United Airlines Forcibly Removes Passenger from Flight

[Forty Two]

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/ne ... 100274374/

O.k., so, as I understand it, United overbooked a flight. They needed four seats on the plane for United employees who had to get to the next city to work another flight. So, they tried to buy out some passengers -- pay them to take a later flight. Apparently, before boarding, they were up to $400 and a hotel room if a person would stay until a later flight was available. Nobody took the deal, though, so they boarded the flight and it was full, and then they offered $800 each for people to leave the flight. But, nobody took the deal. So, United then announced that four people would be selected at random and told to get off the plane.

Now, right there I'd be rather pissed off. Then they added that the plane would not take off until four people got off the plane, and the United employees were allowed to sit.

So, one guy wasn't taking it. three of them got off when ordered to, and a doctor apparently said he had to get home to see patients in the morning. They told him to get off. He wouldn't. He said he was calling his lawyer, and then some security guy ended up slamming the passenger into the armrest and bodily dragging him off the plane. The guy apparently managed to get back on the plane and was seen running up the aisle with a bloody face, appearing disoriented. The passengers were made to get off the plane and wait 2 hours until the plane was tidied up.

One of the security guys was put on a leave of absence pending investigation.

Holy crap man. I hated United Airlines before, but this is ridiculous. Fuck that. If I buy a ticket, don't fucking overbook the flight. If you overbook it, then fuck you. You deal with the folks who show up and there's no seats. Dragging the guy bodily off the plane? Wow, I hope he sues them for assault, battery, and maybe fraud.

[Svartalf]

Me thinks they just opened themselves up to some massive lawsuit for a lot more than what they could have offered... it was their fault if they overbooked anyway, that practice oughtta be made illegal.

[Brian Peacock]

What a shocking tale of administrative incompetence and unprofessional behaviour. It would never happen in the Netherland!

Friend of mine was on his way back from NY when they made an announcement offering people cash to put it off. Nobody took the bait. The money went up by $50 every ten minutes or so. When it got to $400 and a hotel my mate took the offer, only to find that they couldn't get him on a flight for two days. He said he'd rather get back on the booked flight and went to sit down. One of the desk jockeys said he couldn't do that, that he'd agreed to take the money and that that constituted a contract. He said that they'd changed the deal on him and a heated discussion ensued, which ended with security being called and him being escorted to a small bare room and locked in. About an hour later a bloke in a suit came in started apologising to him; apologising for the misunderstanding; apologising for him being locked up; and offering $2000 and two nights in a moderately swanky hotel + meals. He said 'No problem' and signed a waiver. Sweet.

[Tero]

They can pull anyone from any flight. It's in the fine print of any ticket you buy.

[pErvinalia]

Crazy.

$800 and a hotel room? I would have been running off the plane.

[laklak]

You can sometimes make a good deal if you go up and speak to them when they first ask. I was traveling to South Africa from Atlanta and got a night in a nice hotel in downtown, meals, drinks, an upgrade to Business Class the next day, AND a round trip domestic ticket. Fucking Ace, I'll do it any time.

[pErvinalia]

From an Australian satire page on facebook..

FireShot Screen Capture #021 - 'Bernoit Oeste' - www_facebook_com_profile_php_id=100009607926333.jpg (46.38 KiB) Viewed 4008 times

[Svartalf]

They can pull anyone from any flight. It's in the fine print of any ticket you buy.

In France at least, that fine print would be deemed a Leonine Clause and regarded as null and void... what I see is that they reneged on a contract to transport passenger x by such and such flight, so they broke the contract and can be sued for untold damages due to the inconvenience of having been delayed, not to mention the moral suffering for having been dragged off the plane.

[cronus]

They can pull anyone from any flight. It's in the fine print of any ticket you buy.

In France at least, that fine print would be deemed a Leonine Clause and regarded as null and void... what I see is that they reneged on a contract to transport passenger x by such and such flight, so they broke the contract and can be sued for untold damages due to the inconvenience of having been delayed, not to mention the moral suffering for having been dragged off the plane.

...also the damage to reputation for the passenger.

[Brian Peacock]

...not to mention the damages to fashion.

I mean really. Blue and yellow!!

[Animavore]

I'm hoping to get a call out to UA today so I can slag them.

[Tero]

The contract is filled when the airline gets you to your city. They can use whatever means. If the plane has a malfunction and lands, the passengers can be bussed to where-ever. There is no guarantee of time. This is why you buy the entire ticket on one airline. I've bought on rwo, but left 4-6 hours between flights.

[Forty Two]

Me thinks they just opened themselves up to some massive lawsuit for a lot more than what they could have offered... it was their fault if they overbooked anyway, that practice oughtta be made illegal.

It's not a big deal, overbooking, if they address it before people board the flight. Only let the number of people on the plane that correspond with the seats. Not letting someone on the plane and booking them on the next flight, with compensation, is appropriate, but once someone is on the plane, you can't physically assault them (or shouldn't be able to) and the cops are not employees of the airlines and should not be enforcing a contractual legal position with physical force. IMO

[Brian Peacock]

But the police operate on the presumption of unquestionable moral authority. Saying no to a request by police officer is generally considered intolerable.

[Forty Two]

What a shocking tale of administrative incompetence and unprofessional behaviour. It would never happen in the Netherland!

Those Fokkers know how to run an airline.

Friend of mine was on his way back from NY when they made an announcement offering people cash to put it off. Nobody took the bait. The money went up by $50 every ten minutes or so. When it got to $400 and a hotel my mate took the offer, only to find that they couldn't get him on a flight for two days. He said he'd rather get back on the booked flight and went to sit down. One of the desk jockeys said he couldn't do that, that he'd agreed to take the money and that that constituted a contract. He said that they'd changed the deal on him and a heated discussion ensued, which ended with security being called and him being escorted to a small bare room and locked in. About an hour later a bloke in a suit came in started apologising to him; apologising for the misunderstanding; apologising for him being locked up; and offering $2000 and two nights in a moderately swanky hotel + meals. He said 'No problem' and signed a waiver. Sweet.

I was in one of those bidding processes once. It went up to about $600 and a hotel room, but I had to get home for a couple of different reasons and I had no choice. If I were younger, single, no kids, and such, I would have had no issue taking the deal.

That's the thing - the process for overbooking and buying passengers out is ingenious, and in the vast majority of circumstances it works out good for everyone. But, they have to do it before people are sitting in their seats. They have to do it at a time when they don't have to touch someone to get the process completed.

United's CEO in this case needs to step down just for his bullshit apology. He apologized for having to "re-accommodate these passengers" and then accused the 69 year old doctor, who did nothing but sit there and refuse to leave, of being belligerent and such. Carlos Munoz, man, that is a helluvalotta chutzpah there...