Tell me that this isn’t true. Does such disdain and knuckleheaded-ness actually exist? Is commercial air service an alternative realty where company managers can boot non-threatening customers in the caboose only because a customer insisted that he receive what he paid for?
Some background information on airline overbooking:
Most (not all) airlines commonly overbook flights where no-shows are typical. If there are not enough no-shows to relieve the overbooking, the airline first asks for volunteers, offering various levels of compensation (voluntary denied boarding, or VDB). If there are not enough volunteers, some passengers are involuntarily denied boarding (IDB) with mandated levels of compensation.
The airline’s check in process is supposed to prevent issuing a boarding pass if there is an overbooking situation and the passenger is a potential IDB (a “get past security to get to the gate” document is issued instead). The actual boarding pass is then issued at the gate to such a passenger who is not IDB. So an IDB passenger is not supposed to even be able to get on the plane since s/he has no valid boarding pass.
Obviously, this incident indicates that (a) the overbooking/no-show/VDB estimate was incorrect (resulting in IDB, which airlines do not like to do because it gives them dissatisfied customers), and (b) somehow, the system let an IDB passenger onto the plane, presumably with a boarding pass, before he was identified as one to be IDB.
That video is upsetting to watch!
It sounded upsetting, so I didn’t watch, especially since we are flying UAL tomorrow and for foreseeable future
It is weird that they close to remove a seated passenger instead of just not letting another sit in this guy’s seat.
Oh my…there should never be more boarding passes than seats issued! The time to IDB is prior to the boarding pass with a seat assignment being issued!! The last 4 to check in with no seat assignment go on stand by…someone messed up?
Perhaps the error is due to issuing more than one boarding pass for one seat. I have read of such stories before, but it is hard to believe that such a thing would be allowed to happen (surely the airlines know what a problem such a thing can cause and make sure that their computer systems prevent that).
Several times when I have been at the gate waiting to board, staffers announce a request for volunteers to give up a seat. On occasion, after no one has come forward, they up the ante with more “lucrative” incentives. In the end they usually got someone to give up a seat or two. This is why I cannot fathom why this particular trip deteriorated into a mess and a bloody physical confrontation.
Usually, I am the guy waiting for the gate staff to up the ante, so I can earn a free ticket or two. I don’t mind arriving to my destination a couple of hours later. And if they bump me up to First Class to my destination and give me free tickets for a future trip, then that’s all the incentive I need.
All airlines overbook…they have to. That said, it sounds like they had to get a flight attendant on this flight or the plane she was heading to would have been delayed/canceled…stranding hundreds of passengers in another city. They asked for volunteers…no one would do it…so they randomly chose a person by computer who would have to get off (again, fairly routine) and that guy really really wouldn’t get off. And at that point, United screwed up in every way. But it was fairly routine until then.
This is a holiday week, so WAY less ppl will be willing to be bumped. I have to fly out tomorrow and back Sunday. I’m sure tomorrow will be fine, but Sunday…who knows. As it is for work, I’m willing to be bumped. For a price!
Jet Blue claims not to intentionally overbook, but flight cancellations and such can cause equivalent situations:
https://www.jetblue.com/legal/customer-service-plan/
You definitely are NEVER allowed to question airline personnel. 9/11 changed everything. These types of events happen all the time. If an airline person tells you to do something and you do not, then they will call security and have your forcibly removed from the aircraft. I recall seeing other instances of people being removed. Most instances are not video taped so we never get to see it; only read about it.
Remember the soup Nazi from Seinfeld? Pretty much how airline people are now.
Not sure if this is a complete story, but
per what somone said on cnbc, apparently United realized that they needed to get some crew members to point b when the plane was already boarded. So they offered $800 to anyone who would get off. After looking for volunteers, they randomly bumped several folks. This guy refused to get off. Security was called, and he still refused. Then he was yanked out of the seat by the security and dragged off the plane. Very ugly situation.
The airline should face criminal charges for fraud and assault.
Why didn’t they just offer more money until someone agreed to take it? $1200 or $1500 is pennies compared to the horrible publicity United is enduring.
Good thing the guy wasn’t wearing leggings.
@mom2twogirls I would suspect this guy could have been charged as well. Refusing to obey an airline employee on an aircraft might just be an arrest-able offense. Not sure.
I suspect the “get tough on crime” crowd is going to like this and say it is about time people are held accountable for their actions.
Personally I found the public shaming of the 10 year old girl for wearing leggings to be more offensive than this episode.
That’s what I was thinking - there is a price point that will make someone jump out of their seat.
“Personally I found the public shaming of the 10 year old girl for wearing leggings to be more offensive than this episode.”
Turns out, there was no public shaming.
I read that the flight was not overbooked, rather UAL needed to move a fight crew to another city for a flight. Pretty sure if they offered $1500 for someone to give up their seat there would be takers.
This is one of the top trending stories today. Absolutely appalling. The civil lawsuit will end up costing them a lot. And the bad publicity is extremely damaging. Flying these days is an endurance test. An ordeal. Not something to look forward to like in the old days.
Apparently this passenger was a doctor who needed to return to round on his patients. And yes, the money should have been raised. I’ve given up a seat gladly for $800. It’s hard to believe that everyone on that flight had something so important to get to that he/she would not have exchanged the seat for some amount of money.
I remember when they used to give you a voucher for a flight on their airline anywhere they flew in the U. S. That was a good deal.
I hope he sues the s(*& out of them! I am so over these airlines being cheap. They nickel and dime us to death with fees, and then because THEY need to reposition their crew, they want passengers to be inconvenienced. They make BILLIONS in baggage fees alone, and they were too cheap to up the ante, to get someone else to voluntarily give up a seat. Its disgraceful!!!
On a side note, my friend who is a flight attendant said soon they will all be moving to charging for a carry-on. Apparently it takes too long for everyone to stuff their baggage in overhead compartments, and it delays the flights. To that I say, if you hadnt started charging everyone for checking a bag, there would be less folks trying to cram everything in their carryon!