United Airlines Forces Man off of oversold flight

[brockash]

Totally insane! So many problems with that situation. I hope United pays dearly, not only to/for the victim, but also the others who had to witness such a thing...unreal.

 

[soccerdad72]

I'm thinking he was actually breaking federal law! He has public opinion on his side for now though. He needs to lawyer up and settle before the social media crowd is outraged by the next viral video...

I think you're probably right. As badly as this was handled by United, it does sound like they have the law on their side. I agree with those who have said that the biggest mistake that United made was not figure this all out before they boarded passengers. It wouldn't have made it any better for those passengers who got bumped, but at least they would have avoided trying to drag someone back off the plane.

 

[KayKayJS]

Regardless of whether or not what the airline did was legal (which if it is, I highly doubt that's the intent of the law) many of us don't want to fly an airline that would treat it's customers this way.

If I'm going somewhere and I have to be there, I don't want to worry about having to be beat up if I refuse to give up my seat because the airline overbooked in order to have higher profits (overbooking is about making more money for the airline).

 

[design_mom]

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I think the law gives airlines a lot of latitude and the passenger could get into trouble for refusing to follow crew member instructions. But I think that it's ridiculous that the guy was even asked, especially after he boarded. And the way it was handled seemed very poor.

Someone up-thread said they understand why airlines overbook, but I'll be honest, I don't. Of course, I understand how they'd *want* to oversell. If they can get two people to pay for the seat, and only one shows up to sit in it, they've made a tidy profit. However, if I've paid for my seat, I should get a seat. If I pay for my seat and decide to let it sit empty, then that should be my choice. It's "my seat." I don't think they should be allowed to oversell unless those extra tickets are sold with a condition (and yes, I'd want to know if I'd bought one.)

 

[Wishing on a star]

It should never, EVER, E V E R, in a million years, be 'legal' to physically assault and drag an innocent, paying, customer. (because you want their seat)
Period.
End of story....

If the law is on their side here... Then, as American citizens, we have a huge problem.
We should all, every single one of us, see this, and be ready to take a stand on the right side of this one.

 

[pryncess527]

Not sure they are helping themselves with their follow up statements

United Continental Chief Executive Oscar Munoz issued a statement Monday afternoon, saying: "This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened."

 

[Miskey]

It was a United flight, not American. I understand why airlines oversell flights. People miss flights and it costs them a lot of money to fly half full planes. I'm surprised they had such a hard time getting people to give up their seats for vouchers. It's a sucky situation all around. They should have made the last four people to check in stay behind instead of a random draw.

I've never understood this reasoning. If a ticket for every seat is sold, the airline has that money, regardless if a butt winds up actually sitting in that seat. How does it cost them money if half the passengers just don't show?

As far as the man having a case, well, there are laws against excessive force, and from everything I saw, it went way beyond excessive force

 

[Westcoastwild]

I've never understood this reasoning. If a ticket for every seat is sold, the airline has that money, regardless if a butt winds up actually sitting in that seat. How does it cost them money if half the passengers just don't show?

As far as the man having a case, well, there are laws against excessive force, and from everything I saw, it went way beyond excessive force

No, I think the argument is- say they have three flights a day between two places. One is always only half full, two are full. They cut one flight and oversell the other two. 90% of the time, it works out fine- people don't show up. 10% of the time, they oversell and EVERYONE shows up. So they bump a few people. Maybe it makes people mad, but since 90% of the time the system works, they come out ahead. They may have to comp a few people but that's cheaper than running 3 flights a day. They're still flying the same number of passengers.

 

[kidshop]

It should never, EVER, E V E R, in a million years, be 'legal' to physically assault and drag an innocent, paying, customer. (because you want their seat)
Period.
End of story....

If the law is on their side here... Then, as American citizens, we have a huge problem.
We should all, every single one of us, see this, and be ready to take a stand on the right side of this one.

I'm glad the man did refuse to volunteer (LOL), and it was filmed and broadcast. It will bring to light what the airlines think they can get away with. Now we all know: so do we accept this is how paying non disruptive customers can be treated if the seat they are sitting in is wanted by someone else? Do we follow blindly like sheep? Or do we rise up and demand to be treated with courtesy and respect?

You know the old saying that you will be treated the way you let yourself be treated (or something like that). This was WRONG and should be illegal. We do not have to live like this.

 

[declansdad]

As far as the man having a case, well, there are laws against excessive force, and from everything I saw, it went way beyond excessive force

Except you coudn't see what he was doing or what the lead up was to the short 30 seconds we saw at the end on the incident.

 

[declansdad]

It should never, EVER, E V E R, in a million years, be 'legal' to physically assault and drag an innocent, paying, customer. (because you want their seat)
Period.
End of story....

If the law is on their side here... Then, as American citizens, we have a huge problem.
We should all, every single one of us, see this, and be ready to take a stand on the right side of this one.

How do you know he was innocent? There is no video of what he was doing and like it or not, if authorities ask you to leave the plane you should be leaving the plane.

