United Airlines Forces Man off of oversold flight

[Westcoastwild]

They could have increased the incentive amount.

This is the top trending story on twitter, huffingtonpost has it as their banner article (for the past 3 hours), CNN and NBC had it as a top,story until the school shooting knocked it down the list, their Facebook page had over 35k comments. The PR on this is going to cost them millions.

Again...if you can't take the incentive, you won't take it. It's rarely a make it worth my whole thing in my case anyway. If I can afford to take a later flight, I'll volunteer. But most of the time I can't volunteer. It would likely not help them to raise the incentive.

 

[Kaytie]

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.

It's possible the three passengers "chosen by the computer" were the last four t check in (disclaimer: yeah, we all know three doesn't equal four ).

 

[DaisyJ]

Bottomline is that he was told multiple times that he had to exit the airplane. You can argue and voice your objections for a little while, but when 3 security guards come for you, it's time to get off. If the person still refuses to get off, the only thing left is to physically escort him off the plane. The injuries were sustained because the passenger put up a fight, that's on him.

Since one of those officers has been placed on leave, you might be wrong.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Since one of those officers has been placed on leave, you might be wrong.

Businesses always cave to the social justice warriors. The officers still did what had to be done.

 

[melanielll]

I am booked to fly on United tomorrow. I am anticipating a high level of customer service.

 

[Shanti]

But why do people just think this is ok?

People have lives to get to. They have connecting flights. They have meetings. Time matters. You, as a customer, paid for a seat on a specific airplane. Part of the price of your ticket was the fact that you were getting on a specific flight.

You shouldn't get bumped. It shouldn't even be considered part of standard operating procedure. It's ridiculous that an entire industry thinks this is acceptable behavior.

Amen.

 

[LAB81018]

I agree that United did not handle this well.

But Dr. I was picked because I'm Chinese (from the article) also did not handle it well either. (Before the removal I mean.) We don't know

Yes, the people on the plane had lives to get back to, but I'm sure the people who were depending on that flight crew also had lives as well.

I am pretty sure they couldn't have rented a van and driven the crew to Lexington because that probably would have needed to be counted against their duty hours, which also would have inconvenienced the passengers awaiting that crew.

Based on the wording in the article from the Chicago Tribune, they initially asked for A volunteer at the gate, making it sound like as boarding began they thought they only needed one seat to accommodate one person (the article doesn't state that it was a United crew member). After boarding, they discovered they needed four more seats for the United crew members. It is possible that the original accommodations for these four other crew members fell through, making it necessary to ask for more volunteers on this flight, when none raised their hand, United started involuntary bumping.

Tribune article:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...oval-an-upsetting-event/ar-BBzES5O?li=BBnb7Kz


From the article, regarding how they choose who to bump:

At that point, United's contract of carriage says the airline can select passengers to bump to a later flight, based on a priority system that can take into account how much passengers paid, how often they fly, whether missing that flight could affect a connecting flight and how early they checked in. People with disabilities and unaccompanied minors are generally last to be bumped

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Honestly for $800 and a hotel, I would have raised both my hands, and made a few phone calls to let everyone know I'd be a day late.

 

[DisBabe94]

Businesses always cave to the social justice warriors. The officers still did what had to be done.

I disagree that this has anything to do with social justice warriors. Airlines have been giving passengers the middle finger in terms of service. Upcharges for bags, upcharges for carryons, poor customer service, etc. etc. People are starting to resist. Businesses will cave to their CUSTOMERS because they need them to make money it has nothing to do with social justice warriors, it has to do with people being sick of this treatment and rightfully so. That video is sick and I won't fly United any more, period. That doesn't make me a social justice warrior for heavens sake, it means I won't give my money to a company that practices this type of crap.

 

[okeydokey]

I am glad that United is getting such negative press for this. If they had upped the compensation to 1500 they most likely would have had a volunteer. Instead they get this bad press, of their own making. I for one will never choose United again.

 

[kmb584]

I was horrified when I saw the video, then appalled when I read United's response. I can see physical force being used on a physically combative passenger, but c'mon! There was nothing decent in their approach.

