United Airlines forcibly remove passenger from overbooked flight
- Thread starter Raoul
- Start date
What does overbooked mean? Is it his fault or theirs?
Don't American airlines (Not necessarily AA) do this regularly? Overbook with an aim to reach capacity every time? Not okay.
What an absolute shambles.
They should have offered people the chance to take a later flight at no extra cost, or for a partial refund and avoid bad publicity.
It didn't need to come to this at all.
They should have offered people the chance to take a later flight at no extra cost, or for a partial refund and avoid bad publicity.
It didn't need to come to this at all.
Since when are US Marshall's involved in a private transaction dispute (which is what that was, he had paid, they did not want to provide the service he paid for)?
They should have been nowhere near that situation.
They should have been nowhere near that situation.
Don't most airlines do the same? Usually it works out fine as someone volunteers to take the next flight and gets free coupons/vouchers in return.
I wish a huge airline did that to me. I'd sue the shite out of them!
United treat everyone be it staff or passengers like crap in my experience.
Wait, they just pick a random person to throw out?
Not sure what happened before this, whether they offered him another flight or a later booking at a reduced price. Absolutely shambolic though.
Here is a bit about overbooking. It is done in part because airlines know on average they will have some no-shows. When that doesn't happen, bumping begins.
Definitely a crap way to treat customers.
Definitely a crap way to treat customers.
If the flight was overbooked and no one volunteered to leave in exchange for the usual perks, I guess they would have to pick someone at random and ask them to leave. If the person refused, I could understand law enforcement having no choice but to forcibly remove them.
But that's a terrible statement put out by the airline. We definitely need more context with regards to what went on before that video.
But that's a terrible statement put out by the airline. We definitely need more context with regards to what went on before that video.
They first offered $400 to people to get off then $800 then had a computer randomly select.
He was one of the selected and he still refused, citing he had patients to see, so they forcibly removed him which was disgusting.
Also, I hear american airlines often overbook on purpose to oversell seats in the hope somebody doesn't arrive for theirs, works well for them mostly.
The guy was already seated, wouldn't it be *fairer* (but ofcourse, still quite unfair) to pick an unseated person/persons then?
EDIT: Ah, thanks, @Marcelinho87 for more info. Leave it to computers.
But man, no volunteers for even $800.
EDIT: Ah, thanks, @Marcelinho87 for more info. Leave it to computers.
But man, no volunteers for even $800.
Why not just bump the person not already seated or the last person to check-in?
This is why I always carry a can of Pepsi with me.
This is why I always carry a can of Pepsi with me.
$800 wouldn't be that much if they were forced to miss a day or two at work plus considering the cost of the flight in the first place, they would probably be up $3-400...The guy was already seated, wouldn't it be *fairer* (but ofcourse, still quite unfair) to pick an unseated person/persons then?
EDIT: Ah, thanks, @Marcelinho87 for more info. Leave it to computers.
But man, no volunteers for even $800.
Nobody should have to leave, greedy cnuts should'nt purposely overbook.
That's a shit way to treat customers. Overselling shouldn't be allowed.
Why not just compensate the passenger that was late and tell them the planes full? Why drag off a guy who was already seated?
Overbooking is standard practice, unfortunately (but is needed to keep prices lowish)...
But this looks awful, and I hope it turns into hell for the company.
But this looks awful, and I hope it turns into hell for the company.
If no-one volunteers then a computer will tell them who paid the least for their tickets and they'll be asked to leave.
As for "randomly generated" I'd have liked to see them pick on some 6'6" musclebound guy rather than the Asian man with glasses.
Yeap yeap
That would be how I would do it, well actually I probably would not oversell planes. Instead, feck the no-shows, I get to keep their money, maybe if they have a good excuse and proof of the excuse I might refund them (ie they died).
So the airline needed to reposition crew for a subsequent flight and needed the seats for their own staff; it gets worse the more you read. It's not like a large carrier such as United can't afford to have a few seats left open for these eventualities either.
Somewhere, Michael O'Leary is furiously making notes.
This is why I've switched to first class.
Yeah they should be able to plan for that also. Though you can get weather delays and such that screw up the planning. But still, don't put people onboard just turn them away at the gate and compensate them. Seems fairly easy to do.
Though it sounds like many airlines put themselves in the position of having no shows because people who need to change often find it cheaper just to no-show and buy a new ticket for when they can travel.
http://elliott.org/the-navigator/why-some-air-travelers-are-pulling-a-noshow/
http://elliott.org/the-navigator/why-some-air-travelers-are-pulling-a-noshow/
When I book tickets for my colleagues, I often find this. Normally like a €30 charge for a €35 ticket. But then you also pay the increase in ticket price, or something, so it makes no difference. Edit - Obviously these are cheap flights in the first place though.
From the above:
Depending on the amount of notice given to the airline and the reason for the switch, a change fee isn't unreasonable. The woman has gone out of her way, and simply made work for some unrelated employee who works at the terminal.
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This happened to a lad I used to manage, he was from from Lithuania and he missed some wedding back home because of it. Security literally dragged him off the plane after he'd checked in and everything - with some random euro company like Whizz Air or something. They offered him a measly compensation package there and then (few hundy and some vouchers off future flights), but he dug in and tried to take it to court - ending up spending thousands on it and last I heard never got anywhere.
Yeah I imagine this is the case if you don't have good reputation up against a team of high price lawyers.
Should have tasered him a few times in the first place to speed things up a bit.
A bit police-statish for me. That said, what the feck was the passenger thinking he could just remain on the plane despite having been asked to get off.
Overbooking is fine but the way for the airline to deal with it is by offering incentives for passengers to switch flights. If no one wanted to switch at $800 you offer more. I hope this blows up in their face and makes airlines change policy.
Yeah it was only going to end one way. There comes a time when you have to decide where to fight the battle. On the plane with law enforcement involved, not the place. You will end up off the plane.
Yeah, it is not unreasonable to charge a few in most cases, but the downside to it is that people will just do the math and figure it might be cheaper just to not cancel the other ticket.
Well if he got off voluntarily would anyone care?