So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
#1
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So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
United Airlines decided to remove paying customers from a flight to make room for employees, and and when one passenger refused to give up his seat, they called in the goon squad.
According to other reports, the passenger was a doctor who needed to be on that flight so he could treat patients on Monday. The police claim the guy "fell".
The incident is bad enough, but United's reaction is ridiculous. Saying they asked for volunteers and the guy refused? Calling it "re-accomodation"? People need to get fired over this.
A video posted on Facebook late Sunday evening shows a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville being forcibly removed from the plane before takeoff at O’Hare International Airport.
The video, posted by Audra D. Bridges at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, is taken from an aisle seat on a commercial airplane that appears to be preparing to take flight. The 31-second clip shows three men wearing radio equipment and security jackets speaking with a man seated on the plane. After a few seconds, one of the men grabs the passenger, who screams, and drags him by his arms toward the front of the plane. The video ends before anything else is shown.
A United spokesperson confirmed in an email Sunday night that a passenger had been taken off a flight in Chicago.
"Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked," the spokesperson said. "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."
Bridges, a Louisville resident, gave her account of the flight Sunday night.
Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday. Passengers were allowed to board the flight, Bridges said, and once the flight was filled those on the plane were told that four people needed to give up their seats to stand-by United employees that needed to be in Louisville on Monday for a flight. Passengers were told that the flight would not take off until the United crew had seats, Bridges said, and the offer was increased to $800, but no one volunteered.
Then, she said, a manager came aboard the plane and said a computer would select four people to be taken off the flight. One couple was selected first and left the airplane, she said, before the man in the video was confronted.
On Monday, United released a statement from CEO Oscar Munoz: "This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation."
The video, posted by Audra D. Bridges at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, is taken from an aisle seat on a commercial airplane that appears to be preparing to take flight. The 31-second clip shows three men wearing radio equipment and security jackets speaking with a man seated on the plane. After a few seconds, one of the men grabs the passenger, who screams, and drags him by his arms toward the front of the plane. The video ends before anything else is shown.
A United spokesperson confirmed in an email Sunday night that a passenger had been taken off a flight in Chicago.
"Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked," the spokesperson said. "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."
Bridges, a Louisville resident, gave her account of the flight Sunday night.
Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday. Passengers were allowed to board the flight, Bridges said, and once the flight was filled those on the plane were told that four people needed to give up their seats to stand-by United employees that needed to be in Louisville on Monday for a flight. Passengers were told that the flight would not take off until the United crew had seats, Bridges said, and the offer was increased to $800, but no one volunteered.
Then, she said, a manager came aboard the plane and said a computer would select four people to be taken off the flight. One couple was selected first and left the airplane, she said, before the man in the video was confronted.
On Monday, United released a statement from CEO Oscar Munoz: "This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation."
The incident is bad enough, but United's reaction is ridiculous. Saying they asked for volunteers and the guy refused? Calling it "re-accomodation"? People need to get fired over this.
#3
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
In the long run with all this bad publicity, it would've been a lot cheaper for United to charter an empty plane to fly their four stand-by employees to Louisville.
Overbooked flights are BS.
Overbooked flights are BS.
#4
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
New UA commercial
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#5
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
After seeing that it was about 300 miles away - they could have driven it easily. And it would have cost a LOT less than the incoming lawsuit.
#6
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
The gentlemen who forcibly removed the passenger were wearing jackets, etc that implied that they were Law Enforcement, but their jeans/sneakers scream "Mall Security".
The man was attempting to call his attorney when he was grabbed. His head was slammed against the armrest (hence the blood) and he was forcibly dragged from the plane in front of the other passengers. Literally dragged him. Down the aisle.
