United Airlines forcibly removes passenger on flight they (did not) overbook

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Yeah I guarantee I wouldn't have acted like him and would have taken the money and gotten off the plane. I'm not nearly as stubborn and grumpy as that dude, plus possible backlash for defying airport security. And I despise being the centre of attention, I'd be completely mortified to end up in an altercation like that in front of an entire plane of people, and have it turn into international news. For copycats who would purposely try to have that happen to them as well now going forward, hoping for $$$$$, some people just have no shame. I just can't relate to that mentality.

Translation:

"I would have had a smile on my face when I was being ripped off".

[Banner]

Don't know if this new video was posted where it shows the verbal altercation with Dao and the security:

https://www.bustle.com/p/a-new-unite...he-plane-51088

I don't like how United treated the whole situation, but I also disagree with Dao not just getting up and leaving. Here he literally tells them they have to drag him off the plane if they want him off, which I can't get behind either. I understand that not everyone will just peacefully stand up and leave, but I don't think you should be challenging security either. Protest in a way that doesn't make you look childish.

[Fuzz]

I've been away, and won't read 24 pages here, but has their been any discussion of the psychological affects of travelling that can lead to these situations? It is amazing how quickly you can lose rational thinking after travelling for 20 hours, dealing with airports, security, lines, crappy food, etc.

I just came home from Cuba, and the woman in front of us o the plane may have just been a crusty bitch, as we had only spent 3 hours in the airport and 45 minutes on the bus, but wow. The plane was delayed 45 whole minutes. Travesty, right? Well we were also the last row to get fed, and by the time they got to her they were out of sandwiches(which is a discussion for another time-this shouldn't happen). Well this women starts going off on the poor flight attendant who has had the same disappointed passengers for 10 rows, and is offering her a free snack box(which is probably more food that the sandwich) then gets into the flight being late and missing connections in Vancouver.

Later she went after her again because they would have to pickup their bags at customs before continuing on, like somehow the flight attendant was setting border policy. I thought her head was going to explode when they announced a passenger was gravely ill and the paramedics would need to board the plane to help the poor guy off before any passengers could de-plane.

Travelling can be very stressful on some people, and I'm not psychologist, but I would guess that threatening removal by force to a stressed out person who already feels like there is nothing left to lose and they are in the right(which they are) is going to result in a stubborn response. It would be an interesting area to study, anyway. How travel stresses can turn normal individuals into irrational people.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Banner

Don't know if this new video was posted where it shows the verbal altercation with Dao and the security:

https://www.bustle.com/p/a-new-unite...he-plane-51088

I don't like how United treated the whole situation, but I also disagree with Dao not just getting up and leaving. Here he literally tells them they have to drag him off the plane if they want him off, which I can't get behind either. I understand that not everyone will just peacefully stand up and leave, but I don't think you should be challenging security either. Protest in a way that doesn't make you look childish.

Im curious...what other way could he protest not being forced to leave a seat he had paid for, been assigned, and seated in other than...not leaving?

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Translation:

"I would have had a smile on my face when I was being ripped off".

I guess we have different ideas of what being paid $800 to take another flight a couple hours later would be defined as... Regrettable situation all around obviously, and United looks very bad. I was just disagreeing with the notion we'd all act the way Dao did in the same situation, that's just not in my character to act the way he did.

I would've gotten off, taken the money, and then express my frustration to the airline (not in a snap-show way) and see what else I could get. My calm, but disappointed and persistently-seeking restitution manner usually works for me. Most customer service reps respond well to it because they're so used to dealing with angry, emotional, expletive-laced people and appreciate the change.

[Banner]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Im curious...what other way could he protest not being forced to leave a seat he had paid for, been assigned, and seated in other than...not leaving?

You can not leave but you can also not make questionable remarks towards the security officers while doing so. I guess what I'm saying is even though he was in the right in this situation, I don't like how he went about it. The remarks about rather going to jail and saying you have to drag me off were completely unnecessary in my opinion

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

I guess we have different ideas of what being paid $800 to take another flight a couple hours later would be defined as... Regrettable situation all around obviously, and United looks very bad. I was just disagreeing with the notion we'd all act the way Dao did in the same situation, that's just not in my character to act the way he did.

