Reader @JayseDavid was on board United flight UA3411 from Chicago to Louisville, a United Express regional jet operated by Republic Airlines.
The flight was overbooked and United was looking for 4 volunteers to give up their seat, reportedly “for [United] personnel that needed to be at work the next day.” (Bumping for crew is supported by another passenger’s account as well.) There weren’t any volunteers, so United moved on to bump passengers involuntarily.
United Express Embraer Regional Jet
What’s unusual is that the flight had already boarded. Two of the passengers United was involuntarily bumping were “an Asian doctor and his wife” however the doctor insisted that he needed to be at the hospital the next day so he refused to get off.
Then things really went downhill.
Jayse tweeted me video of the doctor being dragged off the plane:
@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here's how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW
— Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017
United apologizes for overbooking, but not for the attack on the customer.
Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. 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.
Things took an even stranger turn, though, when the passenger who was dragged off the aircraft got back on a litle while later:
The 1 hour 19 minute flight wound up delayed 2 hours.
Another passenger took video as well:
@united @FoxNews @CNN not a good way to treat a Doctor trying to get to work because they overbooked pic.twitter.com/sj9oHk94Ik
— Tyler Bridges (@Tyler_Bridges) April 9, 2017
Ummm… United didn’t attack the customer… it was Law enforcement that did the deed.
I have driven this route a zillion times. Very easy, Interstate all the way.
Take the bump compensation and go by car.
This is insane. Those who have a valid boarding ticket and are seated should remain onboard. Folks outside at the gate who could easily have been late are out of luck. Simple as that and I’m boycotting United for the foreseeable future. Their boarding policies are bizarre.
I hope the doctor is ok.
Patrick, United initiated the call to Security so they are at fault.
@Patrick…United caused the situation that led to law enforcement. Couldn’t they just fly their employees on another flight or even another airline? Couldn’t they increase compensation until they got the 4 seats? So many other common sense ways to resolve and this is the method United chooses! Screw Them!!!!
This was handled so poorly by United and the Police. I have never understood why Airlines are either not required (or just in practice) continue to raise the voluntary bump compensation until a passenger volunteers. If it takes $1,500 or $2,000 or more, then that is what the market rate is. Someone will eventually volunteer as the amount is raised. On the flip side, the airlines have no problem charging that amount for the last seat in the first place.
When there aren’t enough volunteers how do airlines choose which passenger(s) to bump? I always presumed it was the last passengers to arrive at boarding. Why remove a passenger already in his/her seat for another passenger standing at the gate? This implies they use some other factor that necessitated removing a passenger already seated on the plane so do they use loyalty status? Price paid for ticket? Most recent ticket purchased (i.e. First come first serve sort of thing based upon when ticket was purchased)?
When flying, passengers have a choice, Do they want voluntary denied boarding, involuntary denied boarding or do you prefer to be dragged off the aircraft after being knocked unconscious with your face dripping blood? Think about that the next time you choose to fly the friendly skies of United Airlines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pA5rk9qktM
Fascists. No other supposedly free country would ever see police behave like this. They should be arrested for aggravated assault and locked up.
This is a serious problem. and United needs to FULLY explain why they did what they did. Especially why they selected this passenger to be removed…
We do not see what led up to it so its hard to pass judgement. Yes you can be forcefully removed if you refuse to leave when being IDB, its considered trespassing at that point. What should they have done a 20 hour standoff instead? No one owes an explanation. Also its an extremely small plane so it would be hard not to injure someone when being pulled off. He had may chances to leave the plane before and after the police arrived.
Can’t wait for that passenger sue the pants off United (for discrimination) and the police (for excessive force).
Reprehensible. Might also have something to do with Chicago, bet you can guess my political bias against that one-party town full of crime.
puting their employees, when either the airline or employees, couldn’t organise to be back in location, ahead of paying customers, is a disgrace.
@CDKing I’m all for getting the facts before passing judgement, so thanks for grounding us. But, if he was trespassing, why not just shoot him?
@CDKing I’m all for getting the facts before passing judgement, so thanks for grounding us. But, if he was trespassing, why not just shoot him?
This is a phenomenal lawsuit waiting to happen. UA, Police, airport, individual UA gate agents, staff….just fantastic. And IF the Dr did have a valid medical excuse to be at the hospital the next morning…? Even more fun. UA can watch their insurance premiums soar to the exosphere at this point.
If it’s an easy drive to the destination, United could and should have hired a suburban to drive the crew to the destination. Problem solved and nobody’s inconvenienced.
Gary, this was one of the more awful stories I’ve read on your website. Please update your readers with any further details about this story. It truly looked horrible for the doctor and all the passengers.
United breaks faces?
