Passengers chosen to leave since noone on flight volunteered

Apparently breaking guitars



and enforcing dress codes (the recent leggings incident) just wasn't enough for a very tone-deaf company

Their apology (such as it was) was horrible. I don't often think people should sue - but I'd tell everyone on that flight to go after United.

The photos of the doctor on his return to the plane - OMG ! - and they had to take everyone off the plane to clean out the blood. Yikes.

Just heard a radio announcer locally talk about his cousins who are pilots for United. He said the United staff would have known long in advance that they were trying to get on a fully booked flight and should have been responsible enough to plan their own trips better.

I just watched video of the expulsion. Hard to believe people get treated that way by companies that depend on the public for their profit.

Good point re their observation re crew booking, I'd been thinking about that.

Re the dragged man, I hope he sues their socks off, I say retributively. He probably will be busy with real life. Besides, United is going to be pretty fucked even without him sueing. Except where they are the only continental type airline, as in my last home town. Or were they there, now I'll have to scour, probably not.

Adds, three of my stewardess friends ended up working for United after Pan American rode away. The other one worked for TWA. I don't remember if I ever was on TWA, don't think so.

Yeh, I was wrong, it was Alaska Airlines that landed there. (doh!)

added, I'm sorry I used the word noone. I know it's ok to use, but it annoys me, and it's in the title.

Washington D.C. Democratic Delegate Eleanor Nortor, a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has officially called for a congressional hearing into United Airlines’ removal of a passenger from a flight.

I was once bumped from a flight that was overbooked and it was quite overbooked. I think it was on British Airways. The thing is we never even made it on the plane. And talk about your bad luck - we were the first two that we were impacted. They asked us to go over in a private area (basically a separate room to wait).

After the flight left they told the entire group that the flight was overbooked - it was gone so there really was no option. And they made sure we were away from the other passengers still taking other flights - I guess getting people ticked off isn't good for those waiting on other flights. They gave us cash I forget how much but a couple of hundred dollars and put us up in hotel overnight with dinner on them as there were no other flights that evening.

We had to of course make overseas calls which my friend and I did from our own separate rooms - some other passengers did the same and upon checkout they were charged for the calls. I asked them why did you check out? We just left so we didn't pay for the call - I figure the airline should pay for it as they were cause of my needing to make the long distance call. We never gave a credit card for the room as it was paid for the airline and I refused to provide any.

After that I learned to make sure I arrive pretty early or check in ahead of time as soon as I can - so I am not one of the last to check in and thus a target.

I haven't been bumped since.

Although the thought that they boot people so their own employees can get a seat and after you are already on board seems cruel and completely wrong.

Oh and I was once bumped from a resort - they way overbooked. Similar type of thing - in that upon leaving the airport we were supposed to board buses (trip including shuttle to hotel) a travel representative said we needed to wait in a certain area for our shuttle bus - once the others left and just us losers we left behind she gave us the bad news.

"Fortunately" they had another hotel for us - it ended up being a best western way away from the resort beach area we were supposed to be at - it was in other town that was not any where as nice. We all complained to the poor sap in charge of trying to make us happy. We had no choice at that point as it was late - she said they were trying to find us an alternative --- that evening she said good news I got you all booked at this all-inclusive! I saw the details of the resort and said no way ---- this is a only a two star hotel I don't care if it is all-inclusive we should be at a better hotel/resort to make up for this and this is a lower grade.

We ended up at a five star resort - it was in the same resort area but further from the restaurants and clubs (which us young single girls wanted). When we got back we complained to the travel agent as he suggested the resort and we got reimbursed for all our cab fares and got a credit for a future trip.

I watched that video. It just boggles the mind what gave these airport cops the idea that they could be that aggressive with a non-threatening, paying customer. Interested to see what if anything comes of it.

To be honest I have not viewed thevideo. I heard the audio part on the radio while I was driving. That was bad enough so bad what I heard that I couldn't bring myself to view it. The comments from the fellow passengers is enough to realize it was way beyond anything readonable.

I presume something will come of it, but it might be well studied, or more likely a sluff off. Wanna bet?

United's market value lost $1 billion from that incident.
http://www.kctv5.com/story/35122920/united-loses-1-billion-in-market-value-after-man-dragged-off-flight

I'm thinking about the matter of paying customers removed so employees can get to their later job at the aimed at destination airport. Some article I read said that airlines should program that so that the employees would have plenty of time to make their flights at the destination, a seemingly good idea. I can see though that such a practice might not always work.

Re overbooking - I get it that the airlines don't like empty seats, so they overbook. I used to fly a fair amount and remember that a lot of times there were people in a separate line called Stand By who could get a seat if not all those booked seat people showed up. Don't airlines still have that system? Or was that just happening in San Francisco and Los Angeles?

The airline seems to blame the customer. This morning I saw a headline which was aimed at trashing the victim's character.

This is what I read about it:

The head of United Airlines defended the forcible removal of a doctor on an overbooked flight in Chicago on Sunday, saying the man was “disruptive and belligerent,” according to a new report.

“I emphatically stand behind all of you,” United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a letter to employees obtained by CNBC.

Munoz said the passenger “raised his voice and refused to comply” with requests to leave and each time the flight crew asked again “he refused and became more and more disruptive and belligerent,” CNBC reported the airline boss as stating.

Munoz, CNBC added, said crew members “had no choice” but to call in officers to help.

Way to help the reputation of your airline. Even if the above is true - there is damaging video of how the man was handled. Everyone can understand how upset you might be in this man's situation - obviously the CEO cannot.

Just think next time you fly - which airline you might want to avoid.

The article trashing him begins like this:
The United Airlines passenger who was hauled off an overbooked plane is a poker-playing doctor from Kentucky with a sordid past.

I am not going to post the rest, because it has nothing to do with how the man was abused.

They screwed up, and now trying a ruse.

Oh my gosh - I don't care about his past -- what does that have to do with the current situation?

It makes me dislike UAL even more.

They need better management.