An Irvine man said he was asked to get off a United flight in Kauai and threatened with handcuffs after paying about $1,000 for a first class ticket back to Los Angeles earlier this month.
Geoff Fearns, interviewed on April 11, 2017, says he was threatened after refusing to give up his seat on a United Airline flight earlier this month.
On April 1, Geoff Fearns needed to return home early, which is why he coughed up the extra cash. He had settled in his seat when he was told he needed to get off the plane.
Fearns said a United employee told him the flight was full and that a “higher-priority” first-class passenger was entitled to his seat.
Fearns told the Los Angeles Times that United employees didn't give him a choice in the matter and even told him they'd use handcuffs if they had to.
But, like the United passenger who was dragged off a flight in Chicago Monday, Fearns refused to get off.
“The gate agent had made it plain that they were planning on calling security and having me physically escorted off the plane, physically ejected from the seat,” Fearns told KTLA.
Fearns says the person sitting next to him warned him to cooperate and abandon the seat because the United staff could get "pretty nasty."
The business executive who runs an investment firm finally relented.
Quote:
...the airline hasn't given him a decent apology, but offered to pay him the difference between the economy class ticket and first class.
He hopes publicity of his story and others like it will force United to make changes.
Story on CNN (I think) said that initially the Doctor and his wife volunteered to be bumped but on finding out the next flight was mid-afternoon the next day said he couldn't do that as he was needed at work and sat back down.
2 completely separate entities. Separate aircraft, separate flight attendants and pilots, payscales, separate CEO, separate lawyers. They are contracted by United, American and Delta to fly on their behalf.
I think the problem is that some people can't see that issues are rarely black and white. They think pointing out that both sides screwed up means that you must be defending the side that made the bigger transgression.
To make it simple:
United did a bad thing (not by bumping the passenger, but by how they dealt with it).
Dao did not do the right thing (and I personally don't feel sorry for him).
When you add those things up, it became the mess that it did.
You don't feel sorry for the guy assaulted and thrown off a plane?
It's comments like these that show your true opinion on the matter. How can United screw up and you still don't feel sorry for the victim? If united screwed up, you're admitting that they shouldn't have assaulted the victim which should make you feel sorry for him regardless if he didn't do the right thing.
Some very weird and troubling opinions in this thread.
You don't feel sorry for the guy assaulted and thrown off a plane?
It's comments like these that show your true opinion on the matter. How can United screw up and you still don't feel sorry for the victim? If united screwed up, you're admitting that they shouldn't have assaulted the victim which should make you feel sorry for him regardless if he didn't do the right thing.
Some very weird and troubling opinions in this thread.
For the kind of payday he is going to get out of this, I don't feel sorry for him.
It's might not be fair, but airlines can bump anyone. No one is a special snowflake in this instance and it sounds like he was given every opportunity to leave on his own before police were called. Three others left without incident.
There are a lot of things worth crying about in the world, but this isn't one of them.
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
edit: ####, there is nudity in that video, my bad. Song is "Oh My Darling" by Run the Jewels.
Not sure if FA is using it in the right context though, unless I'm missing something. EL-P is shouting out Pimp C, he does the same to "Big" later in the same song.
I am
__________________
Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
For the kind of payday he is going to get out of this, I don't feel sorry for him.
It's might not be fair, but airlines can bump anyone. No one is a special snowflake in this instance and it sounds like he was given every opportunity to leave on his own before police were called. Three others left without incident.
There are a lot of things worth crying about in the world, but this isn't one of them.
I feel like one can be of the opinion that the guy should have got up and left, and also be of the opinion that they shouldn't have beat up him and dragged him out. I'm somewhat surprised that this relatively logical position is being perceived as evil and unreasonable.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Acey For This Useful Post:
I feel like one can be of the opinion that the guy should have got up and left, and also be of the opinion that they shouldn't have beat up him and dragged him out. I'm somewhat surprised that this relatively logical position is being perceived as evil and unreasonable.
This whole event and fall out is a cluster ####, and sadly is overshadowing the shooting death of an 8 year old while at school.
__________________
Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Corporal Jean-Marc H. BECHARD, 6 Aug 1993
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
Just ignore me...I'm in a mood today.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to undercoverbrother For This Useful Post:
2 completely separate entities. Separate aircraft, separate flight attendants and pilots, payscales, separate CEO, separate lawyers. They are contracted by United, American and Delta to fly on their behalf.
I kinda figured that, but even searching google pretty much everything is labelled United or United Express. Wasn't sure if you were possibly alluding to another incident.
