[Cboldt]

-- Here's an idea. Advise UAL that they should amend their ToS. Instead of giving boarded passengers a legal right to their seats, it should direct them to initiate litigation if they're expelled after boarding. --

There is an interessting parallel there, to the Nader case and the use of overbooking all the way back in the 1970's. Eventually, what happened what fine print on the ticket that says something to the effect of you (any ticket holder) can be bumped due to overbooking.

Just expand that to say that you can removed from your seat at any time, depending on passenger priority, and that failure to comply with a request to vacate the aircraft can be penalized by the airline.

[Fantasywriter]

The point is, if United wants to kick already-boarded, prepaid, well-behaved passengers off for any reason that suits the airline, their ToS needs to state that—loud and clear.