United Airlines Employee and Passenger Clash Over Ticket Name Error at San Francisco Airport

A United Airlines employee threatened to call immigration authorities on passenger Julio Varela during a ticket dispute at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday, nypost.com reported. The employee told Varela, “Maybe we should call ICE on you,” and added, “Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen. Get away,” according to the video cited by nypost.com.

Varela, a Mexican-born naturalized U.S. citizen and San Ramon business owner, was traveling with his wife and two daughters to Montreal. The dispute began after Varela’s wife entered their daughter’s middle name in the last-name field during booking.

Varela said the family spent about 15 hours on the phone with United over two weeks to correct the error and nearly three additional hours at the airport counter on the day of travel. Air Canada rebooked three family members but required United to update the daughter’s ticket. Varela began filming after the employee refused to provide her name.

The employee’s badge indicated she is a union steward with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The family boarded the flight after another employee assisted them.