I would've gotten off, taken the money, and then express my frustration to the airline (not in a snap-show way) and see what else I could get. My calm, but disappointed and persistently-seeking restitution manner usually works for me. Most customer service reps respond well to it because they're so used to dealing with angry, emotional, expletive-laced people and appreciate the change.

I think most of us are in the same head space. But I think we'd all like to be the one who finally snapped and did this. Every once in a while a situation comes up where you have to plant yourself philosophically and physically. The proverbial "hill to die on". Tough to judge what those points are for other people. This was one of his. For whatever reason he decided to take a stand (or sit) on this point and said "If you want me to move, you will have to move me."

I have great respect for it. People need to stand up against BS, and what United was doing (and has been doing forever - every United flight I've taken in memory has made this offer to people) was pure BS.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

I guess we have different ideas of what being paid $800 to take another flight a couple hours later would be defined as... Regrettable situation all around obviously, and United looks very bad. I was just disagreeing with the notion we'd all act the way Dao did in the same situation, that's just not in my character to act the way he did.

I would've gotten off, taken the money, and then express my frustration to the airline (not in a snap-show way) and see what else I could get. My calm, but disappointed and persistently-seeking restitution manner usually works for me. Most customer service reps respond well to it because they're so used to dealing with angry, emotional, expletive-laced people and appreciate the change.

Taken what money? He was only offered flight vouchers which he most likely would have had to use in the next year. That wouldn't have made me very happy either.

[jayswin]

Plus wasn't the next flight actually the next day?

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Zevo

Taken what money? He was only offered flight vouchers which he most likely would have had to use in the next year. That wouldn't have made me very happy either.

Is that what it was?? I'm not overly keeping up with this story as I find it rather uninteresting (at least in terms of the scope it's risen to on the news). Yeah that's bush league. I'm guessing that won't be the case going forward after all this and it'll be cash payouts in the future

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Translation:

"I would have had a smile on my face when I was being ripped off".

That is rediculous. You have no idea what he values that seat at. I have happily (sold) my seat back for 500 and 700 in the past. There is zero issue with over booking. In fact if I own stock in many businesses I would expect them to over book. People cancel their reservations for dinner, hotels, flight or whatever all the time. The issue is you have to make good when you sell too much. So united should have to buy that seat back at whatever level it takes.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

I guess we have different ideas of what being paid $800 to take another flight a couple hours later would be defined as... Regrettable situation all around obviously, and United looks very bad. I was just disagreeing with the notion we'd all act the way Dao did in the same situation, that's just not in my character to act the way he did.

And I guess we have different ideas of what "I paid for something, and I want what I paid for" would be defined as.

I wouldn't have acted the way he did either. When it gets to the point of some halfwit rent-a-cop getting rough enough to break my nose and knock out my teeth, I hopefully wouldn't be the only one dragged out like a ragdoll.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

I have happily (sold) my seat back for 500 and 700 in the past. There is zero issue with over booking.

Congratulations. You were fine with selling your seat. This guy wasn't.

This isn't complicated. He bought something and he wanted what he'd paid for. When he refused to give back what he'd bought, they beat the #### out of him.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I think most of us are in the same head space. But I think we'd all like to be the one who finally snapped and did this. Every once in a while a situation comes up where you have to plant yourself philosophically and physically. The proverbial "hill to die on". Tough to judge what those points are for other people. This was one of his. For whatever reason he decided to take a stand (or sit) on this point and said "If you want me to move, you will have to move me."

I have great respect for it. People need to stand up against BS, and what United was doing (and has been doing forever - every United flight I've taken in memory has made this offer to people) was pure BS.

That isn't really what he was doing though. He wasn't standing up for passenger rights. He was saying; "I'm too important, pick someone else".

Personally, I see myself as an equal no matter what someone else's profession is. I would feel bad declining to be bumped knowing that they would have to pick someone else in my place. Any time I fly, I expect delays and plan accordingly. I would have accepted it as bad luck and then posted on the gear grinder thread.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Congratulations. You were fine with selling your seat. This guy wasn't.

This isn't complicated. He bought something and he wanted what he'd paid for. When he refused to give back what he'd bought, they beat the #### out of him.

