Incompetent United Air Lines Physically Drags Passenger Off Plane For Their (Airline) Mistake

[martybegan]

Don't they have to pay cash if they deny a person boarding unilaterally? I though vouchers are only for the volunteers.

'Deny Boarding'.....but these passengers - this doctor - had already been allowed to board. This was an extra 'FUBAR' mistake.

Can these United employees not COUNT?! I have been on flights where United allowed a certain number to board, counted the remaining seats, assessed the passenger list, made the call that the flight was over-booked, handled the issue at the gate, but they NEVER allowed anyone on who did not have a seat, specifically so as not to 'tease' the passenger by letting them on the flight only to be asked to leave.

United's Owner is defending his people, but let's face it - they screwed up...a LOT...on this one.

That was their biggest mistake, letting the people on first, then trying to get people off.

 

[rightwinger]

Don't they have to pay cash if they deny a person boarding unilaterally? I though vouchers are only for the volunteers.

'Deny Boarding'.....but these passengers - this doctor - had already been allowed to board. This was an extra 'FUBAR' mistake.

Can these United employees not COUNT?! I have been on flights where United allowed a certain number to board, counted the remaining seats, assessed the passenger list, made the call that the flight was over-booked, handled the issue at the gate, but they NEVER allowed anyone on who did not have a seat, specifically so as not to 'tease' the passenger by letting them on the flight only to be asked to leave.

United's Owner is defending his people, but let's face it - they screwed up...a LOT...on this one.

That was their biggest mistake, letting the people on first, then trying to get people off.

It was freak'n Sunday night with no reasonable alternative flight

How did they expect people to react when ordered to give up their seat?

The CEO sends a letter to his employees saying....I have no idea why this man was so upset. We asked him really nice

 

[martybegan]

Don't they have to pay cash if they deny a person boarding unilaterally? I though vouchers are only for the volunteers.

'Deny Boarding'.....but these passengers - this doctor - had already been allowed to board. This was an extra 'FUBAR' mistake.

Can these United employees not COUNT?! I have been on flights where United allowed a certain number to board, counted the remaining seats, assessed the passenger list, made the call that the flight was over-booked, handled the issue at the gate, but they NEVER allowed anyone on who did not have a seat, specifically so as not to 'tease' the passenger by letting them on the flight only to be asked to leave.

United's Owner is defending his people, but let's face it - they screwed up...a LOT...on this one.

That was their biggest mistake, letting the people on first, then trying to get people off.

It was freak'n Sunday night with no reasonable alternative flight

How did they expect people to react when ordered to give up their seat?

If they did this inside the terminal instead of the plane, all the guy could have done is try to force himself on the airplane, at that point he is 100% the aggressor. by forcibly removing him it makes THEM the aggressor.

 

[rightwinger]

Don't they have to pay cash if they deny a person boarding unilaterally? I though vouchers are only for the volunteers.

'Deny Boarding'.....but these passengers - this doctor - had already been allowed to board. This was an extra 'FUBAR' mistake.

Can these United employees not COUNT?! I have been on flights where United allowed a certain number to board, counted the remaining seats, assessed the passenger list, made the call that the flight was over-booked, handled the issue at the gate, but they NEVER allowed anyone on who did not have a seat, specifically so as not to 'tease' the passenger by letting them on the flight only to be asked to leave.

United's Owner is defending his people, but let's face it - they screwed up...a LOT...on this one.

That was their biggest mistake, letting the people on first, then trying to get people off.

It was freak'n Sunday night with no reasonable alternative flight

How did they expect people to react when ordered to give up their seat?

If they did this inside the terminal instead of the plane, all the guy could have done is try to force himself on the airplane, at that point he is 100% the aggressor. by forcibly removing him it makes THEM the aggressor.

I think that is where United and other airlines will change their policy. I don't think they will try to remove boarded passengers again. It creates too big a scene

 

[rightwinger]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

 

[airplanemechanic]

Then why has the primary goon been suspended? The answer is demonstrably bad judgment. of the kind which can sway a jury.

The same reason a cop is suspended when he shoots someone on the job, he's being investigated. They haven't said he did anything wrong and he wasn't laid off, as of yet.

 

[martybegan]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

 

[MikeK]

The same reason a cop is suspended when he shoots someone on the job, he's being investigated. They haven't said he did anything wrong and he wasn't laid off, as of yet.

If you're suggesting suspension is automatic every time a cop uses deadly force you are mistaken. Suspension occurs whenever there is cause to suspect some misconduct.

 

[Steve_McGarrett]

You knew this was coming!