Overselling flights needs to stop. I understand the airlines do it so they aren't out money if another passenger is a no-show, but here's an example where that strategy did not work: we were flying home from Orlando in December and the announcement was made that the flight was oversold, they needed two volunteers. No one bit. The voucher value was increased, one person approached the desk. We had a young man sitting across from us and he said, "Once the price is right, I'll volunteer. I've done it for 3 flights already today.". A few minutes before boarding they increased the voucher to $800 and a first-class seat on the next flight departing to Philly, and that same young man volunteered his seat. That day alone he made $2600 in free flights, for a ticket that he initially paid $248 for. He said his work schedule is flexible and he does this all the time.

 

[okeydokey]

Honestly for $800 and a hotel, I would have raised both my hands, and made a few phone calls to let everyone know I'd be a day late.

That would have been your choice. It wasn't this persons choice. This problem could have solved a whole lot easier.

 

[RedAngie]

This I can't stand behind. How do you board an entire plane and then demand people get off. If they needed involuntary passengers then they shouldn't have started boarding at all and just said sorry you aren't on this flight any more here is your compensation see you tomorrow. If I'm in my seat and buckled I assume I'm flying outside of any last minute medical or mechanical issues that causes the whole plane to be delayed.

Yep, United definitely knew they needed those four seats for the deadheading crew ahead of time. The time and place to deal with volunteers and, if necessary, involuntarily denied boarding, was at the gate, NOT after boarding.

Yeah, I'd take that deal any day and there simply HAD to have been some level of compensation that could have been offered that would have gotten 4 people up and going.

)

True, if United went high enough there'd probably be 4 takers. But as mentioned before, the required amount for IDB was likely the same $800 offered or just above.

 

[jdb in AZ]

United has admitted they need to look into their policy. Um, ya think? There are other airlines -- why didn't United send the "dead head" crew to them?

 

[Shanti]

Now I just tell myself to sit down, shut up and take whatever is dished out.

LOL. "America, America..." Is this the freedom our founding fathers fought for?

I'm a bit disturbed by the emphasis some other posters on this thread have placed on the importance of acting like sheep. They wholeheartedly disapprove of the passenger standing up for himself. I agree that it might not have been the wisest or most cautious response, but I completely sympathize with him & abhor the way he was treated.

 

[ronandannette]

Yep, United definitely knew they needed those four seats for the deadheading crew ahead of time. The time and place to deal with volunteers and, if necessary, involuntarily denied boarding, was at the gate, NOT after boarding.



True, if United went high enough there'd probably be 4 takers. But as mentioned before, the required amount for IDB was likely the same $800 offered or just above.

Question (and you might know since you've been bumped): What happens to the checked luggage? If they are just looking for random volunteers to take a different flight, how huge a job is it to sort through all the luggage? Wouldn't that result in hours of delay?

 

[asta]

If the guy had willingly gotten off the plane no one, including United, would have given any attention to his complaints about involuntary bumping. Trying to keep his body in the seat he paid for speaks volumes about how the airline is treating its customers.

 

[jdb in AZ]

United CEO has apologized:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/un...-man-dragged-off-flight/ar-BBzFbry?li=BBnb7Kz

 

[Westcoastwild]

I was horrified when I saw the video, then appalled when I read United's response. I can see physical force being used on a physically combative passenger, but c'mon! There was nothing decent in their approach.

Overselling flights needs to stop. I understand the airlines do it so they aren't out money if another passenger is a no-show, but here's an example where that strategy did not work: we were flying home from Orlando in December and the announcement was made that the flight was oversold, they needed two volunteers. No one bit. The voucher value was increased, one person approached the desk. We had a young man sitting across from us and he said, "Once the price is right, I'll volunteer. I've done it for 3 flights already today.". A few minutes before boarding they increased the voucher to $800 and a first-class seat on the next flight departing to Philly, and that same young man volunteered his seat. That day alone he made $2600 in free flights, for a ticket that he initially paid $248 for. He said his work schedule is flexible and he does this all the time.

That right there is my dream. Unfortunately whenever they start dangling the bigger carrots, I usually really am constrained by work or family!

 

[Westcoastwild]

United CEO has apologized:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/un...-man-dragged-off-flight/ar-BBzFbry?li=BBnb7Kz

Not really much of an apology. The new bit, though, is that the airport says it wasn't standard operating procedure. Does sound like to officer is in trouble. Good!