Like everybody else on the plane, he bought his ticket, expecting it to be a contract between he and the airline. He did nothing wrong but was dragged from a plane for the crime of expecting to get what he paid for. I wonder if they arrested him for "resisting arrest", and if so, could he be banned from flying ever again. He's certainly going to be stuck with legal fees, and if he was charged with anything he'll have more legal expenses in Illinois (he lives/works in Kentucky) to try to clear his name. And if he fails and has a conviction on his record, as a doctor, that could directly impact his ability to do his job. This guy's life could be completely ruined, again all for the crime of buying a ticket and expecting to get the service he paid for.
Airlines overbook, and they run a risk when they do so. But every person on that plane has some sort of "priority" linked to their ticket. If United offered compensation for folks willing to be voluntarily bumped and had to step into the quagmire of involuntarily bumping people, they should have done it based on priority. Folks on expensive tickets or who booked well in advance or who have lots of miles on United would have priority over discount fares or late check-ins, etc. Hell, if Southwest can do it, I'm certain a behemoth like United can figure it out.
But if the flight is oversold and they need to hold 4 seats back for deadheads anyway, then why initiate the boarding process until the situation was sorted out? Now, the airline, the Mall Cops, and everyone else associated with this fiasco are open to liability and lawsuits - not only from the passenger they removed, but from the doctor's hospital patients, from the folks who had blood spilled on them, and everyone else who was "traumatized" by witnessing this mess.
The guy did nothing wrong, and he got his ass kicked. It's a shame that it happened to him and not that uber-Liberal whiny post-election b*tch:

Linky: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38723929
The man was attempting to call his attorney when he was grabbed. His head was slammed against the armrest (hence the blood) and he was forcibly dragged from the plane in front of the other passengers. Literally dragged him. Down the aisle.
Like everybody else on the plane, he bought his ticket, expecting it to be a contract between he and the airline. He did nothing wrong but was dragged from a plane for the crime of expecting to get what he paid for. I wonder if they arrested him for "resisting arrest", and if so, could he be banned from flying ever again. He's certainly going to be stuck with legal fees, and if he was charged with anything he'll have more legal expenses in Illinois (he lives/works in Kentucky) to try to clear his name. And if he fails and has a conviction on his record, as a doctor, that could directly impact his ability to do his job. This guy's life could be completely ruined, again all for the crime of buying a ticket and expecting to get the service he paid for.
Airlines overbook, and they run a risk when they do so. But every person on that plane has some sort of "priority" linked to their ticket. If United offered compensation for folks willing to be voluntarily bumped and had to step into the quagmire of involuntarily bumping people, they should have done it based on priority. Folks on expensive tickets or who booked well in advance or who have lots of miles on United would have priority over discount fares or late check-ins, etc. Hell, if Southwest can do it, I'm certain a behemoth like United can figure it out.
But if the flight is oversold and they need to hold 4 seats back for deadheads anyway, then why initiate the boarding process until the situation was sorted out? Now, the airline, the Mall Cops, and everyone else associated with this fiasco are open to liability and lawsuits - not only from the passenger they removed, but from the doctor's hospital patients, from the folks who had blood spilled on them, and everyone else who was "traumatized" by witnessing this mess.
The guy did nothing wrong, and he got his ass kicked. It's a shame that it happened to him and not that uber-Liberal whiny post-election b*tch:

Linky: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38723929
#7
DVD Talk Ruler
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into.
#8
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...

#9
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
Sad situation.
Only semi-related, but it's a statement about the world that we live in that all kinds of folks had their cell phones out ready to record whatever was about to happen.
A little surprised they couldn't find takers for $800.
Only semi-related, but it's a statement about the world that we live in that all kinds of folks had their cell phones out ready to record whatever was about to happen.
A little surprised they couldn't find takers for $800.
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
More details: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.3c9e02307806
That was disgusting. First, even if they overbook, they should not ask people to give up their seats after they have already boarded. Second, there is nothing voluntary if the alternative was forcible eviction. Third, what on earth can possible justify that level of violence? Fuck United.
United Airlines says a man wouldn’t give up his spot on an overbooked flight Sunday.
