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United Airlines strikes again

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

An airline supervisor walked onto the plane and brusquely announced: “We have United employees that need to fly to Louisville tonight. … This flight’s not leaving until four people get off.”
...

A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

-----

There was another incident recently with them mishandling a dress code incident. In that case, the people did not follow the rules but how United handled it s***ed. Before that a while ago was the classic "United Smashes Guitars" incident.

We cancelled our United credit cards a while ago and I'm glad we did. I'm sure United could have found four people to get off the plane if they have offered enough money not a take-it-or-leave-it demand. United is now in my airline of last resort to be used only if there are zero other alternatives.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
The TSA & all airlines are evil.
They used to servants of Satan, but he fired'm all for being too evil.
 

Quetzal

A little to the left and slightly out of focus.
Premium Member
A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

An airline supervisor walked onto the plane and brusquely announced: “We have United employees that need to fly to Louisville tonight. … This flight’s not leaving until four people get off.”
...

A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

-----

There was another incident recently with them mishandling a dress code incident. In that case, the people did not follow the rules but how United handled it s***ed. Before that a while ago was the classic "United Smashes Guitars" incident.

We cancelled our United credit cards a while ago and I'm glad we did. I'm sure United could have found four people to get off the plane if they have offered enough money not a take-it-or-leave-it demand. United is now in my airline of last resort to be used only if there are zero other alternatives.
Another part of the story I just read about is he came back on the plane. He was bloodied and really shaken up. Will search for the link in a moment.
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
Not enough, imo. I am hoping their stocks tank for a bit. But the memory of the public will forget about it soon enough.

Oh, no doubt this will have zero long-term impact on the company or the public. I just hope the guy ends up set up for life.

Any remnants of customer service, or even general decency, in the airline industry disappeared after 9/11, and airlines are basically cattle-cars for people now, with the same level of service and care for the passengers.
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
Not enough, imo. I am hoping their stocks tank for a bit. But the memory of the public will forget about it soon enough.
Because it is not important.
United is a private organization and doesn't owe anybody anything other than following the law.
The optics here are bad, but that's about it. United made a decision and it was inconvenient for somebody. If you want the benefits of private property and capitalism, like United Airlines transportation services, you are also stuck with the downsides. Like somebody can boot you off their plane.
Tom
 

4consideration

*
Premium Member
The airline's treatment of the man was terrible.

I'm not a litigious person, but from what I can see, I think a lawsuit on his behalf is probably order.
 

Quetzal

A little to the left and slightly out of focus.
Premium Member
I'm not a litigious person, but from what I can see, I think a lawsuit on his behalf is probably order.
You bet. Especially since this case went viral. I can assume that there are quite a few lawyers interested in taking this case.
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
I disagree, I think it is important.


Right, and my comment still stands that the population can protest such actions taken by a private organization by simply buying elsewhere.
I totally agree. You can make another choice.
You can even raise hell on the internet.
Tom
 

4consideration

*
Premium Member
You bet. Especially since this case went viral. I can assume that there are quite a few lawyers interested in taking this case.
Me too. I bet attorneys are knocking down his door.

The airline didn't simply deny him boarding. That would have been still annoying and unpleasant, but probably within their rights-- and not suit worthy. I think their treatment of him is suit worthy.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
And to think that United used to call itself the "friendly skies." I'd sure hate to see the "unfriendly skies" if this is their idea of "friendly skies."

They shouldn't be overbooking flights in the first place. They should already know how many seats they have on their own planes. And if they really needed to transport a flight crew to Louisville, then they should have accounted for that ahead of time and had it all organized. But just because they were disorganized, just because they were mismanaged, just because they screwed up and didn't have their ducks lined up - the passengers had to go through all this.

There was a site I used to visit occasionally called "Airline Complaints," and some of the horror stories people relate regarding their treatment on domestic and international carriers are incredible.

But for those looking for low fares and excellent service in an airline, try Thromby Air: Thromby Air | Low Cost Airline | Lowest of the Low

(It's not a real airline; just a site satirizing the travails of modern air travel.)
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

An airline supervisor walked onto the plane and brusquely announced: “We have United employees that need to fly to Louisville tonight. … This flight’s not leaving until four people get off.”
...

A man wouldn’t leave an overbooked United flight. So he was dragged off, battered and limp.

-----

There was another incident recently with them mishandling a dress code incident. In that case, the people did not follow the rules but how United handled it s***ed. Before that a while ago was the classic "United Smashes Guitars" incident.

We cancelled our United credit cards a while ago and I'm glad we did. I'm sure United could have found four people to get off the plane if they have offered enough money not a take-it-or-leave-it demand. United is now in my airline of last resort to be used only if there are zero other alternatives.

I don't fly. And now another good reason not to start.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Because it is not important.
United is a private organization and doesn't owe anybody anything other than following the law.
The optics here are bad, but that's about it. United made a decision and it was inconvenient for somebody. If you want the benefits of private property and capitalism, like United Airlines transportation services, you are also stuck with the downsides. Like somebody can boot you off their plane.
Tom

If I understood the article right He was a paid customer, that had already been ticketed and seated on the plane. They replaced him with unpaid seats for employees needed probably for people that called in sick to work. I don't know of any company that would do that to a customer. I will not being flying United in the future.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Because it is not important.
United is a private organization and doesn't owe anybody anything other than following the law.
The optics here are bad, but that's about it. United made a decision and it was inconvenient for somebody. If you want the benefits of private property and capitalism, like United Airlines transportation services, you are also stuck with the downsides. Like somebody can boot you off their plane.
Tom
I blame you personally for the latest fashion of saying "optics" instead of "appearances".
You should be ashamed.....deeply ashamed.

Anyway, I heard that the passengers were first offered $400 to be bumped.
No takers.
Then they offered $800.
No takers.
(He (a doctor) had patients to see, & didn't want the delay.)
Then they ostensibly picked people at random to get the boot.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
If I understood the article right He was a paid customer, that had already been ticketed and seated on the plane. They replaced him with unpaid seats for employees needed probably for people that called in sick to work. I don't know of any company that would do that to a customer. I will not being flying United in the future.
This has been policy for decades.
They purposely overbook flights because some people usually cancel.
Mrs Revolt once made $1500 by taking a later flight.
So it usually works pretty well.

Btw, there's a catch......
The money is actually a credit towards flying on the airline.
That's good if you plan to travel within a (usually) year.
Reminds me of The Great Waldo Pepper line about his
barnstorming (flying WW1 airplanes with rubes aboard)......
If you don't like your first ride, the 2nd one is free!
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
Anyway, I heard that the passengers were first offered $400 to be bumped.
No takers.
Then they offered $800.
No takers.
(He (a doctor) had patients to see, & didn't want the delay.)
I didn't read it.
It looked too much like another entry in the diary, "Notes from the culture of Victimhood and Entitlement. "
Tom
 
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