• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

United Airlines violently drags a doctor off a plane so employee could take his seat

Why do you fly United?

Results are only viewable after voting.
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nahlakhai

Member
Airlines can and should have the ability to bump people off of flights. However they could've avoided all this by continuing to increase the voucher offered. People would've eventually truly volunteered. Instead they tried to pull this and it blew up in their face because they wanted to be cheap. Good on the passenger for refusing and hopefully airlines will take notice of what happened and never skimp out again. It isn't even like they are offering cash so this just goes to show you it's all about money at the end of the day.

Also fuck those airport cops for using that kind of force.
 
O

old manatee

Banned
United created a simple customer service issue, and then solved it by having a man's bleeding, limp body dragged across the floor of the plane. If you can watch those videos and side with United you are suspect.
 
Dr. Zoidberg

Dr. Zoidberg

Member
It kind of annoys me that a lot of the news stories seem to make a big point of the passenger being a doctor as if that makes this worse. It really shouldn't matter if he was a doctor or not in this story, IMO. It's bad regardless.

But since it is brought up: Has any story identified the man, said what hospital he works at, what kind of doctor, etc? All I've seen is very generic "Doctor who had to see patients the next day" which leads to a lot of questions in my mind that absolutely don't matter in the case but I am still curious.
 
J

Jenov

Member
nahlakhai said:
Airlines can and should have the ability to bump people off of flights. However they could've avoided all this by continuing to increase the voucher offered. People would've eventually truly volunteered. Instead they tried to pull this and it blew up in their face because they wanted to be cheap. Good on the passenger for refusing and hopefully airlines will take notice of what happened and never skimp out again. It isn't even like they are offering cash so this just goes to show you it's all about money at the end of the day.

Also fuck those airport cops for using that kind of force.
Click to expand...

This is my view on the situation. It was unnecessary and not worth the horrid PR and potential law suit. They should have kept sweetening the deal until passengers accepted, especially since the situation was created due to their own policy of overbooking.

Upsetting to see such profit driven corporate shit happen in real time. Profit above all else, eh United? They deserve the backlash.
 
J

jmdajr

Member
The Exploder said:
United created a simple customer service issue, and then solved it by having a man's bleeding, limp body dragged across the floor of the plane. If you can watch those videos and side with United you are suspect.
Click to expand...

I have yet to speak to someone who thinks this ok. Plus, most of us have flown and hate the process as much already. Just another level of fuckery.
 
depths20XX

depths20XX

Member
WeirdoStalkerJr said:
T\ I hope he sues the hell out of the airline.

Edit: I just remembered my last flight with United, oh my god it was terrible. Overbooked, and had to sleep in the airport with my 8 year old daughter, and got no sleep with a developing ear ache.

I would rather fly Delta from now on. Such a terrible airline United is...
Click to expand...

Same shit happened with Delta to me on a flight to Japan. Split me up from my group and sent me on a flight to Tokyo when I was headed to Osaka. Had to stay the night at the airport in Tokyo and fly to Osaka the next morning. They offered me $70 dollars credit lol.
 
G

Gallbaro

Banned
nahlakhai said:
Airlines can and should have the ability to bump people off of flights. However they could've avoided all this by continuing to increase the voucher offered. People would've eventually truly volunteered. Instead they tried to pull this and it blew up in their face because they wanted to be cheap. Good on the passenger for refusing and hopefully airlines will take notice of what happened and never skimp out again. It isn't even like they are offering cash so this just goes to show you it's all about money at the end of the day.

Also fuck those airport cops for using that kind of force.
Click to expand...

This was just United being cheap, reaching the legally required ceiling price and then using force.
 
S

sunofsam

Member
FinaruDensetsu said:
I'm guessing they just screwed up. That or they found out about the 4 crew members needing a flight extremely late, as in after the passengers had already boarded.
Click to expand...

They bumped one person due to it being overbooked prior to boarding. Then proceeded to board everyone.

Then they went with trying to get 4 more "volunteers" for the employees.

I'm thinking the UA staff were a late addition or missed. Way easier to get volunteers prior to boarding.
 
V

Veldin

Member
The Exploder said:
United created a simple customer service issue, and then solved it by having a man's bleeding, limp body dragged across the floor of the plane. If you can watch those videos and side with United you are suspect.
Click to expand...

It's as simple as that really. Can't fathom a world where it's totally okay for the airline to do this. It's also fascinating to me that someone can sit and play legalese games over an incident like this.
 
G

GameAddict411

Member
People who defend this are also one of the reasons why dictatorships and tyrannies survive in many corners in the world. They will gladly bend over just because it's the "rules" or whatever they tell themselves to feel better. A great deal of harm was done to this senior man, and there was no justification whatsoever to how they treated him. My head is boiling from reading this thread and I hope whomever was responsible get what they deserve. Absolutely and totally despicable. If you are decent human being, you should never fly on United Airlines.
 