So, according to witnesses and videos of the incident, he was pulled screaming from his seat by security, knocked against an arm rest and dragged down the aisle and back to the terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
United refused to answer questions about the incident, which horrified other passengers on the Louisville-bound flight. An airline spokesman only apologized for the overbooked flight, and said police were called after a passenger “refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily.”
What happened was captured on cellphone video by at least two passengers.
Tyler Bridges recalled trouble starting almost as soon as he and his wife boarded.
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.”
“That rubbed some people the wrong way,” Bridges said.
Passengers were offered vouchers to rebook, he said, but no one volunteered.
So the airline chose for them.
A young couple was told to leave first, Bridges recalled. “They begrudgingly got up and left,” he said.
Then an older man, who refused.
“He says, ‘Nope. I’m not getting off the flight. I’m a doctor and have to see patients tomorrow morning,’” Bridges said.
The man became angry as the manager persisted, Bridges said, eventually yelling. “He said, more or less, ‘I’m being selected because I’m Chinese.’”
A police officer boarded. Then a second and a third.
Bridges then began recording, as did another passenger — as the officers leaned over the man, a lone holdout in his window seat.
“Can’t they rent a car for the pilots?” another passenger asks in the videos.
Then the man, out of frame, screams.
One of the officers quickly reaches across two empty seats, snatches the man and pulls him into the aisle.
“My God!” someone yells — not for the first time.
He goes limp after hitting the floor.
“It looked like it knocked him out,” Bridges said. “His nose was bloody.”
His glasses nearly knocked off his face, the man clutches his cellphone as one of the officers pulls him by both arms down the aisle and off the plane.
“This is horrible,” someone says.
“What are you doing? No! This is wrong.”
And with that, Bridges said, four United employees boarded and took the empty seats.
They were not popular among the passengers, he recalled.
“People were saying you should be ashamed to work for this company,” Bridges said.
And it wasn’t over.
In another video, the man runs back onto the plane, his clothes still mussed from his forcible ejection, frantically repeating: “I have to go home. I have to go home.”
“He was kind of dazed and confused,” Bridges said. He recalled a group of high school students leaving the plane in disgust at that point, their adult escort explaining to other passengers: “They don’t need to see this anymore.”
The airline eventually cleared everyone from the plane, Bridges said, and did not let them back on until the man was removed a second time — in a stretcher.
In the end, Bridges and his wife got to Louisville about three hours late.
“It was a pretty tense flight,” he said.
Airport officials haven’t returned calls about the incident — though United Chief Oscar Munoz tweeted that everyone at the airline was upset about it.
So, according to witnesses and videos of the incident, he was pulled screaming from his seat by security, knocked against an arm rest and dragged down the aisle and back to the terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
United refused to answer questions about the incident, which horrified other passengers on the Louisville-bound flight. An airline spokesman only apologized for the overbooked flight, and said police were called after a passenger “refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily.”
What happened was captured on cellphone video by at least two passengers.
Tyler Bridges recalled trouble starting almost as soon as he and his wife boarded.
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.”
“That rubbed some people the wrong way,” Bridges said.
Passengers were offered vouchers to rebook, he said, but no one volunteered.
So the airline chose for them.
A young couple was told to leave first, Bridges recalled. “They begrudgingly got up and left,” he said.
Then an older man, who refused.
“He says, ‘Nope. I’m not getting off the flight. I’m a doctor and have to see patients tomorrow morning,’” Bridges said.
The man became angry as the manager persisted, Bridges said, eventually yelling. “He said, more or less, ‘I’m being selected because I’m Chinese.’”
A police officer boarded. Then a second and a third.
Bridges then began recording, as did another passenger — as the officers leaned over the man, a lone holdout in his window seat.
“Can’t they rent a car for the pilots?” another passenger asks in the videos.
Then the man, out of frame, screams.
