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

[Tiger]

A lot of people act like they would have been noble if this happened to them and would have got up and left with out incident. I see that as unlikely. I know I would have refused like him... probably would have acted worse than him.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Tiger

A lot of people act like they would have been noble if this happened to them and would have got up and left with out incident. I see that as unlikely. I know I would have refused like him... probably would have acted worse than him.

I would have totally gotten off because I'm conditioned to not cause a ruckus on a plane. I'd be way too concerned about negative legal consequences to refusing to get off a plane when told to do so by uniformed airport security. I think he had balls to sit tight.

[GirlySports]

i would have just walked off too.

I was under the assumption that you're able to be moved from your seat up until the door closes and the crew starts performing their checks. So, with that being said, I take back my previous comments. I also feel like a schmuck for going after the passenger on any level, knowing what I know now.

It's never been actively stated anywhere that I've seen, and having been bumped previously (but at the desk prior to boarding), if there are consumer protections for being in your seat and boarded, I'm glad that that is now well known. It also makes me think of the other three passengers that were forced off and had to be "re-accommodated." They have a claim to any lawsuit money as well.

Hopefully this also spurs proactivity from other airlines in giving travelers added protection and better compensation. I'm not holding my breath because of the overwhelming demand of travel, but still.

[GirlySports]

The free-for-all became free for all!

Sorry, but I found the first line of the NY Post story too good to not use.

Refunds for everyone on that flight!

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Man, they roughed him up good and proper.

Bets on how long before an apologist claims that the 69 year old man pulled out his own teeth, broke his own nose and concussed himself for a bigger payout?

I have yet to see an apologist on behalf of the airline in this thread (granted I don't lay claim to reading every single post). Can you provide some posts where people here have applauded or defended United's handling of this? Before I place a bet I want to find out how many "apologists" are lurking.

[Otto-matic]

I would only get up if they guaranteed me a first class seat + cash incentive to catch the next flight home.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

pardon? Now I'm curious.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...&postcount=582


Start with that post.

I would like to thank "ThatNeverHappened" for thanking the post.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The free-for-all became free for all!

Sorry, but I found the first line of the NY Post story too good to not use.

Refunds for everyone on that flight!

Credit where it's due. It's a decent start at reparation and hopefully, some major changes for the airline(s) and passengers alike.

[sureLoss]

Delta confirms their supervisors are now authorized to offer up to $9950 to bump someone off a overbooked flight:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/14/news...ght/index.html

So now do you hope that you get an overbooked flight and get a rich pay out?

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Delta confirms their supervisors are now authorized to offer up to $9950 to bump someone off a overbooked flight:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/14/news...ght/index.html

So now do you hope that you get an overbooked flight and get a rich pay out?

There actually will be people that try and do this on purpose now...no doubt about it.

I read earlier today that the security that removed Dao was NOT associated with Chicago PD but are a department that works for the city and patrol all secured areas.

They go through 4 months of police academy training, are not allowed to carry firearms (in fact are trained to run and hide should they come across a gun situation) and are paid somewhere between 55-80 G a year.

Their superiors are on the hottest of hot seats with city council right now with the head of security unable to answer a question about "level of force" that is instructed to these guys...likely because there isn't a true policy covering it.

All 3 of the guys in this instance have been suspended and will probably find themselves as patsies at some point. They should have called Chicago PD once Dao made it clear he wasn't getting up, but instead used their loose guidelines to assault a guy who had done nothing wrong. United has since lost $570 MILLION off its market cap since the whole fiasco happened. Good.


heres the article.. http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/aft...port-policies/

Maybe an offer of 1500 bucks and a hotel room would have worked to get someone to bite? Sure would have been, literally, millions of dollars cheaper.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by transplant99

There actually will be people that try and do this on purpose now...no doubt about it.

There's nothing wrong with that. The airline makes a bet and loses, they should have to get to a number that the passenger is satisfied at. Someone may have the intent to do this often, but a: they have to compete against other volunteers whose numbers may be a lot lower than theirs, and b: all it takes is a passenger note in the system so they don't "repeatedly inconvenience the same passenger".

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by nik-

There's nothing wrong with that. The airline makes a bet and loses, they should have to get to a number that the passenger is satisfied at. Someone may have the intent to do this often, but a: they have to compete against other volunteers whose numbers may be a lot lower than theirs, and b: all it takes is a passenger note in the system so they don't "repeatedly inconvenience the same passenger".

Didn't say there was.

As you point out though, there is a high probability there will be competition for them.

[nik-]

I know that my number would be nowhere near $9950

[Amethyst]

If I wasn't in a rush, I would accept a bump for cash. The one time I had a chance, I was flying back from Phoenix on US Airways and they were only offering a credit. Since that is likely the one and only time I would be on that airline, the credit was worthless to me. Someone else must have accepted though, because no one was bashed face-first into the seats and dragged off the plane.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

If I wasn't in a rush, I would accept a bump for cash. The one time I had a chance, I was flying back from Phoenix on US Airways and they were only offering a credit. Since that is likely the one and only time I would be on that airline, the credit was worthless to me. Someone else must have accepted though, because no one was bashed face-first into the seats and dragged off the plane.

I've been on numerous flights over the years where offers were made to passengers. They always managed to get volunteers and quite often there would be a mad rush of flyers running to the counter to take the offer.

I took a 700 miles credit and a meal voucher from Delta a few years back to fly home on a later flight. I was lucky enough to be at the counter when the offer was made and very quickly a bunch of people lined up behind me.

[Smartcar]

As other said, they should have upped the compensation until someone bit. I've been on lots of flights where they were looking for volunteers, no takers at $400 in vouchers but at $800 in cash plus hotel for the night people stepped up. They maxed out at $800 in vouchers before they went the forcible removal route.

[chemgear]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...414-story.html

Delta is letting employees offer customers almost $10,000 in compensation to give up seats on overbooked flights, hoping to avoid an uproar like the one that erupted at United after a passenger was dragged off a jet.

United is taking steps too. It will require employees seeking a seat on a plane to book it at least an hour before departure, a policy that might have prevented Sunday's confrontation.

“We need to use this regrettable event as a defining moment and pivot off it to craft friendly policies,” Milton said in a note to employees.

The dragging has turned into a public relations nightmare for the entire industry, not just United, and led to calls from politicians and consumer advocates to suspend or ban overbooking.

After the incident in Chicago, critics questioned why United didn't offer more when no passengers accepted the airline's $800 offer for volunteers to give up their seats.

"If you offer enough money, even the guy going to a funeral will sell his seat," said Ross Aimer, a retired United pilot.

[GirlySports]

crazy, separating familes is so wrong.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/p...ight-1.4071922

A Stratford, P.E.I., family is speaking out after their 10-year-old-son was bumped from an Air Canada flight during their March Break vacation to Costa Rica.
Shanna and Brett Doyle booked the trip back in August, but when they tried to pick their seats the day before they left for their flight from Charlottetown to Montreal, they couldn't get a seat for Cole.

[Flamenspiel]

nm

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Tiger

A lot of people act like they would have been noble if this happened to them and would have got up and left with out incident. I see that as unlikely. I know I would have refused like him... probably would have acted worse than him.

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.