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United passenger threatened with handcuff to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

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K

kudoboi

Member
Fearns needed to return early so he paid about $1,000 for a full-fare, first-class ticket to Los Angeles.
Click to expand...

Then, as Fearns tells it, a United employee rushed onto the aircraft and informed him that he had to get off the plane.

“I asked why,” he told me. “They said the flight was overfull.”

Fearns, like the doctor at the center of that viral video from Sunday night, held his ground. He was already on the plane, already seated. He shouldn’t have to disembark.

“That’s when they told me they needed the seat for somebody more important who came at the last minute,” Fearns said. “They said they have a priority list and this other person was higher on the list than me.”

"They said they’d put me in cuffs if they had to."
Click to expand...
More in the article

Just.. wow
 
M

Mael

Member
United saw how Malaysia airline was doing and thought they could beat the streak of worst airline related news or something?
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
It boggles my mind how these United employees don't see how wrong what they're doing is. How about a little empathy for paying customers?
 
H

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
It's not just the employers can't be overstated what a big turd the CEO seems to be as well with his two faced apologies and handling of the situation.
 
K

KennyLinder

Member
DonMigs85 said:
It boggles my mind how these United employees don't see how wrong what they're doing is. How about a little empathy for paying customers?
Click to expand...

They're probably told they won't have a job if they don't follow the rules exactly. It's a shocking case of don't blame the messenger.
 
B

Bollocks

Member
pretty professional of united, they could argue back and forth to no avail but instead they laid the cards on the table, "look, someone is more important than you, we kindly ask you to leave on your own behalf or you can make a scene about it where we then have to force you off the plane, your choice".
 
O

Onaco

Member
Reading the article made it slightly less shitty. The man is white, so he gets refunded the difference of his $1000 first class ticket down to $500. He also got $500 in credit to use for a flight on United (LOL). He plans to sue and has resources supposedly. It isn't as dramatic. It is interesting that he was the least qualified to be in first class.

Another interesting thing is he emailed for a full refund and said he would like $25,000 donated to a charity of his choice. He only got his 50% refund and the $500 credit to come back.
 
C

ClosingADoor

Member
Apparently United had some mechanical troubles with the aircraft scheduled to make the flight. So the carrier swapped out that plane with a slightly smaller one with fewer first-class seats.
Click to expand...
The threat they made is stupid, but if you need to use a smaller plane, it is logical not all people fit.

A United employee, responding to Fearns' complaint that he shouldn't have to miss the flight, compromised by downgrading him to economy class and placing him in the middle seat between a married couple who were in the midst of a nasty fight and refused to be seated next to each other.
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He was then placed in Economy, so he could still fly.
 
C

CDX

Member
Fearns requested a full refund for his flight from Kauai and asked for United to make a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice. This is how rich guys do it.

He received an email back from a United ”corporate customer care specialist" apologizing that Fearns apparently had an unpleasant experience. But, no, forget about a refund.

As for that charitable donation, what are you kidding? A hard no on that.

Instead, the service rep offered to refund Fearns the difference between his first-class ticket and an economy ticket — about a week later, as if that wasn't the first thing they should do in a situation like this — and to give him a $500 credit for a future trip on the airline.
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Wait, they didn't even offer to REFUND him the difference between his first class ticket that he paid for and the economy seat he eventually got, until over a week later!? And that was only a counter offer after he asked for a full refund and a charity donation.

United is nuts.
 
S

shoelacer

Banned
Man, I gotta get a job with United. I've always wanted a job where I could just not give a fuck and no one higher up would give a fuck either.
 
N

NoblesseOblige

Banned
Oersted said:
Is that a thinly veiled "They are asking for getting misstreated"?
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No. It's more about how seats are going to continue to be (over)filled because price is the number one determinant in getting people in seats. Since that isn't going to go away the only method to solving the issue is for some larger regulatory or legal body coming in and correcting it for them.
 
S

Spunky Monkey

Member
I think people are missing a number of obvious points here.

1. Why wasn't the 'more important customer' given the economy seat seeing as they arrived later than this guy?
2. He got a refund, but only after asking for it. In reality he should have been refunded instantly plus a goodwill gesture on top, not having to beg for it.
3. When did importance of the customer become the basis of buying a product?

So many companies are going this way at the moment, 'it's company policy' is what you hear in regards to anything they don't want to do. As if thats a legal document that can never be broken. Only way companies like this learn is bad press and then loss of money.

Want a shit experience, buy cheap. Want an experience where you won't be hand cuffed for taking your seat you bought or having a bloodied face then spend a bit more on a company that takes pride in their service. You can always make more money.
 
R

Rafy

Member
Wow, this is the second one I've heard of in as many days.

And to think that their CEO was awarded a Communicator of The Year a few weeks ago...
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
Jonnax said:
Must have been one of those Low Priority First Class Tickets.
Click to expand...

From the article, it does sound like the change to the smaller plane bumped him down. At least what I'm reading from it, he was a late comer when buying the ticket and once they realized they didn't have enough seats. Makes sense to knock down the most recent.

But United piss poor customer service and corporate policies again shine through once more. Incentivize the customer to move on their own will. Not threaten and have them have to ask for a refund of the difference. If they just comped his ride for their fuck up, no issue. Ask someone else too, we'll refund if a 1st class wants to move down to economy and give a free first class upgrade on their next flight. They have so much wiggle room.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
The simple short term solution would be first come first serve. Bumping someone seated, when they were obviously on time is absolute bullshit.
 
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