The 2010s are the decade where we don’t give a shit about each other. The scientists, idealists, humanists, capitalists, whatever, etc. just do not give a shit about each other. Bump the fucker, smash the guitar, cling to a post, whatever. I’m not looking forward to how this zit of incivility called the 2010s pops.
All the supposed “outrage” on this thread indicates to me that people confuse their environments. Your “rights” change according to your environment; when you fly an airline you agree to a contract of carriage, which can stipulate a different set of rules than those that apply in the outside world. (This echoes the outrage recently about the girls denied boarding because of their appearance—all of the fuss about “freedom of expression”, etc. showed an ignorance regarding an airline’s right to set their own rules).
So it seems that UA beats the crap out of its passengers when necessary to operate thier ailine smoothly.
The boarding process, the delay, the flight time = 4+ hours. The drive is 5 hours. United should have put their 4 people in a car the minute nobody took them up on their initial offer and they would have gotten there at the same time anyway. I would think twice before I fly United. I think there are several better solutions and this was a terrible mistake on their part.
Is that legal?
If not, why is nothing done?
According to USA Today, another passenger on the plane said “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 who 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.” Another video shows this man’s wife running after him after he was dragged off so that would have made 4 passenger’s who had their names randomly selected by a computer. Is that really done? How can that be okay?
Easy Solution. Let the 4 employees flight on another airline that’s flying to the same airport. Or if there are extra crew seats for flight attendants let them fly in those seats.
UA normal procedures assume paying passengers will accept being forcibly evicted. From their perspective, the bad will from a few passengers outweighs the cost of continuing to increase passenger compensation until someone accepts the deal. But when you get a passenger who refuses to accept eviction, the bad will you engender becomes a PR nightmare. This isn’t 10 years ago. You can be guaranteed to be on the nightly news now with lots of video to back it up. The fact it was an old doctor and a minority to boot has them doubly screwed. And they did it to themselves by sticking with the line that it is their right to do it.
@The folks who are saying its an easy drive ,take the compensation and drive.
The doctor may have had surgery in the morning and needed to be rested and not fatigued from driving.Would you want it to be you or your family going under the knife after your surgeon was beaten up the previous night because UA was too greedy in overbooking? People have jobs most of which are more important than air-bus driver and air-waitress. The crew should have driven.
The FTC should really look at breaking UA into smaller pieces. Its obvious they have monopoly power if they are not scared to treat paying passengers this way.
You buy a ticket. You should be guaranteed a seat. Overbooking should be illegal. And if the airline wants people to leave, they should up the ante to the market rate until someone takes the offer. Whatever it takes. Even if it takes $20,000 to get someone off the plane. The airlines play this game at the passengers inconvenience. It’s time the airlines were inconvenienced.
I hope this guy sues for a hell of a lot, and wins!!!
This story is insane. I agree – United could have shuttled the employees between ORD and Louisville, and avoided this horrible scene. There’s something about UA’s ground staff culture that is starting to trend. We have the leggins incident in Denver, this and my observations while boarding my VX flight in PSP a few weeks ago at the gate adjacent to a UA flight to DEN. I thought – this UA gate agent sounds like a storm trooper. She was shouting orders at the passengers while boarding, and was just totally overbearing. On the other adjacent gate, a DL flight was boarding for MSP. What a totally different experience to watch as they calmly and politely boarded a full A320. As for my VX, experience – they were borderline incompetent – which I still prefer over storm trooper. UA is far from out of the woods with regard to their customer experience. I think UA people need some additional training in crises avoidance.
It’s really annnoying when misinformation is given out. For one thing how do you know this passenger was a doctor?? Did you see his credentials? And if he truly is, that scares the hell out of me. Secondly, airlines do NOT bump passengers so airline crew can “get to work.” They were deadheading. Big difference. Revenue passengers take priority over standbys, regardless of whether or not they are airline employees.
@gary,
Who sets the compensation limit? Is this exclusively in the hands of the gate agents?
So much for flying the “Friendly Skies” . . . .
United SO f’d this up . . . there [probably] are certain legitimate circumstances for “involuntarily bumping” someone. But — @toomanybooks; @CDKing — I believe *both* of you overlook an important point: “the doctor insisted that he needed to be at the hospital the next day.”
Now I have no idea what type of MD this gentleman is, but how would either of you want to be scheduled for knee replacement surgery, or heart transplant surgery, or gall bladder surgery, or — whatever! — and be told, “Oh, sorry. Your surgeon didn’t show up this morning.” Or perhaps worse: I don’t know about YOU, but I don’t want my surgeon to drive 4.5+ hours and then — after losing sleep — cut me open with a scalpel . . . .
