United Airlines Roughed Up Passenger to Give Up His Seat

[Walt34]

I simply can't believe there isn't more to the story; it makes no sense as it is. That's not the way any airline has ever handled an overbooked condition in my experience.

One story I read about it said UA is the only one he's heard about that lets people board the airplane and then wants them off. On other airlines the people who are going to be bumped never make it onto the airplane in the first place so that situation never develops. Much wiser.

 

[samclem]

One story I read about it said UA is the only one he's heard about that lets people board the airplane and then wants them off. On other airlines the people who are going to be bumped never make it onto the airplane in the first place so that situation never develops. Much wiser.

Yep, it's really not smart to wait until people are aboard to work out the situation, it's far more likely to lead to a delay, and to a bad PR situation like this one. Maybe the airline does it because it works: once everyone is aboard the plane and ready to go, if somebody is really mad about getting bumped they may still comply because they don't want to delay everyone else. But if that pressure doesn't work (i.e. the passenger calls their bluff), then they get a situation like this. And if they change their policy to just go down the list if someone refuses to comply, you can bet a LOT more people will be refusing to comply in the future.

The law (correctly, in my view) gives the crew a lot of latitude in managing the passengers on an airplane (even one not in flight). Like the announcement says, "compliance with crewmember instructions is mandatory." If they tell you to get off the plane, you must do it. But that doesn't (and shouldn't) shield the airlines from lawsuits and bad PR.

 

[braumeister]

But you don't get on the plane unless you have an assigned seat, so how does that work?

 

[JoeWras]

But you don't get on the plane unless you have an assigned seat, so how does that work?

They re-assign your seat.

 

[CaliKid]

I am in the minority here. I am not suggesting United acted appropriately as they did not obviously. However, the airline did a random draw and dude lost. So he should have gotten up and gotten off the plane. Then he could bad mouth United on Facebook like most of us would and gotten his free airport food vouchers. Beyond that I don't see the incident as a $2m or greater settlement. I see it as way less but I am not a PI attorney so what do I know. Will be interesting to see what comes of it.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

(raises hand) "I'd like to volunteer to be roughed up on an airplane, for $2M".

 

[Big_Hitter]

(raises hand) "I'd like to volunteer to be roughed up on an airplane, for $2M".

no kidding

 

[omni550]

A few years ago I was flying home (Detroit) from Reno on the Sunday after July 4, which is a super-busy travel day. I'd been in Reno for 5 days attending a convention of a social group to which I belong.

While we were in the terminal, they had a request up on the monitor at the gate asking for something like 6-8 volunteers due to the usual overbooking situation. I wasn't paying close attention, but they did get enough volunteers to accept whatever "deal" the airline was offering.

After we boarded and were in our seats for about 10-20 minutes or so, the pilot got on the speaker and said, due to the heat, lack of wind, altitude, weight of the fully-loaded plane, etc. they needed 15 volunteers to get off the plane just so the plane could take off. They were offering a hotel night (back at the same hotel where I'd just been), meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast, a seat on the first flight out in the morning, and a domestic flight voucher.

For the first time ever (and I basically lived out of a suitcase for much of my career) I was able to take advantage of such an offer. As I got out of my window seat and squeezed past my 2 seatmates, they both thanked me profusely.

I disembarked (with a few other volunteers), walked straight over to the car rental counter, rented a car and drove up to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

I didn't stick around to see how long it took before the flight was finally able to take off. Don't know if they got enough volunteers or if they had to drag anyone off the plane.

omni

 

[omni550]

Wow...looks like they let the doctor get back on the Chicago-Louisville flight...here's video of his bloodied face and him saying "want to go home"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/new-vide...turning-plane-forcibly-removed-185220992.html

omni

 

[Walt34]

After we boarded and were in our seats for about 10-20 minutes or so, the pilot got on the speaker and said, due to the heat, lack of wind, altitude, weight of the fully-loaded plane, etc. they needed 15 volunteers to get off the plane just so the plane could take off.

That's a density altitude issue, and a lot of airplanes have crashed because the pilot miscalculated.

The aircraft is certified to carry a given weight on a standard day, and on hot humid days that weight has to be reduced because on a hot humid day the air is less dense and there will be less mass flowing over/under the wing. This can and does severely impact takeoff speed and distance. If it turns out that the takeoff length exceeds the runway length you have what is in technical terms called "a severe problem" or an "awsh*t moment".

 

[MichaelB]

I simply can't believe there isn't more to the story; it makes no sense as it is. That's not the way any airline has ever handled an overbooked condition in my experience.

+1 I'm also doubtful we've heard the whole story.

Wow...looks like they let the doctor get back on the Chicago-Louisville flight...here's video of his bloodied face and him saying "want to go home"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/new-vide...turning-plane-forcibly-removed-185220992.html

omni

How to be sure these videos are legit and represent the real situation? That blood could easily contaminate another passenger, and I think UA would not likely let someone on in that condition.

 

[imoldernu]

Comic relief...

Cain't fix stupid!

