Letter: United should give local flyers a break

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz made news last week, acknowledging the rewards of its Hawaii traffic to the islands (“United Airlines plans to invest $200 million in state’s airports,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 4).

So why are those of us who live here and fly economy penalized with the requirement that we have 45,000 miles on our MileagePlus account before we can book a flight to the mainland?

United is one of the airlines taken to task for the cramped quarters and nickle-and-diming charges for everything and anything beyond the narrow seat on the plane.

Those of us who fly economy because we don’t fly all that often and because income keeps us from upgrading to first class are sick and tired of being regarded as steerage. And those of us who live here, 2,500 miles from the nearest land mass, are tired of being treated as if we’re a foreign country.

United apparently is making plenty of money on Hawaii traffic coming from the mainland — why can’t the people who live here get a break?

Nancy Davlantes

Kaneohe

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