Skellig Gra
Member
How nice of you to insult me instead of actually have a discussion. I never defending their actions at all. I'm merely pointing out how this guy is going to have a very tough road with a lawsuit.
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United Airlines violently drags a doctor off a plane so employee could take his seat
- Thread starter Korey
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How nice of you to insult me instead of actually have a discussion. I never defending their actions at all. I'm merely pointing out how this guy is going to have a very tough road with a lawsuit.
Hydranockz
Member
Why do you keep ignoring that they let him.on the plane in the end, rendering any use of force to be completely unnecessary?
The situation escalated quite unreasonably before this man did a single thing "wrong". Its only a 4-5 hr trip by car from Chicago to Louisville, vs a 1.5 hr flight. So United really fucked up if they needed those particular crew to be in Louisville that quickly, but didn't have the means without forcing a "overbooking" situation. Then, why aren't we blaming this on the lack of "volunteers", forcing the situation into a "lottery" in the first place, if we're going to take a hardline on what the airline has the right to do? Why couldn't the airline then just run the lottery again and maybe sweeten the deal to get a final passenger to comply?
What's the doctor's contribution to this? A moment of indignance before an impatient security goon decided to manhandle him because he couldn't be bothered to address the situation nonviolently? Yeah, he did "EVERYTHING" wrong...
B
bomb
Unconfirmed Member
I'm not sure you understand the plane was not moving until he got off.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Honestly can't believe out of 100+ people, nobody took that.
Lmao so tough
Nah, overbooking is common everywhere. Plus it isn't just airlines who do it, some hotel chains do it too.
Knocking a doctor out and dragging him along an aisle is a United thing though.
Skellig Gra
Member
Yeah he's going to get hush money to go away. 100% no doubt about that. But if it went to a full trial he'd be hard pressed to get much.
This is what is crazy to me. They weren't even on an expensive flight. Weren't flying that far. That is at least double the normal price for that ticket. I've flown a lot and I've never seen no-one take the money.
BronsonLee
Member
Only reason I can think of is that it's the last flight out for the night so they'd have to stay overnight
Also holy shit can we stop insulting people
KoopaTheCasual
Junior Member
Why is overbooking still a thing?
Are margins that razor thin? Is the flying industry that anemic that they have to resort to shady statistical gambling policies to turn a profit? Holy shit.
Are margins that razor thin? Is the flying industry that anemic that they have to resort to shady statistical gambling policies to turn a profit? Holy shit.
The Broken Ska Record
Member
Yup. It says so in the article. They would have paid for a hotel for the night and the next flight would have been at 3pm on Monday.
Theslammer
Member
That's not how it works.
I used United a few weeks ago. They had a notice about needing volunteers to take a later flight while we were standing in line to board the plane. They know this stuff beforehand, and this was United as well that knew.
FrontalMonk
Banned
I mean, did you read it? They asked for volunteers and when nobody wanted to give up their seat, they said "okay, we're going to choose four people at random" and this guy was one of them.
This is a PR disaster for United, and after the leggings thing this definitely doesn't help their image any. But this happens with basically all major airlines and is part and parcel with the airline industry. Overbooking happens, people get bumped, and sometimes you gotta hop off the flight and get on the next one. You'll find the same shit happens on Delta, American, Southwest, or any other carrier. People trying to get all indignant saying "I'll never fly United because of this" well, if you want to stay true to your morals have fun driving, because this isn't unique to this one airline.
Yeah, this is the part that's a little odd. They don't usually have a ton of notice, but you get an idea based on who has checked in to know who will actually be on the flight. The part where things can get iffy is the fact that you don't have to get to the airport to check in anymore, you can just check in on your phone, so there's still room for error in that you could check in online and then still be a no show.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
- Offer $400, no takers.
- Offer $800, no takers.
- Physically remove paying passengers so you can get United personnel where you need them.
Why is this the progression? Surely they would have had some takers at $1,200. Why does United get to decide to select passengers at random to remove, rather than negotiating a better payout for the inconvenience? This seems extremely effed up.
- Offer $800, no takers.
- Physically remove paying passengers so you can get United personnel where you need them.
Why is this the progression? Surely they would have had some takers at $1,200. Why does United get to decide to select passengers at random to remove, rather than negotiating a better payout for the inconvenience? This seems extremely effed up.
Ya you'd have to pay me a hell of a lot more than that to stay overnight in Chicago
Do cities count as people?
DOWN
Banned
Honestly, I'm not sure how people think this should work. They ended up needing to send a crew somewhere else because more flights depended on it. No One volunteered to take the booking credit when they asked. At this point, it is still essential that they get their crew on board. They randomly must select customers to re-book now. He gets picked and refuses to cooperate, requiring security assistance.
It's not fun but why in the world wouldn't the owner of the plane be allowed to rebook people if they have a need? And if zero people volunteer, it has to be random, so...? And if you get selected, getting uncooperative doesn't just get you out of it as they can't fairly just move to another person after they already fairly picked at random, no?
It's not fun but why in the world wouldn't the owner of the plane be allowed to rebook people if they have a need? And if zero people volunteer, it has to be random, so...? And if you get selected, getting uncooperative doesn't just get you out of it as they can't fairly just move to another person after they already fairly picked at random, no?
Skellig Gra
Member
Legally they have to be compensated for being removed so most likely yes.
If they needed the seat bad enough to punch a guy in the face they could have offered more money.
Maybe... it's because he is a doctor that needed to be in his clinic? Just maybe?
