So United Airlines is off to a great week

[Raising Heel]

Summary of events:

• United overbooks a flight from Chicago to Louisville.
• United has 4 flight attendants who need to be on the flight to reach their next assignment (but has no seats for them because of the overbook).
• United offers passengers $400 and a hotel to take a flight the following day; nobody bites.
• United ups the offer to $800; still no takers.
• United randomly selects 4 passengers to be bumped from the flight (keeping in mind they have all purchased tickets and are already seated on the plane).
• One of the randomly selected passengers refuses to surrender his seat. He is a doctor and has hospital patients to see the following morning.
• United calls security, who physically drags the doctor off the plane.

Of course the other passengers recorded all this on their cell phones. The video is a straight up WTF moment: http://www.courier-journal.com/stor...d-united-flight-chicago-louisville/100274374/

United's comment on the incident is equally ridiculous: "Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation. Further details on the removed customer should be directed to authorities." They apologize for the overbook -- which was their fault to begin with -- but not for beating the crap out of a paying passenger.

So apparently United's decision hierarchy goes $400 --> $800 --> assault a passenger. Why in the world didn't they just keep upping the amount until somebody bites? Whatever dollar amount they landed on would've been a heck of a lot cheaper than the lawsuit and negative PR this story has created.

 

[coolwaterunc]

• United offers passengers $400 and a hotel to take a flight the following day; nobody bites.
• United ups the offer to $800; still no takers.

Nobody took $800 and a hotel? That sounds like pretty awesome relaxing night to me. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

 

[Raising Heel]

Nobody took $800 and a hotel? That sounds like pretty awesome relaxing night to me. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

Too bad you weren't on the flight then. Could've saved that guy an ass-kicking.

 

[jcolucci]

Good friend of mine who lived across the street from us moved to Chicago when Continental and United merged and is now United's COO. Super nice guy but man I imagine he's stressing these days. Continental was a good airline (kinda like the old Piedmont before becoming USAir) but post-merger the hits just keep coming.

 

[toophly1124]

Dude straight up needs his ass kicked for assaulting that guy.

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

Dude straight up needs his ass kicked for assaulting that guy.

So your response to violence is more violence? smh

/strummingram

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Guess which airline is about to lose $20 million or more to a doctor, via a lawsuit.

 

[toophly1124]

So your response to violence is more violence? smh

/strummingram

Yes. 10000 times yes.

I see what you did there and I like it.

 

[Raising Heel]

Guess which airline is about to lose $20 million or more to a doctor, via a lawsuit.

Oooh! Oooh! I know this one!

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Oooh! Oooh! I know this one!

Seriously... why did anyone think it was okay to handle the situation like that.

I couldn't tell from the article, were the security guys United Airlines security, or the airport's security? I have a comment, but it hinges upon knowing the answer to that question.

 

[toophly1124]

I think they were the po-leese

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I think they were the po-leese

Yeah, I watched part of the video but couldn't tell. It did say "POLICE" on the one guy's back, but that could still mean it's United employees.

If they were O'Hare airport employees, then O'Hare can expect to also part with a substantial chunk of money, so I guess by extension, Illinois tax payers?

 

[Blue2010]

Guess which airline is about to lose $20 million or more to a doctor, via a lawsuit.

My immediate thought to this -- plane was full of highly intelligent individuals who all knew they were one beatdown from a massive payday.

 

[Raising Heel]

My immediate thought to this -- plane was full of highly intelligent individuals who all knew they were one beatdown from a massive payday.

I've seen some people on Twitter complain that none of the other passengers intervened. On one hand, you're probably looking at an obstruction of justice charge plus a beatdown if you try to get involved. On the other hand, what you said. Problem is we've seen so many instances of police being absolved in these kinds of cases that I wouldn't take the chance, personally.

 

[heelbent]

My immediate thought to this -- plane was full of highly intelligent individuals who all knew they were one beatdown from a massive payday.

Heck, I gave up a seat from Chicago to Denver once for a Cubs ticket, a room and a hundred bucks. And every time I ever got my arse kicked I gave it up for free.

I'm a cheap date.

 

[heelmanwilm]

I've seen some people on Twitter complain that none of the other passengers intervened. On one hand, you're probably looking at an obstruction of justice charge plus a beatdown if you try to get involved. On the other hand, what you said. Problem is we've seen so many instances of police being absolved in these kinds of cases that I wouldn't take the chance, personally.

Its interesting to think about cause they were acting as private employees of the airport at the time and not police officers if i read it correctly. Therefore all the usual charges associated with resisting police wouldnt apply.

 

[heelbent]

Therefore all the usual charges associated with resisting police wouldnt apply.

Maybe...but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[prlyles]

Nobody took $800 and a hotel? That sounds like pretty awesome relaxing night to me. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

Depends on how bad you need to get where you're going....

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I'd hope that the ones that were randomly selected still got the $800 and the hotel room, right? It's not like "oh no one accepted our offer, so now you're all randomly chosen to get bumped with no compensation".

And - why can't this stuff ever happen to me? I'd gladly get my ass kicked and dragged off a plane for what may very well end up in a settlement that allows this guy to retire. If he's a doctor, and he can claim they permanently f'd up his hands or something in this little scuffle that will prevent him from being able to practice - he'll be rich!

 

[toophly1124]

 

[Raising Heel]

 

[tarheel0910]

So now the CEO is blaming the passenger. Any chance they had to gain back the market share they are going to lose from this just decreased dramatically.

 

[Raising Heel]

So now the CEO is blaming the passenger. Any chance they had to gain back the market share they are going to lose from this just decreased dramatically.

oops

 

[tarheel0910]

 

[heelz2345]

United's Training Video

 

[Raising Heel]

 

[Raising Heel]

 

[heelbent]

 

[BillyL]

Theres been some good poasts in this thread . .




. . I really mean that this time.

 

[toophly1124]

 

[gteeitup]

there are people here for a conference that got bumped and accepted much more $$$ and received vouchers.

mostly midwest and northeast in-bound to jacksonville.

 

[tarheelinfl]

Worst PR ever! As mentioned above, they should have kept upping the offer until someone took it, would have been cheaper in the long run!

 

[Raising Heel]

Saw someone suggest that Southwest Airlines should run a "Wanna Get Away?" ad that features Sean Spicer drinking a Pepsi on a United flight.

Someone else suggested starting a PR/Damage Control firm named "Hold My Beer."

If nothing else, this event has spawned a lot of good jokes.

 

[heelbent]

 

[heelbent]

 

[heelbent]

 

[heelbent]

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

When it rains, it pours.

Scorpion stings passenger on United flight

 

[BillyL]

LMFAO . .

My mother, (RIP) was a United Ailrines reservation agent, I can only imagine what her response might have been from learning of this PR fiasco of a nightmare.

 

[tarheel0910]

When it rains, it pours.

Scorpion stings passenger on United flight

United CEO released a statement saying, "that stupid SOB should have checked the bin first. Hopefully he'll die on the way home."