Posted on 04/10/2017 9:27:28 AM PDT by simpson96
Edited on 04/10/2017 10:24:48 AM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Video shows three security officials dragging a passenger from a United Airlines flight at a Chicago
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcchicago.com ...
Usually the flight vouchers they hand out are so restrictive that in the end, they aren’t worth it.
I would like to see them randomly select a Congress person for removal against his/her will.
Proven where?
My understanding is that they were not “standby”, but Must-Ride. They go, or a flight out of the destination gets canceled.
This guy may be inconvenienced, but how many hundreds of others aren’t going to flying if the crew doesn’t get there?
The Feds set Invol denied boarding compensation, not the airlines.
My family will NEVER fly United again, period.
I wonder if the UAL employees flying “standby” were actually crew members flying to a different airport to crew a flight, and that’s why they were given priority. I can’t believe that any airline would be so stupid as to bump paying passengers in favor of their own employees, with the resulting PR nightmare.
Under most circumstances, you really shouldn’t lay the blame on the airline in situations like this. ALL airlines over-book their flights, and are permitted to do so under Federal airline regulations. They do so because some number of passengers are “no-shows” for a variety of reasons, and the seats would otherwise end up empty.
Whether you realize it or not, you agree to a whole host of things in the fine-print every time you purchase an airline ticket. One of those things is your express agreement to comply with and be subject to the airline’s “bump” policy.
In practice, when there are more passengers than seats, airlines will routinely offer some sort of concessions to anyone willing to volunteer to give up their seat. These are often vouchers for some amount off of future travel - $100, $200, etc., plus guaranteed no-bump seating on the next flight to your destination.
When not enough passengers volunteer, airlines then select passengers to be bumped. Sometimes this is random, sometimes it’s based on frequent-flyer status with the airline, whatever. The point is, the plane isn’t leaving with more passengers than seats, and someone has to get off - voluntarily or not.
Clearly this passenger objected to being involuntarily bumped, and I suspect the LEO’s were called only after he refused the airline employees’ requests to depart the plane. I don’t feel sorry for him at all, as disobeying a lawful order from an airline employee is grounds for removal. At the risk of stereotyping, it seems it could be a Doctor with an ego. (Do you know the difference between God and a Doctor? God doesn’t think he’s a Doctor.)
Where I think United is in the wrong on this is that the article indicates the involuntary bump was being sought to accommodate AIRLINE EMPLOYEEs flying stand-by. Stand-by seating is only to be granted when an open seat exists. It should NEVER be granted through the voluntary or involuntary removal of paying passenger.
United used to be a mediocre airline, but it has really gone downhill of late. I always get the overbooked flight offers only on the flights that I absolutely need to take, and I always get the online surveys only on the flights that don’t have any problems.
Problem was United needed 4 seats for another United crew headed to Louisville.
The guy was bumped from the flight to accommodate 4 United employees who needed to get to Louisville for a flight the next day.
I’d have made it a lot worse for everyone else too.
Those pussy cops ought to be out on the streets of Chicago trying to reign in the out of control murder rate, instead of picking on a hapless Asian doctor who was entitled to his already-paid-for seat on that plane
This error will cost United millions, and hopefully get those cops fired.
No, Fed law clearly states you deny the last who checked in.
You're correct, of course. But in this case the law is an ass. If you buy something, you should get what you bought. It's all on the airlines for overbooking the flight. The passenger here had nothing to do with that.
Is there a fair solution to this? Yes, as rovenstinez noted in post #9. Hold an auction, upping the bumping payment until somebody takes it. To drag someone off a plane who paid for a seat...that's indefensible.
Unless he was intoxicated, belligerent, or tried to assault the security officers, he probably has a good chance to collect damages.
I read he re-boarded after being removed and explaining his situation. If true that makes this worse.
“Since that didn’t happen, and there was no act of G-d, that passenger should sue, and sue for millions.”
Millions...lol. Yes, being delayed a few hours probably cost him millions. Sorry, his childlike temper tantrum blew his chance for that. No sympathy.
Compensation is limited to an absolute statutory max of $1350. He gets nothing for forcing the airline to use physical force to remove him when he refused to meet his legal obligation to do so.
(2) Compensation shall be 200% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $675, if the carrier offers alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s first stopover, or if none, the airport of the passenger’s final destination more than one hour but less than two hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight; and
(3) Compensation shall be 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,350, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s first stopover, or if none, the airport of the passenger’s final destination less than two hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.
In addition, a failure to follow the direction of an aircrew member is a violation of 14 C.F.R. §§ 91.11, 121.580, 135.120 and can result in a $25,000 fine and or, in more egregious circumstances, a felony conviction. His faailure to follow the deplaning dicection was potentially a criminal act, and one cannot profit from a criminal act.
That stuff ended when congress passed the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act in 2011. Everything, including compensation, is now cofified.
Seriously? United is deplorable for this
Buying a seat on an airplane is not like buying a loaf of bread. It is accepting an offer to transport your according to the terms of the Contract of Carriage:
People can make up all the crap they wish to, but the terms are spelled out, and as I stated before this is more about PR and damage to the UA brand than actual damages. He will have to sue and show how this situation requires a remedy that goes behond the terms he agreed to:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract.aspx
>>United is going to lose their ass on the lawsuit
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In an honest JUSTICE system, yes, it is a no-brainer.
Sadly, with today’s INjustice system, “bought” judges are not beyond the realm of possibility.
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