N

norm9

Member
CrocMother said:
What is it about this story that people are so interested in?

It's freaking everywhere!
Click to expand...

Dude gets fucked up by police on a shitty airline that likes to fuck you every chance they get. It's something we can all relate to. Could be me next time, could be you.
 
N

nahlakhai

Member
Gallbaro said:
This was just United being cheap, reaching the legally required ceiling price and then using force.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I understand what legally required ceiling means. They legally were unable to offer more or was the amount they offered the minimum required for that situation? I'm going to go with the latter because I don't see why any airline couldn't add more to sweeten the deal if needed. United can't treat paying customers nor their own people properly it seems like.
 
L

Linkura

Member
CrocMother said:
What is it about this story that people are so interested in?

It's freaking everywhere!
Click to expand...

I think it's just so mind-boggling to people that something like this would happen, and then United not even owning up to it. It's one of the biggest PR nightmares I have ever seen.
 
F

Flavius

Member
CrocMother said:
What is it about this story that people are so interested in?

It's freaking everywhere!
Click to expand...

Are you genuinely questioning why an airline having a doctor physically removed from a plane for refusing to give up his seat is big news?

It's some weird, dumb shit man. Not something I've seen go down previously that I can recall.
 
C

Corpekata

Banned
Linkura said:
I think it's just so mind-boggling to people that something like this would happen, and then United not even owning up to it. It's one of the biggest PR nightmares I have ever seen.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Just their use of "re-alloacting" is already taking on a memetic use. They couldn't even get their corporate speak "apology" right.
 
Audioboxer

Audioboxer

Member
nahlakhai said:
Airlines can and should have the ability to bump people off of flights. However they could've avoided all this by continuing to increase the voucher offered. People would've eventually truly volunteered. Instead they tried to pull this and it blew up in their face because they wanted to be cheap. Good on the passenger for refusing and hopefully airlines will take notice of what happened and never skimp out again. It isn't even like they are offering cash so this just goes to show you it's all about money at the end of the day.

Also fuck those airport cops for using that kind of force.
Click to expand...

Compensation seems to be a set amount based around time/distance

When they know a flight is oversold, airlines will ask for volunteers to give up their seat, usually for a travel voucher or other reward, and a seat on a later flight. According to the government, 434,000 passengers voluntarily gave up seats on the country's largest 12 airlines last year, including nearly 63,000 on United. The champion of overbooking was Delta Air Lines — about 130,000 passengers on Delta agreed to give up their seats last year.

When voluntary offers don't work, the airlines can deny boarding — or "bump" passengers against their will. That appears to be what happened before Sunday night's United flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky. When it comes to forcing passengers off a flight, Southwest is the undisputed leader among the larger airlines — it bumped nearly 15,000 passengers last year, according to government figures.

Federal rules spell out how much the airline must pay each passenger who is forced off a flight. Airlines must give bumped passengers a written statement that explains their compensation rights.
Click to expand...

Compensation varies by how long the passenger will be delayed. If the airline can rebook the passenger and get him to his destination within an hour of his originally scheduled arrival time, no compensation is required.

If the passenger will arrive between one and two hours later than planned — or between one and four hours for an international flight — the airline must pay the passenger twice the amount of the one-way fare to his destination, up to $675.

If the passenger will be delayed more than two hours — or four hours for international flights — the airline must pay him four times the one-way fare, up to $1,350.
Click to expand...

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/airlines-oversell-flights-end-bumping-passengers-46707350

Written by: https://twitter.com/airlinewriter I guess I could respectfully try contacting him and asking about being in the cabin!
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
CrocMother said:
What is it about this story that people are so interested in?

It's freaking everywhere!
Click to expand...

I believe it's the way it really vividly illustrates a shitty, unfair practice that is allowed to go on.

Bumping due to overbooking is nothing but corporate greed - if someone doesn't show up on a fully booked flight, the airline still made their money and will in fact save on gas and pretzels, even if the seat was flown empty. Allowing airlines to try to make twice the money on the same seat with an overbooking practice that constantly causes collateral damage is what pisses people off.

The fact that this happened with the worst airline added fuel to the fire.
 
Giolon

Giolon

Member
Stumpokapow said:
- air travel is essential infrastructure
- businesses may be more efficient at delivering essential infrastructure, but if they are not, then the government should nationalize them in the public interest
- satisfaction with airlines is low and not rising
- all airlines provide essentially an identical service except for the routes they serve and their tolerance for passing on misery to passengers under the guise of cost savings

not saying

just saying
Click to expand...

