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

[Divine Wind]

You're arguing semantics. It doesn't matter when the overbooking occurred and by what circumstance it occurred. When you have more bodies than seats, you're overbooked.

On the contrary, sir, you are the one playing semantics. The plane was booked even. People were loaded up and ready to go but then a situation arose where the airline had to choose between cancelling an entire flight in the morning at SDF or inconveniencing 4 passengers in ORD.

Which would you have done given those choices?

Why couldn't they have made other arrangements. Why is this the passengers' problem?

Force Majeure.

What other arrangements? It was an E170 with 71 passengers paying about $220 for their ORD-SDF ticket. Total gross revenue ~$15,620. Losing the morning flight would have cost them about the same plus misconnections.

If it was my call, I'd have depland everyone first, then reboarded minus 4 passengers. If that didn't work, then cancel the flight, refund the $15K+ and ferry the aircraft to SDF with the second crew onboard.

Other arrangements for the employees, of course. The passengers had already paid for their tickets, thereby securing their seats. What good is an airline if you can't depend on it?

At a major hub like Chicago O'Hare, United is capable of finding a small plane or helicopter to fly their people 300 miles. If not, there are over a dozen of charter airlines available

But it is just cheaper to kick off paying pasengers

Next time they'll just cancel the flight and ferry the aircraft with the extra crew onboard.

 

[ChrisL]

You're arguing semantics. It doesn't matter when the overbooking occurred and by what circumstance it occurred. When you have more bodies than seats, you're overbooked.

On the contrary, sir, you are the one playing semantics. The plane was booked even. People were loaded up and ready to go but then a situation arose where the airline had to choose between cancelling an entire flight in the morning at SDF or inconveniencing 4 passengers in ORD.

Which would you have done given those choices?

Why couldn't they have made other arrangements. Why is this the passengers' problem?

Force Majeure.

What other arrangements? It was an E170 with 71 passengers paying about $220 for their ORD-SDF ticket. Total gross revenue ~$15,620. Losing the morning flight would have cost them about the same plus misconnections.

If it was my call, I'd have depland everyone first, then reboarded minus 4 passengers. If that didn't work, then cancel the flight, refund the $15K+ and ferry the aircraft to SDF with the second crew onboard.

Other arrangements for the employees, of course. The passengers had already paid for their tickets, thereby securing their seats. What good is an airline if you can't depend on it?

If they make a habit of it, you are correct. However, weather events delay or cancel flights, crewmembers get sick and airplanes break. If those events happen too often to a particular airline, they certainly have a problem, but it can be expected to happen to all airlines at some point.

Although this incident was mishandled, putting 4 crewmembers on the plane was simply the airline trying to minimize passenger inconvenience and maximize profits....which often includes the same solution(s).

All of the above examples are things that cannot be helped. It's a little different to kick paying customers off the plane to make room for your employees.

 

[ChrisL]

On the contrary, sir, you are the one playing semantics. The plane was booked even. People were loaded up and ready to go but then a situation arose where the airline had to choose between cancelling an entire flight in the morning at SDF or inconveniencing 4 passengers in ORD.

Which would you have done given those choices?

Why couldn't they have made other arrangements. Why is this the passengers' problem?

Force Majeure.

What other arrangements? It was an E170 with 71 passengers paying about $220 for their ORD-SDF ticket. Total gross revenue ~$15,620. Losing the morning flight would have cost them about the same plus misconnections.

If it was my call, I'd have depland everyone first, then reboarded minus 4 passengers. If that didn't work, then cancel the flight, refund the $15K+ and ferry the aircraft to SDF with the second crew onboard.

Other arrangements for the employees, of course. The passengers had already paid for their tickets, thereby securing their seats. What good is an airline if you can't depend on it?

At a major hub like Chicago O'Hare, United is capable of finding a small plane or helicopter to fly their people 300 miles. If not, there are over a dozen of charter airlines available

But it is just cheaper to kick off paying pasengers

Next time they'll just cancel the flight and ferry the aircraft with the extra crew onboard.

If they can't manage things in the proper way, then maybe they should just close up and go out of business.

 

[Mac1958]

 

[Faun]

I suppose this is just like our argument over that tragic hot air balloon accident in that we'll have to let the results speak towards who was right. My position is that Dao will receive compensation for United's horrid handling of this and that that Dao will not be charged with any crimes in connection with his refusal to deplane.

I remember several balloon accidents. Which conversations are you referencing?

The one you were horribly wrong about.

Since you failed to bring up evidence, I'll just assume you are lying...again.

LOL

Whatever makes you feel better.

 

[Faun]

Then show me specifically where their contract states a paid, non-belligerent, non-abusive, non- threatenening, compliant passanger has to give up his seat that he's already in; for a United employee...

Let the law sort it out. Do you at least agree that Dao committed a crime when he refused to obey a lawful order from a Chicago police officer?

I don't have enough facts to answer that. I don't know if they properly identified themselves as officers. The guy who yanked Dao out of his seat was dressed in jeans and a jacket. Could be Dao didn't know they were law enforcement.

