Paul Wesley has just plain had it with United Airlines and has called on people to boycott the company for operating crowded flights during the coronavirus pandemic.
The aurline has not responded directly to the 38-year-old Vampire Diaries alum, who made his comments after millions of Americans flew to destinations over the Christmas holiday despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid gatherings.
"@United you treat people like trash," Wesley tweeted. "And this is exactly why your airline is consistently ranked as the worst airline in America. You jam pack all of your seats and have zero regard for coronavirus. It's all money and numbers to you.
He added, "Please retweet this [if] you agree @united is the worst airline in America. I will NEVER fly @united - I don't care if they are the only airline flying to a certain city. I'd rather take a train or a boat. Complete disregard for customers or virus concerns. They could care less. @united.
While United Airlines does not block middle seats, it requires passengers over the age of 2 to wear face coverings, has partnered with Clorox to improve cleaning and disinfecting procedures and has permanently eliminated change fees for most economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S. or international travel originating in the U.S.
On the 2020 Airline Quality Rating list, United ranks No. 9 out of the United States' 10 largest airlines.
Although most U.S. airlines are not blocking sales of its middle seats, Delta Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines are doing so temporarily and many airlines are limiting capacity on their flights.
"Boycott @united fly @Delta instead," Wesley tweeted. "Delta clears out their seats and makes sure it's not overcrowded. They care about your safety even if it costs them money. @united could care less."
He added, "Time and time again I see @united flight attendants turning a blind eye to people who don't wear masks. We must be diligent and save lives."
In July, Democratic Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley tweeted a picture of his packed American Airlines flight, writing, "@AmericanAir: how many Americans will die bc you fill middle seats, w/ your customers shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour. This is incredibly irresponsible. People eat & drink on planes & must take off masks to do so. No way you aren't facilitating spread of COVID infections."
Chrissy Teigen retweeted Merkley and wrote, "Not to be dramatic but American Airlines only cares about money and doesn't care if you get sick and die."
In response to Merkley's tweet, American Airlines said in a statement to the Washington Post, "We have multiple layers of protection in place for those who fly with us, including required face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures, and a pre-flight COVID-19 symptom checklist—and we're providing additional flexibility for customers to change their travel plans, as well."
Later in July, in the Republican-controlled Senate, Merkley introduced a bill that prohibits air carriers from permitting adjacent seats to another occupied seat to be filled on a passenger aircraft during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"These airlines are only flying because we're subsidizing them, because we think they're essential," the senator told The Washington Post. "If they're essential, then we should do everything we can to make them safe for the people who are using them."