 

[deannalw]

I don't think so... I believe it's automatic

 

[rightwinger]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

In this case United needed to show some compassion

Last flight of the day on Sunday with passengers needing to be home for work on Monday is not the place to offer your usual bare minimum compensation. Especially with the alternative flight being 3PM on Monday
United should have quickly realized the compensation being offered was insufficient for such a disruption in travel plans
They also should realize that THEY are responsible for booking passage for their crew and that a crew showing up after a full flight was boarded was going to cause outrage among those on board

The fact that it resulted in violence was caused by United and preventable




.

 

[martybegan]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

In this case United needed to show some compassion

Last flight of the day on Sunday with passengers needing to be home for work on Monday is not the place to offer your usual bare minimum compensation. Especially with the alternative flight being 3PM on Monday
United should have quickly realized the compensation being offered was insufficient for such a disruption in travel plans
They also should realize that THEY are responsible for booking passage for their crew and that a crew showing up after a full flight was boarded was going to cause outrage among those on board

The fact that it resulted in violence was caused by United and preventable

It was all preventable by United, and they are going to suffer for it, at least in the short term.

 

[rightwinger]

I hear the passengers on board were screaming at the crew who bumped the passengers

 

[Divine Wind]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

In this case United needed to show some compassion

Last flight of the day on Sunday with passengers needing to be home for work on Monday is not the place to offer your usual bare minimum compensation. Especially with the alternative flight being 3PM on Monday
United should have quickly realized the compensation being offered was insufficient for such a disruption in travel plans
They also should realize that THEY are responsible for booking passage for their crew and that a crew showing up after a full flight was boarded was going to cause outrage among those on board

The fact that it resulted in violence was caused by United and preventable




.

1) You are wrong, it wasn't the last flight. There was another flight at 9PM.

2) The cost of a one-way ticket ORD-SDF is $220. The airline offered an $800 travel voucher and, IIRC, a hotel room. ORD to SDF Flights | Expedia

3) Given how this played out, I'm sure Force Majeure applies.

 

[Divine Wind]

I hear the passengers on board were screaming at the crew who bumped the passengers

They should have canceled the flight and thrown everyone off.

 

[Divine Wind]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

In this case United needed to show some compassion

Last flight of the day on Sunday with passengers needing to be home for work on Monday is not the place to offer your usual bare minimum compensation. Especially with the alternative flight being 3PM on Monday
United should have quickly realized the compensation being offered was insufficient for such a disruption in travel plans
They also should realize that THEY are responsible for booking passage for their crew and that a crew showing up after a full flight was boarded was going to cause outrage among those on board

The fact that it resulted in violence was caused by United and preventable

It was all preventable by United, and they are going to suffer for it, at least in the short term.

Suffer how? Passengers will protest and ride Greyhound?

 

[danielpalos]

With Computers these days, how hard is it to REALLY keep track of the fact that you have 150 seats on an airplane to fill and count down the number remaining as you sell the seats? It's MATH...and computer applications can even do THAT for you there days...

United Airlines, however, over-sold, over-booked their flight. When they figured that out at the gate (because evidently they could not figure out they had done so before that), they offered passengers $400 if they would take the next flight in an attempt to 'un-F*' the situation.

After quite a few people took them up on their offer, United allowed people to board the plane. Once on the plane United discovered there were still 4 passengers too many onboard the plane. At that point United asked 4 people to give up their seats, picking 4 people at random - one of them was 'THIS' guy:

United ASKED a man who had bought a ticket in advance and was told he was on this flight to give up his seat. He said, 'NO'. At that point United offered him $800 to give up his seat. He said, 'No'.

Even though the man told United that he was a doctor and had to be at his destination the next morning, United told the gentleman that he had NO CHOICE but to give up his seat:

"The manager told him that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane."

Because United was too incompetent to count the number of seats on a plane versus how many they sold (or just being greedy and making it a policy to do so to ensure all seats are sold), United Airlines physically dragged a doctor off a plane.

I smell a major lawsuit! GOOD!

I have faced a similar situation with them, was forced to take the next flight....which was in the morning (though I did not make them drag my arse off the plane).

Over-booking is either incompetence or bad policy...or both. Physically dragging someone off the plane is also NOT an option. I don't care if United had to offer someone $2,000 or more before someone finally took their offer and gave up their seat voluntarily - it was their screw up. They should have had to keep raising the amount of the money until someone volunteered.

I have a feeling the doctor's lawyers are going to make United pay way more than $800.


Video: Security drags screaming United Airlines passenger off overbooked flight — literally - Hot Air

Why not simply correct the second mistake, like before, instead of making new mistakes doing it differently?

 

[Cellblock2429]

With Computers these days, how hard is it to REALLY keep track of the fact that you have 150 seats on an airplane to fill and count down the number remaining as you sell the seats? It's MATH...and computer applications can even do THAT for you there days...