 

[twinklebug]

Not sure they are helping themselves with their follow up statements

United Continental Chief Executive Oscar Munoz issued a statement Monday afternoon, saying: "This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened."

This tweet from united caught my eye (I follow southwest not united and someone there mentioned it.)
The conversation that follows United's tweet includes the video. I watched it and I'm still recovering from the numb feeling that happens when shock sets in. Were I on that flight I would have been shaking hard and needed to deplane right then and there.

First the leggings, now this? I can't see any reason to manhandle a passenger like they did unless he was assaulting someone, which being alone in that row he clearly was not. So glad I don't fly United.

 

[Westcoastwild]

This tweet from united caught my eye (I follow southwest not united and someone there mentioned it.)
The conversation that follows United's tweet includes the video and I have to say I'm still recovering from the numb feeling that happens when shock sets in.

First the leggings, now this? I can't see any reason to manhandle a passenger like they did unless he was assaulting someone, which, being alone in that row, he clearly was not. So glad I don't fly United.

Yeah, but the thing is, the legging thing was justified and the person who called them out on it had no idea what they were talking about.

I think their system for selecting bumps is poorly set up, but I also doubt the guy "had" to get back. I think it's incredibly likely that he escalated the situation. Everyone pretty much knows that they're entitled to get where they're going. Not when they'll get there, or the seat arrangements, or a specific kind of snack. I don't like United, but that's a pretty universal concept when it comes to the airlines.

 

[Miskey]

Except you coudn't see what he was doing or what the lead up was to the short 30 seconds we saw at the end on the incident.

Except I've read twitter feeds and quotes from other passengers on the plane that do not agree with what you are trying to imply.

 

[kidshop]

Yeah, but the thing is, the legging thing was justified and the person who called them out on it had no idea what they were talking about.

I think their system for selecting bumps is poorly set up, but I also doubt the guy "had" to get back. I think it's incredibly likely that he escalated the situation. Everyone pretty much knows that they're entitled to get where they're going. Not when they'll get there, or the seat arrangements, or a specific kind of snack. I don't like United, but that's a pretty universal concept when it comes to the airlines.

Then why did no one else on the entire flight "volunteer" to give up THEIR seat either? Why is his reason for having to go somewhere less valid than anyone else? NO ONE wanted to get off that flight. Maybe someone should have offered to go in his place...

 

[wilkeliza]

How do you know he was innocent? There is no video of what he was doing and like it or not, if authorities ask you to leave the plane you should be leaving the plane.

Other on the flight have come out to say he was pretty clear he couldn't get off due to an overbooking and that when they forcibly removed him he didn't fall as is what the authorities are saying but he was either pushed while in his seat or pushed out of his seat.

 

[twinklebug]

Other on the flight have come out to say he was pretty clear he couldn't get off due to an overbooking and that when they forcibly removed him he didn't fall as is what the authorities are saying but he was either pushed while in his seat or pushed out of his seat.

The video clearly shows 2 airport security officers picking him up from his window seat, and (accidently, I'm sure) dropping his face down into the arm of the seat opposite his row as he struggled and screamed.

This was a very low class, bullish way to handle the situation. If they did indeed need that individual to leave the plane for whatever reason, a manager should have been brought in to sit with him and negotiate.

Now, if that man had bum rushed onto the plane, even being told before boarding that he could not board, that would change the situation a little, but not enough to account for violence.

 

[wilkeliza]

The video clearly shows 2 airport security officers picking him up from his window seat, and (accidently, I'm sure) dropping his face down into the arm of the seat opposite his row as he struggled and screamed.

I'll admit I haven't watched the video. I just read the reports and the authorities in the article I read claim he fell while they were trying to detain him. That's why I said other passengers were talking about how he didn't fall and that while his voice was raised he wasn't acting in a concerning way to justify being dragged off.

 

[mnrose]

Ok, the crew were needed in another city to staff another aircraft. If they don't get on that flight, an entire plane's worth of people are going to be inconvenienced and delayed in another city, with a ripple effect from there. It's not like the crew needing seats were merely on a joy ride. Good grief. The doctor was COMPLETELY wrong, IMO. His number (lucky him) was drawn. Too bad, so sad. Get off the plane in a dignified way. Get your (enormous and justifiably so) compensation.

That's LIFE. I would never allow myself to be humiliated in this way and dragged off a plane.

We also do not see from the video what happened BEFORE. Dollars to donuts he was asked politely to leave the plane. I doubt the first course of action was to drag him off like that. If it was, then sue the ever loving crap out of the airline. But, if the situation was explained to him AND he refused polite requests, not sure what the airline was supposed to do. Their contract of carriage allows this. Accepting the ticket means you accept those terms. Don't like it? Don't fly.

 

[twinklebug]

I'll admit I haven't watched the video. I just read the reports and the authorities in the article I read claim he fell while they were trying to detain him. That's why I said other passengers were talking about how he didn't fall and that while his voice was raised he wasn't acting in a concerning way to justify being dragged off.

If you are at all sensitive, do yourself a favor and don't watch it. Wish I could un-watch it.