The Following User Says Thank You to speede5 For This Useful Post:
Location: In a land without pants, or war, or want. But mostly we care about the pants.
Exp:
Was there a drastic reduction in fare costs when the airlines first started to overbook? Hah!
Fare costs are driven by many factors, the small increase in cash inflow airlines gett from overbooking isn't going to jack fares up much, if at all, if disallowed.
__________________
Better educated sadness than oblivious joy.
The Following User Says Thank You to jammies For This Useful Post:
This whole event and fall out is a cluster ####, and sadly is overshadowing the shooting death of an 8 year old while at school.
Unfortunatly in the US almost anything overshadows the random shootings of the hundred or so people a day, two children will die this week, next week and every week into the foreseeable future.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to afc wimbledon For This Useful Post:
I feel like one can be of the opinion that the guy should have got up and left, and also be of the opinion that they shouldn't have beat up him and dragged him out. I'm somewhat surprised that this relatively logical position is being perceived as evil and unreasonable.
When someone doesn't feel sorry for the guy assaulted, it tells you all you need to know about their opinion.
For the kind of payday he is going to get out of this, I don't feel sorry for him.
It's might not be fair, but airlines can bump anyone. No one is a special snowflake in this instance and it sounds like he was given every opportunity to leave on his own before police were called. Three others left without incident.
There are a lot of things worth crying about in the world, but this isn't one of them.
My first thought when I saw the video was 'please drag me out of a plane smacking my head against the seats next time I fly, daddy needs a new house!!'
Unfortunatly in the US almost anything overshadows the random shootings of the hundred or so people a day, two children will die this week, next week and every week into the foreseeable future.
Sadly, I reckon you are bang on.
__________________
Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
I feel like one can be of the opinion that the guy should have got up and left, and also be of the opinion that they shouldn't have beat up him and dragged him out. I'm somewhat surprised that this relatively logical position is being perceived as evil and unreasonable.
It's pretty common that people can't see things objectively and instead view them emotionally. They see the culmination of events and fill in the narrative to meet their view of the world.
United should have tried harder to entice volunteers. The man should have left peacefully before breaking the law and making them call the police. The police or security should have removed him much more carefully after he was selected to be bumped.
End of story. Not really worth getting worked up about.
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
Last edited by FlamesAddiction; 04-12-2017 at 12:52 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to FlamesAddiction For This Useful Post:
I feel like one can be of the opinion that the guy should have got up and left, and also be of the opinion that they shouldn't have beat up him and dragged him out. I'm somewhat surprised that this relatively logical position is being perceived as evil and unreasonable.
I think a lot of us have a little bit of admiration that he stood up for what he thought was right. It seems to be the only way that the airlines are going to change how they do business. There are millions of people in this country who disagree that it is okay to overbook and keep people who think they have a reserved ticket off the plane. Just because the law allows them to do it, doesn't it make it a good way to do business.
It's pretty common that people can't see things objectively. They see the culmination of events and fill in the narrative to meet their view of the world.
United should have tried harder to entice volunteers. The man should have left peacefully before breaking the law and making them call the police. The police or security should have removed him much more carefully after he was selected to be bumped.
End of story. Not really worth getting worked up about.
The man did not break the law, breaching a civil contract is not criminal, and United should in truth be forced to go to a judge to get a court order to remove him in theory, after which ignoring the court order would be breaking the law.
Not really possible in practise but by forcibly removing someone who isn't breaking the law the United Staff are actually committing assault, in truth they were the only ones that broke the law.
The Following User Says Thank You to afc wimbledon For This Useful Post:
Was there a drastic reduction in fare costs when the airlines first started to overbook? Hah!
Fare costs are driven by many factors, the small increase in cash inflow airlines gett from overbooking isn't going to jack fares up much, if at all, if disallowed.
On an average flight, 5 per cent of passengers do not show up. Sometimes, that number is as high as 15 per cent. The profit margins on air travel are razor-thin.
Air travel today is incredibly cheap compared to 30 years ago. We complain about the ordeals of flying, but I doubt many people want to go back to the days of only the affluent being able to afford to fly.
On an average flight, 5 per cent of passengers do not show up. Sometimes, that number is as high as 15 per cent. The profit margins on air travel are razor-thin.
Air travel today is incredibly cheap compared to 30 years ago. We complain about the ordeals of flying, but I doubt many people want to go back to the days of only the affluent being able to afford to fly.
It's not like they're losing money when people don't show up though. Tickets are already paid for, you're not getting a refund. They're just trying to maximize profits.