United Airlines, however, over-sold, over-booked their flight. When they figured that out at the gate (because evidently they could not figure out they had done so before that), they offered passengers $400 if they would take the next flight in an attempt to 'un-F*' the situation.

After quite a few people took them up on their offer, United allowed people to board the plane. Once on the plane United discovered there were still 4 passengers too many onboard the plane. At that point United asked 4 people to give up their seats, picking 4 people at random - one of them was 'THIS' guy:

United ASKED a man who had bought a ticket in advance and was told he was on this flight to give up his seat. He said, 'NO'. At that point United offered him $800 to give up his seat. He said, 'No'.

Even though the man told United that he was a doctor and had to be at his destination the next morning, United told the gentleman that he had NO CHOICE but to give up his seat:

"The manager told him that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane."

Because United was too incompetent to count the number of seats on a plane versus how many they sold (or just being greedy and making it a policy to do so to ensure all seats are sold), United Airlines physically dragged a doctor off a plane.

I smell a major lawsuit! GOOD!

I have faced a similar situation with them, was forced to take the next flight....which was in the morning (though I did not make them drag my arse off the plane).

Over-booking is either incompetence or bad policy...or both. Physically dragging someone off the plane is also NOT an option. I don't care if United had to offer someone $2,000 or more before someone finally took their offer and gave up their seat voluntarily - it was their screw up. They should have had to keep raising the amount of the money until someone volunteered.

I have a feeling the doctor's lawyers are going to make United pay way more than $800.


Video: Security drags screaming United Airlines passenger off overbooked flight — literally - Hot Air

/---- That's not how the airlines work you big dope. They over book intentionally because there are always last minute cancellations and no airline wants to fly empty seats. If it been any other sane passenger it would have been a non story

 

[martybegan]

These are the type of cases where Congress gets involved in the airlines business

Congress has bent over backwards to allow airlines to set their own rules and police themselves
Public outrage over airlines abuse of passenger rights will cause Congress to step in

All because United does not understand customer service

They already regulate the compensation for involuntary denial of boarding, however those fines need to be upped a bit.

The ironic thing is the opening of air travel to the masses created the need for airlines to scrimp on customer service in the first place. With so many competitors prices drop, and airlines need to squeeze profit out of somewhere.

In this case United needed to show some compassion

Last flight of the day on Sunday with passengers needing to be home for work on Monday is not the place to offer your usual bare minimum compensation. Especially with the alternative flight being 3PM on Monday
United should have quickly realized the compensation being offered was insufficient for such a disruption in travel plans
They also should realize that THEY are responsible for booking passage for their crew and that a crew showing up after a full flight was boarded was going to cause outrage among those on board

The fact that it resulted in violence was caused by United and preventable

It was all preventable by United, and they are going to suffer for it, at least in the short term.

Suffer how? Passengers will protest and ride Greyhound?

With so many choices for airlines, people at least in the short term will probably think twice before booking with United.

 

[Aries]

With Computers these days, how hard is it to REALLY keep track of the fact that you have 150 seats on an airplane to fill and count down the number remaining as you sell the seats? It's MATH...and computer applications can even do THAT for you there days...

United Airlines, however, over-sold, over-booked their flight. When they figured that out at the gate (because evidently they could not figure out they had done so before that), they offered passengers $400 if they would take the next flight in an attempt to 'un-F*' the situation.

After quite a few people took them up on their offer, United allowed people to board the plane. Once on the plane United discovered there were still 4 passengers too many onboard the plane. At that point United asked 4 people to give up their seats, picking 4 people at random - one of them was 'THIS' guy:

United ASKED a man who had bought a ticket in advance and was told he was on this flight to give up his seat. He said, 'NO'. At that point United offered him $800 to give up his seat. He said, 'No'.

Even though the man told United that he was a doctor and had to be at his destination the next morning, United told the gentleman that he had NO CHOICE but to give up his seat:

"The manager told him that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane."

Because United was too incompetent to count the number of seats on a plane versus how many they sold (or just being greedy and making it a policy to do so to ensure all seats are sold), United Airlines physically dragged a doctor off a plane.

I smell a major lawsuit! GOOD!

I have faced a similar situation with them, was forced to take the next flight....which was in the morning (though I did not make them drag my arse off the plane).

Over-booking is either incompetence or bad policy...or both. Physically dragging someone off the plane is also NOT an option. I don't care if United had to offer someone $2,000 or more before someone finally took their offer and gave up their seat voluntarily - it was their screw up. They should have had to keep raising the amount of the money until someone volunteered.

I have a feeling the doctor's lawyers are going to make United pay way more than $800.


Video: Security drags screaming United Airlines passenger off overbooked flight — literally - Hot Air

Ah, something we agree on.