1) The investigation will reveal the facts.
2) The uniforms and badges are a clue:

3)A fair point. I don't know who Mr. Jeans was, but it appears he came on afterwards. From what I've read, he's a police officer and the first one put on administrative leave. The other two were put on leave later.

You're right that it's not over yet.... next step is signing the settlement check United is going to hand Dao. It's hysterical how the police think you're wrong, United thinks you're wrong, yet you still cling to your lunacy.

 

[Faun]

On the contrary, sir, you are the one playing semantics. The plane was booked even. People were loaded up and ready to go but then a situation arose where the airline had to choose between cancelling an entire flight in the morning at SDF or inconveniencing 4 passengers in ORD.

Which would you have done given those choices?

Why couldn't they have made other arrangements. Why is this the passengers' problem?

Force Majeure.

What other arrangements? It was an E170 with 71 passengers paying about $220 for their ORD-SDF ticket. Total gross revenue ~$15,620. Losing the morning flight would have cost them about the same plus misconnections.

If it was my call, I'd have depland everyone first, then reboarded minus 4 passengers. If that didn't work, then cancel the flight, refund the $15K+ and ferry the aircraft to SDF with the second crew onboard.

Other arrangements for the employees, of course. The passengers had already paid for their tickets, thereby securing their seats. What good is an airline if you can't depend on it?

At a major hub like Chicago O'Hare, United is capable of finding a small plane or helicopter to fly their people 300 miles. If not, there are over a dozen of charter airlines available

But it is just cheaper to kick off paying pasengers

Next time they'll just cancel the flight and ferry the aircraft with the extra crew onboard.

No, they won't do that either.

 

[rightwinger]

None of that is relevant.....

Awesome.

$25 says you wouldn't give a shit if the passenger had been gay or Muslim.

Deadbeat is still trying to make bets

 

[rightwinger]

On the contrary, sir, you are the one playing semantics. The plane was booked even. People were loaded up and ready to go but then a situation arose where the airline had to choose between cancelling an entire flight in the morning at SDF or inconveniencing 4 passengers in ORD.

Which would you have done given those choices?

Why couldn't they have made other arrangements. Why is this the passengers' problem?

Force Majeure.

What other arrangements? It was an E170 with 71 passengers paying about $220 for their ORD-SDF ticket. Total gross revenue ~$15,620. Losing the morning flight would have cost them about the same plus misconnections.

If it was my call, I'd have depland everyone first, then reboarded minus 4 passengers. If that didn't work, then cancel the flight, refund the $15K+ and ferry the aircraft to SDF with the second crew onboard.

Other arrangements for the employees, of course. The passengers had already paid for their tickets, thereby securing their seats. What good is an airline if you can't depend on it?

At a major hub like Chicago O'Hare, United is capable of finding a small plane or helicopter to fly their people 300 miles. If not, there are over a dozen of charter airlines available

But it is just cheaper to kick off paying pasengers

Next time they'll just cancel the flight and ferry the aircraft with the extra crew onboard.

If that is their business model then let them withstand the kickback

 

[Divine Wind]

All of the above examples are things that cannot be helped. It's a little different to kick paying customers off the plane to make room for your employees.

That's the point. Trying to correct that involved either inconveniencing 4 passengers that night or 70ish the next morning.

If they can't manage things in the proper way, then maybe they should just close up and go out of business.

Correct. Maybe Spirit or Greyhound can do it better.

 

[ChrisL]

All of the above examples are things that cannot be helped. It's a little different to kick paying customers off the plane to make room for your employees.

That's the point. Trying to correct that involved either inconveniencing 4 passengers that night or 70ish the next morning.

If they can't manage things in the proper way, then maybe they should just close up and go out of business.

Correct. Maybe Spirit or Greyhound can do it better.

Those were not paying passengers. They were employees that United wanted to shuffle around at the cost of passengers' convenience.

 

[Divine Wind]

No, they won't do that either.

Pay back about $16K or face the loss of millions in bad PR? Guess again.

Deadbeat is still trying to make bets

You are nervous to the point of trolling. Interesting.

 

[Divine Wind]

Those were not paying passengers. They were employees that United wanted to shuffle around at the cost of passengers' convenience.

Why do you think they were shuffling around those employees? Why do you think they'd inconvenience passengers if it wasn't necessary to do so?

 

[Faun]

No, they won't do that either.

Pay back about $16K or face the loss of millions in bad PR? Guess again.

.... or the more obvious... find another means of transportation for their employees. But then, it's apparent the obvious eludes you.

 

[Divine Wind]

...it's apparent the obvious eludes you.

LOL.

 

[freelanddana]

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

 

[freelanddana]

No, they won't do that either.

Pay back about $16K or face the loss of millions in bad PR? Guess again.

.... or the more obvious... find another means of transportation for their employees. But then, it's apparent the obvious eludes you.

 

[PredFan]

 

[PredFan]

 

[PredFan]