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NEWS The Not So Friendly Skies....

xj220

Will fly for food.
pilot
Contributor
I agree, I'd be upset, too but $1,000 voucher? You can have a lot of fun with that and that's not an insignificant amount either.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
You have to bifurcate this incident. Most here are questioning the over book compensation policy of United. That is fair. I don't see, so far, any reason to criticize the employees. They appear to have followed all the proper procedures. If the limit is $1000, a gate agent just can't unilaterally decide to up the limit. I suspect no one at ORD has that authority. But what has everyone up in arms is the way the pax was removed. That is on the passenger and the "Chicago Aviation Security Officers" (that is what they have been called by United, I don't know if they were Chicago Police or not). The airline is not responsible for how an outside agency performs it job. If you call the police to your house because of an intruder, and the police break his arm taking him into custody, would it be fair for the suspect to sue you, or the press to bad mouth you for any misconduct on the part of one or two police officers you called to the scene?

There are lot of reasons for a last minute positive space deadhead crew. It is almost never for poor planning.

Nice list of prior bad PR moves or poor service on UAL. No one remembers them. That is the way American consumers are now. Short memories. They only know what happens to them. YOU get treated well, you come back. YOU get treated poorly, you don't come back, if it is an option. If enough passengers are asked to deplane for a deadhead crew, refuse $1000, and get violently removed by authorities, they will remember. They won't come back. If they see it on TV, not so much.
 
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wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Just saw the video from at least two different angles. All those who claim he was knocked unconscienced in the scuffle to remove him, ahhh, no. He still had a death grip on his cell phone as he was dragged out. The doughy passed out look on his face was complete acting. Why would he act unnatural, hummm? And I now see that the officers involved were Chicago City Police. And I for one, don't give a shit if he is a physician who has to see patients in the morning. What would have happened to his schedule of patients if the flight had been canceled due to weather? Sorry doc, you ain't all that. He makes sure everyone knows he is a doctor because doctors are special? They have rights other passengers don't have? The rules, "conditions of carriage" don't apply to doctors? Lots of people have important things to do the next day.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
The good doctor is being prosecuted for writing pain pill prescriptions in exchange both for money and sex.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
The Points Guy has a good article on your rights as a passenger. For those of you who fly to Europe, an American airline has to play by European rules when either flying in Europe or departing from Europe - never let the gate agent short-change you for your time. https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/your-rights-on-involuntary-bumps/ In this case, Delta Airlines offered the passenger $150. By knowing the rules that Delta had to pay European rates, the passenger got $816.
https://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/ho...nsation-from-us-carriers-for-delayed-flights/

As The Economist article stated, this "problem" can be easily solved by reducing the cap on reimbursement limits. If the flight is overbooked or oversold (there is a legal difference), then the airline continues to raise the price until it gets a volunteer. In some instances, a "compensation" of say $1000 is wholly inadequate for someone who has been planning their one and only vacation of the year and then the airline screws up. And yes, screws up, is the appropriate term. (Currently, the maximum is 400% of your one way fare up to $1350)

As for this specific case, it is huge news in China where United has a substantial presence. United's stock is down about 4% today.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fg-china-united-backlash-20170411-story.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-39562288
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/nati...United-Passenger-Rough-Removal-419127314.html

And from the South China Morning Post. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...rash-united-airlines-120-million-chinese-view
 
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