It's not like the government gives stellar service. See: DMV, post office, public housing, or the TSA.
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
outunderthestars said:
Why would they lose a lawsuit? It was the police that roughed the guy up and the carrier had the legal right to bump him off the flight.
Click to expand...

If it was a racist asshole refusing to leave after being kicked off instead, would we be blaming the cops for being physical? At best, you'd probably here a bit of excessive force, but largely you'd be hearing a lot more positive remarks. I doubt the cops knew why they were there other than, we have someone who is refusing to get off. Which is fair and the reason why the cops would be there. But do you think they were told it's because we are trying to kick off an old man because we fucked up? Hell no. More like he refuses to cooperate.

Yes, they should be reprimanded, but the entire issue is 100% created by United Policy issues and how they handled the problem. It's like bitching at the janitor for having to unclog the toilet. He's there because you filled it with shit.

So no, sue the shit out of United. They caused, escalated, and they are responsible. It's no coincidence why they want to find this guy quick.
 
W

WeirdoStalkerJr

Member
depths20XX said:
Same shit happened with Delta to me on a flight to Japan. Split me up from my group and sent me on a flight to Tokyo when I was headed to Osaka. Had to stay the night at the airport in Tokyo and fly to Osaka the next morning. They offered me $70 dollars credit lol.
Click to expand...

Oh noo, you got $70!! Damn, you made out better then I did!

Yea, never again.lol
 
2

2Smashed4U

Banned
FreedomFighter said:
Pretty much. I sometimes wonder if cops realize they've essentially become thugs for corporations or if they do know and just don't care.
Click to expand...

It's sort of shocking the amount of times I've heard cops drop the old "I don't make the laws I just enforce them" line as justification for doing really heinous shit, without even stopping to think whether or not they *have to* in the first place.
 
C

cryptosporidium

Member
17861568_10155202566944595_5401099971965589579_n.jpg
 
Dr. Zoidberg

Dr. Zoidberg

Member
CrocMother said:
What is it about this story that people are so interested in?
Click to expand...

It's got everything for a good story:

Action - The video footage
The Sympathetic Hero - Doctor that stands up to authority so he can see patients the next day
The Evil Villain - United airlines is a hated company in a field of hated companies. Everyone can relate to the hero.


norm9 said:
Could be me next time, could be you.
Click to expand...

Not me, I would have gotten up when the police arrived. I think most people would have. Is that cowardice or just common sense? A little of both? Either way I would have avoided being injured and dragged around. I wouldn't want the headache of the lawsuit either. But, it's probably good he decided to fight the power. United and the airport police were wrong and deserve to be sued.
 
G

greepoman

Member
Audioboxer said:
Compensation seems to be a set amount based around time/distance





http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/airlines-oversell-flights-end-bumping-passengers-46707350

Written by: https://twitter.com/airlinewriter I guess I could respectfully try contacting him and asking about being in the cabin!
Click to expand...

Yeah but this is just the federally mandated amount ? I don't think there's anything stopping airlines for going up more? I wouldn't be surprised if their management wants them to just do the legally mandated minimum and not any more before calling security.
 
O

old manatee

Banned
Dr. Zoidberg said:
It's got everything for a good story:

Action - The video footage
The Sympathetic Hero - Doctor that stands up to authority so he can see patients the next day
The Evil Villain - United airlines is a hated company in a field of hated companies. Everyone can relate to the hero.
Click to expand...


Plus they used a computer to randomly pick a customer to victimize. Anyone who flies could end up in a situation like this.
 
Audioboxer

Audioboxer

Member
greepoman said:
Yeah but this is just the federally mandated amount ? I don't think there's anything stopping airlines for going up more? I wouldn't be surprised if their management wants them to just do the legally mandated minimum and not any more before calling security.
Click to expand...

Possibly, but I guess we'd need to find out if federal amounts are set, and airlines cannot go over. That's another can of worms lol. I contacted the writer above about bumping after going through the gates. What have I got to lose, I've dug my own hole and had many posters debate with me so I might as well go the extra mile and genuinely try and prove if I'm talking shit. Someone has to know a definitive answer to this and I'd have thought the treatment of this passenger and this going viral would have had it clarified. Everywhere is just pointing to the boarding laws and regulations around bumping. I know journalists aren't lawyers, though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

So Long Redbox
19
1K
Bridges replied
EA to lay off 5% of workforce, or about 670 employees
News 2
91
7K
CamHostage replied
  • Locked
[TNYT] Brazil Blocks X After Musk Ignores Court Orders
Social News Community 2
69
4K
ManaByte replied
Intel is considering splitting off it's foundry business
Business Hardware
33
2K
marquimvfs replied
Delta flight attendant tackles would-be hijacker, zip-ties his wrists: video
News
16
3K
BouncyFrag replied
Top Bottom