BronsonLee
Member
Ya that's way too long, you'd have to pay me more than that
1: daaaaaaaaamn and 2: nah Chicago is wack
peteykirch
Member
Airlines need to get a booking system like Mondo has for their limited edition art prints.
They never end up selling 255 prints on a 250 edition size.
These companies are so desperate to squeeze out every single penny they have no qualms about screwing over someone.
They never end up selling 255 prints on a 250 edition size.
These companies are so desperate to squeeze out every single penny they have no qualms about screwing over someone.
Yeah that's how they do it on Southwest. They start auctioning off bonuses to volunteers before the first passengers board.
I'm guessing they royally fucked up and forgot about the employees needing rides until everyone had boarded. Really should have either sweetened the pot or just taken the L and found another way to get the employees to Louisville.
I just wanted to say that I don't respect anyone who doesn't side with the doctor here. Anyone who sides with the flying company on this deserves zero respect. It's absurd.
"But it's the law". Yep, the law is wrong.
I need to fly regularly to get checks about a surgery I was made in a hospital far away from my location. If I ever had to give up my seat in a flight because of this, you can be damn sure I won't stop until every single TV channel in my country is talking about the airline who denied the flight to someone who needs checks because of a tumour surgery.
"But it's the law". Yep, the law is wrong.
I need to fly regularly to get checks about a surgery I was made in a hospital far away from my location. If I ever had to give up my seat in a flight because of this, you can be damn sure I won't stop until every single TV channel in my country is talking about the airline who denied the flight to someone who needs checks because of a tumour surgery.
Skellig Gra
Member
Yeah this guy, I get it. EVERYONE else on the flight though? This is an incredibly rare occurrence and this poor doctor got fucked.
*does a sailor moon style transformation dance*
🎶CAUSE UNITED HANDLED IT WRONG🎶
So they had open seats on a later flight. Why not put their employees on that flight. If they were willing to offer money to a passenger to leave why not offer to another employee that might have to end up working overtime until the other employees arrived. Or book passage for their employees on another airline if they needed to be there at a certain time. Just because you work for one company doesn't mean you can use another if the situation demands it. There is at no point here I'm seeing any justification to try and remove any passenger from this plane.
What it does show me is that UA doesn't give a fuck about its paying customers. They deserve the PR nightmare they should get from this. I hope this doctor sues them to hell and back.
What it does show me is that UA doesn't give a fuck about its paying customers. They deserve the PR nightmare they should get from this. I hope this doctor sues them to hell and back.
If the tickets cost 300-400 to begin with. United can do better
BronsonLee
Member
Yeah if Southwest ever offers it I take it immediately, I got 1k in vouchers once and they put me on a flight like 3 hours later
$800 in United Airlines vouches I guess...
I do. I'd consider $800 but it's not an instant 'accept' in that sort of a situation (and I'm not a guy that is well off by any means). If you are on a flight, you are either going to or returning from a vacation (or business). Typically either way deadlines are involved. Going to a wedding, checking in to a hotel, meeting friends or family, going somewhere on business, returning home to work, etc.
$800 is right around the range where I probably wouldn't take it most incidents. I can't miss any more work, I won't make the wedding, this will eat into my vacation time, I already paid for a hotel/museum tickets, etc. Any number of things. Mind you, if they increase the offer then there are more circumstances where I would accept. That is why team 'they should have offered more' seems so reasonable, because a few people were bound to be swayed by a bit more cash.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
But they offered compensation for this inconvenience. First $400, then $800, then they just decided to pick people at random and forcibly remove them from the plane. Why should they have not offered more compensation? Why do they stop at $800?
bloodydrake
Cool Smoke Luke
you didn't read where after the delay someone then volunteered to skip the flight to let him back on the flight.
that scenario only happened after he resisted being removed..no one offered this first only after.
Skellig Gra
Member
Must be a corporate hard and fast rule that the poor drones at the counter have no control over.
No shit. For $800 I'm buying Switch AND Scorpio this year.
Calamari41
41 > 38
Looks like it's about a 4.5 hour drive. I'd put them on a fucking bus.
Damn that's a sweet deal. I usually pad my vacations by a day so I would totally take that deal.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
Generally the compensation is in travel vouchers for the airline.
bloodydrake
Cool Smoke Luke
first one police officer told him he had to leave the plane..then a second was called to assist..still he refused..then a third officer was brought in..still he refused..then he was forcibly removed.
It was his fault force was used in the end..he chose that.
BronsonLee
Member
It paid for my Christmas trip and Orlando trip, and I still had 100 left over that expired
I'm salty it didn't happen again on my Orlando trip tho
As someone else pointed out, the drive to where the crew had to be was 4.5 hours and they had more than 4.5 hours to get there.
I hope Gamestop starts accepting United Airlines vouchers
Fuck that. Bring the goons to drag my ass off.
Macho Madness
Member
Except for the part where he had no choice in the matter. The absence of choice is not a choice.
It's not $800 in cash my man. Anytime this would happen to me, it's a voucher.
and has an expiration date
It was a genuine question. I wasn't being smarmy assuming thats how it came off. If the purpose of overbooking is to ensure that every seat is filled, how do you effectively know if you are in fact overbooked until each seat is actually filled
but yeah, if they have a proven method to avoid such things before hand then this is all the more stupid
I did read it. The point of my post was that UA should have skipped the volunteers part and just stated that they were going to have to pick 4 people to randomly leave the plane and that they'd be compensated.
I'm sure they thought they were being "nice" by asking for volunteers and using monetary incentives but volunteer also means optional so you can't switch from optional to mandatory and just act like that's ok and get mad/aggressive when people don't take kindly to it.
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