United Airlines passengers Tony Aldapa and Steven Chang received thank you calls and $200 vouchers for assisting an ill passenger, who they later found out died from COVID-19.
Tony Aldapa, an EMT, performed CPR on the passenger for 45 minutes. He received a call from a United rep thanking him for his assistance, and letting him know a $200 electronic travel certificate would be emailed to him.
Aldapa said the rep made no mention that the man died from the Coronavirus, and the email from United only said, “We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced on your recent trip.”
Steven Chang also assisted the ill passenger, and a United rep reached out to him in the same capacity. Chang’s wife also assisted the ill passenger, but she did not get a voucher.
United said the man claimed he had not been diagnosed with COVID and he had no symptoms, but his wife said, during the emergency, that he lost his sense of taste and smell and had trouble breathing.
The man died at a hospital in New Orleans after an emergency landing, it was later confirmed that he did have COVID.
United Airlines stated that it wasn’t their job to notify passengers that they may have been exposed to the virus, they said it’s the CDC’s job.
This seems extremely contradictory because the airline expects passengers to inform them if they’ve been exposed to the virus.
The flight took place on December 14, 2020. See the video below of Tony Aldapa giving the ill passenger CPR.
Aldapa later experienced symptoms, including a cough, body aches, and headaches, after helping out in the emergency. Aldapa said he tested negative twice despite his symptoms.
See video below of Aldapa describing the situation in his own words:
Aldapa and Chang unknowingly risked their lives and the best United could do was $200 vouchers…
If you plan on flying anytime soon please do so with an abundance of caution.
Sources: TMZ and the New York Post