You totally miss my point and the point. What they did to the guy is wrong. That's not the issue. You can overbook, give seats to employees or whatever but you can't have a ceiling on the price you pay to buy back the seat.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

That isn't really what he was doing though. He wasn't standing up for passenger rights. He was saying; "I'm too important, pick someone else".

Personally, I see myself as an equal no matter what someone else's profession is. I would feel bad declining to be bumped knowing that they would have to pick someone else in my place. Any time I fly, I expect delays and plan accordingly. I would have accepted it as bad luck and then posted on the gear grinder thread.

Correct...he was standing up for himself.

The unmitigated gall to do so eh?

I mean who should bitch about having to pay for a seat, getting boarded, sitting in the very seat you paid for and were boarded for and then being told to get off?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

That isn't really what he was doing though. He wasn't standing up for passenger rights. He was saying; "I'm too important, pick someone else".

Personally, I see myself as an equal no matter what someone else's profession is. I would feel bad declining to be bumped knowing that they would have to pick someone else in my place. Any time I fly, I expect delays and plan accordingly. I would have accepted it as bad luck and then posted on the gear grinder thread.

I'm not saying he made a stand for passenger rights purposely, but he kind of inadvertently did. My point was that its not really up for anyone to judge why this guy decided to hold his ground when most of us would have just left the plane. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. If it wasn't a hill to die on for you, great. Maybe you would enjoy another night where you are and some cash. This guy felt he needed to get home. He was only standing up for himself, but what's wrong with that? I don't care if he was trying to get home so he didn't miss the new episode of the Big Bang Theory or start a revolution against United Airlines, he felt it was important enough for him to tell United to f*** themselves, and I have to respect that.

I just think that, ideally, almost all of us would have liked to do this. I like that someone did, I don't really care about his reasons.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Correct...he was standing up for himself.

The unmitigated gall to do so eh?

I mean who should bitch about having to pay for a seat, getting boarded, sitting in the very seat you paid for and were boarded for and then being told to get off?

It's a bit different. I respect someone more when they think they are standing up for what's fair. That guy did not tho. When he says "I'm a doctor" what he's saying is that they should take a less important shmuck instead.

Further by now everyone knows that the terms and conditions are such that the airline over books. So they should not feel the level of entitlement you think they should have had. From a idealist perspective if you think that's how things should be, that's fine. But when you deal with certain airlines, they are not. Period. And choose how you fly accordingly.

United handled that situation incredibly poorly, im not backing how they buy seats back, but that guy acted exactly the way a 9 year old should. Not a full grown adult.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

It's a bit different. I respect someone more when they think they are standing up for what's fair. That guy did not tho. When he says "I'm a doctor" what he's saying is that they should take a less important shmuck instead.

Further by now everyone knows that the terms and conditions are such that the airline over books. So they should not feel the level of entitlement you think they should have had. From a idealist perspective if you think that's how things should be, that's fine. But when you deal with certain airlines, they are not. Period. And choose how you fly accordingly.

United handled that situation incredibly poorly, im not backing how they buy seats back, but that guy acted exactly the way a 9 year old should. Not a full grown adult.

So is there no situation that it would OK for someone to hold their ground here? What's the line? "I need to get home to see by dieing parent!" " I need to get home because it's my kid's birthday!" "I need to get home because I'm a doctor with patients!" Why is it that because you've never felt the need to get home THAT badly, that someone else who does is a child? What level of injustice allows us to act like a child?

He is standing up for what's fair. What's fair to him. Which has been the basis of pretty much every stand against an injustice from a girl wanting a haircut at a barber shop to people marching in the streets.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by MattyC

So is there no situation that it would OK for someone to hold their ground here? What's the line? "I need to get home to see by dieing parent!" " I need to get home because it's my kid's birthday!" "I need to get home because I'm a doctor with patients!" Why because you've never felt the need to get home THAT badly, that someone else does is a child? What level of injustice allows us to act like a child?

What ground? Read the contracts you sign. If you don't like it, don't do business with them. They have the right to do what they did and everyone knows it.

It's such an easy solution. Keep increasing the amount until someone takes the offer. There is a 100 percent chance every single human being is happy