United Air forcibly removes passenger on overbooked flight

[BugI02]

The compensation for those who volunteer to give up their seat is typically paid in vouchers for future travel on the same airline, not real money. Whether you accept a voucher or demand actual money, you are always given travel to your destination; the payoff is to ameliorate the inconvenience. Same with involuntary DBC; you always still get carriage to your destination and how quickly the airline can arrange it mitigates how much they have to pay. If you must take a flight the next day, as in this case; you get a paid hotel stay and a meal voucher. The stay will not be at the Four Seasons and the meal voucher will not be for Spago, though. I have made use of them on occasion and the hotels, while near the airport, are not bad

 

[actaeon277]

I have read all of the arguments, various articles, and watched the videos. There seems to be quite a bit of misinformation being circulated, so it doesn't really surprise me that the Pilot's Union is blaming the regional carrier. It fits the pattern so far.

Regardless of all that, it still boils down to a couple of very simple facts for me.

1) The airline created the problem with the passenger.
2) The airline called the police to solve the problem with the passenger.

Therefore, the airline is responsible for whatever happened next.

No amount of blaming the passenger, the police, the regional carrier, or the legal small print on the back of the ticket changes the fact that the airline created a situation that ended with a 69 year old passenger being dragged off of an airplane with a bloody face and eventually being taken to a hospital in order to compensate for their failure to have a flight crew where they needed to be.

So, when someone's tresspassing, you call the police, and the trespasser gets a bloody nose, then you are responsible?

 

[rob63]

So, when someone's tresspassing, you call the police, and the trespasser gets a bloody nose, then you are responsible?

Seriously? If this situation is what you consider to be trespassing, then, yes.

 

[PistolBob]

So, when someone's tresspassing, you call the police, and the trespasser gets a bloody nose, then you are responsible?

When you buy a ticket for a plane ride home, and then get on the plane, you are not trespassing.

United sucks.

 

[actaeon277]

When you buy a ticket for a plane ride home, and then get on the plane, you are not trespassing.

United sucks.

When you buy a seat at a theatre, there's no more seats left, then you don't have a seat.

 

[sloughfoot]

When you buy a ticket for a plane ride home, and then get on the plane, you are not trespassing.

United sucks.

When you are assigned a seat by the airline and then occupy that seat, you are not trespassing.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What vouchers are you guys talking about?
They were to be put on the next flight, the following day.

You often get a voucher for a "bonus flight", so to speak, in addition to your replacement flight. That's why business travelers suck them up if they can. The company pays for the original ticket, but the traveler is going to get the voucher in their name. You can use it when you go on vacation.

 

[jamil]

You often get a voucher for a "bonus flight", so to speak, in addition to your replacement flight. That's why business travelers suck them up if they can. The company pays for the original ticket, but the traveler is going to get the voucher in their name. You can use it when you go on vacation.

Plus, who doesn't want to take an extra day off work? Sorry boss. They bumped me. Next flight isn't until tomorrow.

 

[Libertarian01]

Just to add a bit more to the mix, it has come to my attention that per most airline contracts when forcing people off the plane families will NOT be split up. Since the doctor had his wife with him United was in violation of their own contract.

Does anyone have any solid info to contradict this or back it up?

Regards,

Doug

 

[BugI02]

Airline would only know that if they were flying on the same reservation. If they booked separately ... yer outta there!

 

[churchmouse]

You often get a voucher for a "bonus flight", so to speak, in addition to your replacement flight. That's why business travelers suck them up if they can. The company pays for the original ticket, but the traveler is going to get the voucher in their name. You can use it when you go on vacation.

If you can get a seat when you want it. Sometimes these are seriously limited.

 

[actaeon277]

Just to add a bit more to the mix, it has come to my attention that per most airline contracts when forcing people off the plane families will NOT be split up. Since the doctor had his wife with him United was in violation of their own contract.

Does anyone have any solid info to contradict this or back it up?

Regards,

Doug

I think it depends on the airline. Most of the big ones I think keep families together.
But, as mentioned, if bought with separate cards, might not know.

 

[Libertarian01]

Airline would only know that if they were flying on the same reservation. If they booked separately ... yer outta there!

I think it depends on the airline. Most of the big ones I think keep families together.
But, as mentioned, if bought with separate cards, might not know.

But, hypothetically, IF he did inform them after he was chosen that would have invoked the "do not separate families" clause of the contract, wouldn't it? Or perhaps if his wife sitting with him spoke up...?

There was a woman that followed him out in the video that look to be of similar age and ethnic origin.

For the record I am NOT arguing here, as I am not myself certain of the details or the exact section of the 35,000+ word contract, but it would seem to me that if the airline made a mistake in trying to force a member of a traveling family off in violation of their own contract it would not bode well for them, presuming that they were informed after the fact.

Regards,

Doug

 

[actaeon277]

But, hypothetically, IF he did inform them after he was chosen that would have invoked the "do not separate families" clause of the contract, wouldn't it? Or perhaps if his wife sitting with him spoke up...?

There was a woman that followed him out in the video that look to be of similar age and ethnic origin.

For the record I am NOT arguing here, as I am not myself certain of the details or the exact section of the 35,000+ word contract, but it would seem to me that if the airline made a mistake in trying to force a member of a traveling family off in violation of their own contract it would not bode well for them, presuming that they were informed after the fact.

Regards,

Doug

I don't think it's in the contract as such. I think it's just a policy, and written into an algorithm.

 

[cobber]

More news for United. Fake or not?

https://www.yahoo.com/style/united-airlines-kicks-couple-off-plane-en-route-wedding-181721817.html

 

[churchmouse]

More news for United. Fake or not?

https://www.yahoo.com/style/united-airlines-kicks-couple-off-plane-en-route-wedding-181721817.html

This just keeps on rolling.

 

[SEIndSAM]

This just keeps on rolling.

Couldn't happen to nicer people....I fly often for work and I avoid United unless they are a last resort....Rudest people in the airline industry, especially at the Chicago hub...

 

[ArcadiaGP]

More news for United. Fake or not?

https://www.yahoo.com/style/united-airlines-kicks-couple-off-plane-en-route-wedding-181721817.html

If we read past the headline, we see the couple broke some rules for a silly reason.

Of course the removal was under United's discretion... but in this case, rules were definitely broken.

 

[churchmouse]

Couldn't happen to nicer people....I fly often for work and I avoid United unless they are a last resort....Rudest people in the airline industry, especially at the Chicago hub...

That comes from the top down. Crap management makes for crap attitudes

 

[jamil]

If we read past the headline, we see the couple broke some rules for a silly reason.

Of course the removal was under United's discretion... but in this case, rules were definitely broken.

I kinda think the truth lies somewhere between the two versions, but I suspect it might be closer to United's version this time.