 

[Bestwifeever]

I simply can't believe there isn't more to the story; it makes no sense as it is. That's not the way any airline has ever handled an overbooked condition in my experience.

Maybe they thought he had leggings on under his pants.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Considering all the blood I would say that there will be a lawsuit. When we were working they would offer $ to stay overnight, etc but we could never take advantage of it. Now that we are retired that has never happened. 2 of my sons live in Wichita and I am also getting some dental work done there much cheaper so have been flying to Denver and then Wichita. The plane between Wichita and Denver is always half empty. So far United has been cheaper then Southwest. In the past airlines just keep upping the offer because everyone has a price. I am so shocked by what they did.

 

[euro]

So, on a United flight, the seats got overbooked so 4 unlucky people get randomly selected to get booted off. One one of them refused, authorities called in, and roughs up the passenger before dragging him out.


Definitely goes in the "What the ..." category.

The most common sense of all:

Passenger dragged from United flight; CEO calls it 'upsetting event' - Chicago Tribune

I think this is indefensible and I will make sure to remember it for any future air travel needs.

 

[euro]

BUT, If the employees were needed to staff another flight (or 2, or 3) and did not arrive then you could have had a ripple effect causing hundreds of passengers to be delayed or have flights cancelled.

UA could have rented a minivan and driven the employees down to KY. Dragging a ticketed and seated passenger from the plane is not excusable in any way, shape or form, IMHO

 

[imoldernu]

The law:

Reminder: If United (Or Any Other Airline) Bumps You, It's Supposed To Pay You | The Huffington Post

 

[Fedup]

It's one airline I avoid after my last fiasco with them. 9 hours flight delayed to Hawaii from LAX. They compensated us with $200 or $400 per passenger. The voucher has to be used within a certain timeline. So it's not totally free.

 

[Bestwifeever]

UA could have rented a minivan and driven the employees down to KY. Dragging a ticketed and seated passenger from the plane is not excusable in any way, shape or form, IMHO

I wonder if the time in the minivan would have counted as hours worked and put them over any limits they might have. Regardless, United needs to offer a lot more training to its employees in passenger relations imo. Poor guy.

 

[CardsFan]

Wow...looks like they let the doctor get back on the Chicago-Louisville flight...here's video of his bloodied face and him saying "want to go home"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/new-vide...turning-plane-forcibly-removed-185220992.html

omni

If you read the article, it sounds like he forced his way back on, but was later taken to a local hospital. And the crew had the passengers disembark so the plane could be cleaned before take-off.

I am not saying UA handled this correctly, but it sure sounds like we need Paul Harvey to tell us "The rest of the story".

 

[Just_Steve]

Lets be clear, it was NOT united employees who dragged this guy off the plane. It was airport POLICE. Put the blame for the rough handling where it belongs.

 

[scrabbler1]

+1. I see a lawsuit and/or boycott in the works.

The irony, of course, is United's slogan of the friendly skies .

The skies may be friendly, but not the airline personnel on the ground!

I would expect a lawsuit with a quick settlement. You think UA wants a big trial in a year or two from now just to remind everyone of how badly they mishandled this? The man should get something from UA but I think a 6-figure or 7-figure award is excessive. The payout and all the bad publicity and lost business is enough punishment for UA.

Louisville is about 300 miles from Chicago, a 5-hour drive (or less with a heavy foot). Put the employees in a van and let them drive.

I'm glad I haven't flown in 13 years, by far the longest stretch of my nearly 54 years.

One time, back in the 1980s, I was flying home to NY from San Diego, changing planes in Chicago. It was either American or United. I checked in at SD and received boarding passes for both flights. I checked in again at Chicago and showed the gate agent my boarding pass and was told I was good to go. I board the plane and my seat doesn't exist. It's the stewardess's galley. Two gate agents, one in SD and the other in Chicago, missed this. Of course, I asked the stewardess if I could be seated in first class if no seats in coach were available. Somehow, the flight was completely booked, and they found a seat (in non-smoking, remember we had separate sections back then?) and the everything was uneventful after that.

 

[euro]

Lets be clear, it was NOT united employees who dragged this guy off the plane. It was airport POLICE. Put the blame for the rough handling where it belongs.

UA called them in and told them to remove the passenger. The cops did not have discretion on whether to follow the order or not. The blame is where it belongs, in my opinion

 

[samclem]

UA called them in and told them to remove the passenger. The cops did not have discretion on whether to follow the order or not. The blame is where it belongs, in my opinion

When the passenger failed to comply with the instructions of the crewmember ("Sir, you'll need to leave the plane") he was in the wrong, had broken the law, and removing him was "just part of the service." Now, whether the crew (and airline) should have issued that direction is a different matter.

 

[Just_Steve]

UA called them in and told them to remove the passenger. The cops did not have discretion on whether to follow the order or not. The blame is where it belongs, in my opinion

Once the airline asked the passenger to disembark and the passenger declined it was no longer an airline issue as the passenger has now violated federal law, now it is a law enforcement issue.