Back in December, United Airlines offered direct, round-trip flights from RDU to San Francisco for $275. I had enough miles to pay for two tickets and bought another other so I could take my two younger kids to see California, because, to paraphrase Tom Waites, I never saw the east coast until I saw the west. 

Of course, the tickets ended up being more because the $275 price did not even include carry-on bags. Each of those would be an additional $75, so I “upgraded” to “main cabin” for $334 in order to take a few changes of clothes and earlier boarding. Airlines clearly have little respect for their customers, especially those flying on a budget. Their lowest fares seem designed to ridicule and taunt. I’m surprised they don’t offer a rock bottom fare in baggage. 

The plane was an old 737, a workhorse of the airlines. They’ve managed to add so many seats that passengers are almost sitting on one another. Throughout the six hour flight, my son and I inadvertently elbowed each other. Leg room is nonexistent and leaning back is just rude. 

The plane also had outdated video service. United offered no on-demand options and instead had movies playing in loops. They offered a range of infotainment from reality to news shows. Most disturbing was OAN, the Trump-based channel, that ran a “documentary” called the “Miracle of Ivermectin” or some such nonsense. Ivermectin was described as a drug that cured COVID but was covered up by big pharma so the industry could push its “experimental” vaccines. 

I won’t fly United anymore. They’re pushing disinformation in an industry that demands we get past this pandemic. It’s irresponsible and furthering the division in this country. 

I believe in the First Amendment and think One America Network both has the right to exist and to air whatever disinformation they choose. I also believe corporate America has a responsibility to consumers to refuse to support such trash. The cable companies, airlines, and others are under no obligation to serve up such bullshit. 

I’m pretty neutral on the Joe Rogan stuff. He’s not a constant drumbeat of disinformation even if he is a contrarian who seems to be wrong as often as he’s right. But I do believe Neil Young or anybody else has a right to pull their products from companies with whom they disagree. And I think consumers are clearly within their rights to stop their subscriptions. It’s a matter of conscience and freedom. 

So, I’ll institute my little personal boycott of United. I don’t expect it to change the company’s behavior and I don’t expect anyone else to follow suit. If I have to be uncomfortable on airplanes because I can’t afford first class, at least I won’t have scroll past OAN.