One of the officers quickly reaches across two empty seats, snatches the man and pulls him into the aisle.
“My God!” someone yells — not for the first time.
He goes limp after hitting the floor.
“It looked like it knocked him out,” Bridges said. “His nose was bloody.”
His glasses nearly knocked off his face, the man clutches his cellphone as one of the officers pulls him by both arms down the aisle and off the plane.
“This is horrible,” someone says.
“What are you doing? No! This is wrong.”
And with that, Bridges said, four United employees boarded and took the empty seats.
They were not popular among the passengers, he recalled.
“People were saying you should be ashamed to work for this company,” Bridges said.
And it wasn’t over.
In another video, the man runs back onto the plane, his clothes still mussed from his forcible ejection, frantically repeating: “I have to go home. I have to go home.”
“He was kind of dazed and confused,” Bridges said. He recalled a group of high school students leaving the plane in disgust at that point, their adult escort explaining to other passengers: “They don’t need to see this anymore.”
The airline eventually cleared everyone from the plane, Bridges said, and did not let them back on until the man was removed a second time — in a stretcher.
In the end, Bridges and his wife got to Louisville about three hours late.
“It was a pretty tense flight,” he said.
Airport officials haven’t returned calls about the incident — though United Chief Oscar Munoz tweeted that everyone at the airline was upset about it.
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
The gentlemen who forcibly removed the passenger were wearing jackets, etc that implied that they were Law Enforcement, but their jeans/sneakers scream "Mall Security".
The man was attempting to call his attorney when he was grabbed. His head was slammed against the armrest (hence the blood) and he was forcibly dragged from the plane in front of the other passengers. Literally dragged him. Down the aisle.
Like everybody else on the plane, he bought his ticket, expecting it to be a contract between he and the airline. He did nothing wrong but was dragged from a plane for the crime of expecting to get what he paid for. I wonder if they arrested him for "resisting arrest", and if so, could he be banned from flying ever again. He's certainly going to be stuck with legal fees, and if he was charged with anything he'll have more legal expenses in Illinois (he lives/works in Kentucky) to try to clear his name. And if he fails and has a conviction on his record, as a doctor, that could directly impact his ability to do his job. This guy's life could be completely ruined, again all for the crime of buying a ticket and expecting to get the service he paid for.
Airlines overbook, and they run a risk when they do so. But every person on that plane has some sort of "priority" linked to their ticket. If United offered compensation for folks willing to be voluntarily bumped and had to step into the quagmire of involuntarily bumping people, they should have done it based on priority. Folks on expensive tickets or who booked well in advance or who have lots of miles on United would have priority over discount fares or late check-ins, etc. Hell, if Southwest can do it, I'm certain a behemoth like United can figure it out.
But if the flight is oversold and they need to hold 4 seats back for deadheads anyway, then why initiate the boarding process until the situation was sorted out? Now, the airline, the Mall Cops, and everyone else associated with this fiasco are open to liability and lawsuits - not only from the passenger they removed, but from the doctor's hospital patients, from the folks who had blood spilled on them, and everyone else who was "traumatized" by witnessing this mess.
The guy did nothing wrong, and he got his ass kicked. It's a shame that it happened to him and not that uber-Liberal whiny post-election b*tch:

Linky: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38723929
The man was attempting to call his attorney when he was grabbed. His head was slammed against the armrest (hence the blood) and he was forcibly dragged from the plane in front of the other passengers. Literally dragged him. Down the aisle.
Like everybody else on the plane, he bought his ticket, expecting it to be a contract between he and the airline. He did nothing wrong but was dragged from a plane for the crime of expecting to get what he paid for. I wonder if they arrested him for "resisting arrest", and if so, could he be banned from flying ever again. He's certainly going to be stuck with legal fees, and if he was charged with anything he'll have more legal expenses in Illinois (he lives/works in Kentucky) to try to clear his name. And if he fails and has a conviction on his record, as a doctor, that could directly impact his ability to do his job. This guy's life could be completely ruined, again all for the crime of buying a ticket and expecting to get the service he paid for.
