air Brook ride home.

2017 vacation

After we attended the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans in 2017, our flight to Newark was delayed 2 hours.

The explanation: Too few air traffic controllers had reported to work.

I've always hated flying United. Now, I hate it for delays that have me not flying the airline.

On Friday, I was able to get earphones from one of the cabin attendants to watch a free movie, "Widows."

But the Economy Plus seat I paid extra for was so narrow, it was difficult to prevent my forearm from hitting the entertainment controls on the armrest, and blacking out the video or switching to another channel.

Instead of making do with a small bag of salty pretzels United Airlines serves on Flight 711, I stopped on the way to the airport for takeout from Banh Mi Boys in Metairie, La. I ordered a 10-inch Po Boy Sandwich stuffed with fried oysters and fried shrimp, dressed Vietnamese style with fresh cilantro, cucumbers, shredded carrots, sriracha sauce and other ingredients, above and below. 

Conveniently, Banh Mi Boys is part of a gas station, where I was able to fill up our rental car before returning it, instead of making a second stop. The sandwich shop is about 5 miles away from the airport.

Our first stop on the way to the airport was Manchu Food Store, a Vietnamese-owned business that lays claim to serving the best chicken wings in New Orleans, above and below. Tip: Order the regular fried wings to avoid what my wife said is excessive salt in the BBQ wings. The tasty side of fried rice contains small shrimp.

Did NOLA air-traffic controllers party too hard, delaying my flight home to N.J.?

Hurricanes, frozen Mango Daiquiris, cold beer and other alcoholic libations flowed freely during the French Quarter Festival, an annual four-day celebration of Louisiana's rich musical heritage.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

NEW ORLEANS -- Just when I thought I had beaten despicable United Airlines at its own game, air-traffic controllers threw a wrench into my plans.

My flight to the Crescent City's annual French Quarter Festival this month was most uncomfortable -- I was crammed into an economy seat with my knees up against the seat back in front of me.

On the 3-hour flight from Newark on April 5, stingy flight attendants served me and my wife small plastic cups of complimentary tomato juice, a handful of mints and a bag of salty snacks.

Music, movie and entertainment channels -- once free -- cost extra.

The center aisle was so narrow you couldn't avoid brushing up against other passengers as you squeezed past them to get to the cramped bathroom at the rear of the plane.

Cha Wa, a Mardi Gras Indian funk band, performing on the main stage in New Orleans' Riverfront Park on April 6.

Let the good times roll

But after four days of free music accompanied by Hurricanes and other alcoholic beverages, and great Gulf seafood washed down with wine or beer, I forgot all of that misery.

And checking in online for our flight home on April 10, I made sure to buy five inches of extra-legroom for me and my wife -- a total of 10 inches for more than $100.

Before the airport shuttle picked us up, I downed a half-dozen of those incomparable Gulf oysters on the half shell at the restaurant in our hotel, and we breezed through security with TSA Precheck.

Little did I know as we waited for our boarding call:

There weren't enough air-traffic controllers to handle all of the arriving and departing flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, including ours.

2-hour delay

At 2:19 p.m., I received the first of three texts from United Airlines, informing me our 3:35 p.m. flight to Newark "is delayed due to air traffic control," and wouldn't be departing until 3:57 p.m.

Then, the delay grew -- the next text said our flight would depart at 5:01 p.m., and the third text put our departure at 5:45 p.m. -- a more than 2-hour delay.

The big question, of course, is whether those three air-traffic controllers who didn't report for duty on April 10 overdid it the day before on the last day of the French Quarter Festival?

As we waited for our delayed flight that day, I texted a friend who is the drummer for a New Orleans band, and wondered whether those air-traffic controllers called in sick after four days of boozing at the festival.

"It sure sounds possible," he replied. 

Worst airline in world

Flying United has been an ordeal for many years, and its customer service is an insult to paying passengers.

But now that United forcefully removed and injured a ticketed passenger to make room for airline employees on a flight out of Chicago, other customers might be tempted to compare their experiences to his:

"At least they didn't throw me off the airplane."


Seafood lovers flock to New Orleans

President Trump, Stop lying to the America people

Samson skips 2-year prison term, defies his Delilahs (The Record and prosecutors)

David Samson, onetime chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in a photo from his former law firm, Wolff & Samson

--HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Like Governor Christie, who installed him as Port Authority chairman, once high-and-mighty David Samson has escaped a prison sentence in the fallout from the Bridgegate scandal.

Today's front-page coverage of Monday's federal court hearing carries a weak headline, and includes a Charles Stile column dripping with sarcasm, but missing any condemnation of the evil twins, Christie and Samson (1A and 3A).

The headline doesn't tell readers who didn't see the TV news on Monday night that Samson escaped jail time:

EX-PORT CHIEF GETS

BRIBERY SENTENCE

Someone should ask the Gannett headline writer where Samson "got" the sentence -- at Macy's?

To make matters worse, captions under the two large photos of Samson don't identify the man and woman flanking him and appearing to run interference for the convicted felon as they left the courthouse in Newark (1A and 3A).

Samson was a mentor to Christie, who called him a father figure. Christie referred to the former state attorney general as "The General."

Samson's law office served as Christie's transition office after the GOP bully won his first term, and he traveled with Christie when he became chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

The charges

Samson pleaded guilty to bribery -- by abusing his position and pressuring United Airlines to provide a special, money losing flight that would make it easier for him to travel to his vacation home in South Carolina.

The charges stemmed from a federal probe that was an offshoot of the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.

To rub salt into the wounds of federal prosecutors, U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares ordered Samson to serve part of his probationary sentence confined to "the tony vacation home in South Carolina that served as inspiration for the flight scheme in the first place" (6A).

"I don't think it's enough deterrence, obviously," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said outside the courthouse.

Prosecutors had asked for a 24-month prison term, noting anything less would be perceived as "a slap on the wrist."

Zisa team

The Local front today carries a superficial story on candidates for the April 25 school board and May 9 nonpartisan municipal elections (1L).

Under Hackensack, Staff Writer Rodrigo Torrejon lists three slates of five candidates vying for four-year terms.

The four City Council incumbents are Mayor John Labrosse, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, and Councilmen Leo Battaglia and David Sims.

The fifth member of the slate is Stephanie Von Rudenborg, a member of the Planning Board. 

Torrejon doesn't mention the Hackensack United for Progress slate challenging the incumbents is being backed by former four-term mayor Jack Zisa and former Police Chief Ken Zisa.

See: The Zisas kick off campaign to defeat reformers

The reporter also doesn't mention the third slate, Hackensack Strong, includes Richard Cerbo, son of former Mayor Fred Cerbo, who was elected in 1981, defeating Frank Zisa, father of Jack and Ken Zisa.

In the Hackensack school election, four candidates filed for three seats on the board, and voters will be asked to approve a $104 million budget -- 44% of your property taxes go to support the schools.

Candidates are listed as incumbents Johanna Calle and Robin Coles, and challengers Leila Amirhamzeh and Chimelozonam Patrick Allagoa.

Voter apathy

The Record has never attempted to explain the tremendous voter apathy in Hackensack, where only about 3,500 voters out of 20,000 who are registered cast ballots in the municipal election.

The turnout in school elections is even lower.