Airlines overbook, and they run a risk when they do so. But every person on that plane has some sort of "priority" linked to their ticket. If United offered compensation for folks willing to be voluntarily bumped and had to step into the quagmire of involuntarily bumping people, they should have done it based on priority. Folks on expensive tickets or who booked well in advance or who have lots of miles on United would have priority over discount fares or late check-ins, etc. Hell, if Southwest can do it, I'm certain a behemoth like United can figure it out.
But if the flight is oversold and they need to hold 4 seats back for deadheads anyway, then why initiate the boarding process until the situation was sorted out? Now, the airline, the Mall Cops, and everyone else associated with this fiasco are open to liability and lawsuits - not only from the passenger they removed, but from the doctor's hospital patients, from the folks who had blood spilled on them, and everyone else who was "traumatized" by witnessing this mess.
The guy did nothing wrong, and he got his ass kicked. It's a shame that it happened to him and not that uber-Liberal whiny post-election b*tch:

Linky: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38723929
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
If $800 was not enough, just keep raising it. Eventually 4 people would have jumped at the chance. Everyone has a price.
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
United was willing to spend $3200 to fly 4 employees from Chicago to Louisville. That's 300 miles, or about 5 hours. They could've hired a damn fine Limo for less, and wouldn't have the PR mess and legal aftermath to deal with.
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
That situation escalated way too quickly. They should brought down a supervisor or something.
Now as a fequent traveler I know once on the plane, I essentially have zero right. But it sure as hell should not of escalated.
#16
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
That combined with what look to essentially be mall cops that will do anything they are told without thinking for themselves.
The guy on CNN stated the limit they could have went up to for the tickets was $1350.
#18
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
Love SWA. Since I live in Dallas I only fly SWA and AA. Since they r both based here and a major hub I know I'll eventually get home...lol
#19
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
This family made $11,000 from Delta this weekend for not flying.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabe.../#511b00e24de1
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabe.../#511b00e24de1
#21
DVD Talk Legend
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
This family made $11,000 from Delta this weekend for not flying.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabe.../#511b00e24de1
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabe.../#511b00e24de1
#22
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
They didn't even need to go that far. They should have just kept increasing the offer: $1000, $1500, $2000 plus free 1st class upgrade on the rebooked flight etc. Four people would have eventually taken it. I've actually seen this game of chicken twice at the gate when the flight needed seats. First time in the mid 90s for an international flight. The offer got to $1000 and two people were sprinting to get to the desk. The second time in the mid 00s a guy jump at $200 and a later same day flight.
#23
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So Much for "Friendly Skies" ...
I don't have direct experience with this but once we had booked a later flight but ended up having a bunch of free time that morning so we went to the airport to see if we could get on an earlier one home. They only had three seats on one flight so I took our two kids and my wife caught a later flight that afternoon. Still earlier than we had planned on it but it was a little odd knowing she was on a plane right behind us.
That said, if we had been asked to leave our booked flight for $4000+ I would have done it in a heartbeat. Didn't matter if we got home a few hours later than planned. But that particular guy needed to get home, probably moreso than 50% of the rest of that plane at least. If they had gotten to the $1350, they would have gotten takers. If they'd thought to make other arrangements for the flight crew, they would have saved even that. And now it'll cost them millions in a shockingly justifiable lawsuit. They really really REALLY went way too far here.
That said, if we had been asked to leave our booked flight for $4000+ I would have done it in a heartbeat. Didn't matter if we got home a few hours later than planned. But that particular guy needed to get home, probably moreso than 50% of the rest of that plane at least. If they had gotten to the $1350, they would have gotten takers. If they'd thought to make other arrangements for the flight crew, they would have saved even that. And now it'll cost them millions in a shockingly justifiable lawsuit. They really really REALLY went way too far here.