I know that [almost] EVERYONE on that plane had somewhere to be the following day. But (e.g.) a teacher can be replaced for a single day by a substitute; an office worker can come in late to work after calling his or her boss to explain the situation. But certain professionals CANNOT be so easily excused or replaced. A doctor is one. In certain instances, a lawyer is another (you need to appear in court in a criminal matter, and if you’re a sole practitioner, you don’t have a partner to appear on your behalf). Like it or not, some professions have an easier time missing a day/showing up late than others. While that makes “involuntarily bumping” someone far more complicated, that’s just yet another factor that needs to be considered (IMHO).
Clearly the flight was NOT overbooked; UA wanted four of their employees on the flight rather than four paid passengers. If compensation was offered at $800, UA would have had to lay out $3,200 (minimum; more if they kept increasing the compensation until four people actually AGREED to be voluntarily bumped — free market forces at work). In contrast, how much would it have cost UA to rent a car and have *their* four employees drive to Louisville?
Bottom line is United f’d this up . . . BADLY!
Anyone care to comment on the ‘elephant in the room/plane”? The supposed “random” computer generated selection of the quiet mature asian couple?
I seriously hope UA pays through the nose for this. The meathead who aggressively pulled the passenger need to get fired too.
Boycott UA, this could be you next.
@Flygal: 1) Of course none of us sitting in front of their computers say the gentleman’s identification, but since several reports have said (and he claimed to be) a doctor, I *choose* to take that claim at face value until proven otherwise. 2) The employees *were* deadheading; they were *also* being moved to work a flight the next morning.
United Airlines has a long history of mistreating paying customers. It is time to boycott United and use any of their competitors. The only way a evil company like United will learn their lesson is if you force them to pay attention by hurting them in the pockets. I bet they will be quick to make changes if they have to layoff 20% of their workforce due to sales being down. Ideally, evil, greedy companies like United that mistreat people should go out of business and make way for a new company that will learn from their mistakes, since United probably won’t be going away anytime soon, boycott them for now.
Like Jason Brandt Lewis says: “Clearly the flight was NOT overbooked.” Hell, for that kind of money – $3200 plus hotel costs – UA could have limo’d their employees to Louisville. Now they have a humongous public relation issue on their hands. What stupidity!
Yes, yes, yes, overselling flights should be ILLEGAL!!! It is done strictly to increase the profits of the company and maximize the bonus for top management! That’s it!!! Overselling flights is not for the benefit of the crew or anyone else in the company other than the bonus for top management for increasing or maintaining profits.
They only offered $800 compensation, no wonder no one took it. They charge outrageous fees for last minute fliers and should therefore give outrageous compensation to those bumped. Disgusting double standards.
Also, United should now issue an advisory (like what drug companies do in their advertisements) as follows: “We may use law enforcement to VIOLENTLY remove you from our plane if you interfere with top management’s attempts to maximize their annual bonus.”
Here is a fair solution that the airlines can use to bump off passengers: start by offering to pay $1,000 for each hour of the flight. 1 hour flight = $1,000, 2 hours = $2,000, 6 hours = $6,000 etc.
If no one takes it then double or triple the compensation. 1 hour flight = $2,000, then $3,000 etc.
I am sure they will have not problem getting volunteers at that rate. Ok, they can cap it at $10,000 per hour maximum. And deduct the money from the annual bonus of senior management.
@Peter — I’m Asian. I do wonder if racial stereotypes contributed to the treatment of this passenger by the police — e.g., because Asians aren’t expected to fight back, was the officer unrestrained in using aggression?
Then again blacks, who are stereotyped in the opposite manner, are also viciously beaten by police.
This is the most horrible abuse of power ever It does not matter if he was a Dr he paid for his ticket This airlines abuse should be awarded by lawsuit. I had an incident 44th anniversary gift jewelry stolen on Delta they refused to replace or pay never fly them again tell my story to everyone what they did to me . Make them pay Sir for abuse, embrassment, injury and anything else your lawyer thinks of make them pay you.
While it is reprehensible that United would forcibly evict anyone who has already boarded and what they did was unreal, I take issue with the wanna be journalists who all grabbed their phones and started recording. No-one stood up and volunteered to be “tribute” even though the police were called to remove the more mature couple. They’d rather see something awful happen than try to stop it. Sad that our society has come to this.
I don’t understand why United Airlines didn’t just stop the last four people from boarding the plane at the gate? Simple solution!
Let the lawsuit begin. This is one reason why I never fly United. The flight was never overbooked until 4 UA employees needed seats.
Knowing this person, this was a huge deal that UA has only seen the surface of. Trust me, major fallout is coming soon.
You have to follow what the crew says whether you like or not. No good will come from not complying. Nevertheless, United is THE WORST airline there is.
My spouse and I paid $4600 each to fly business class from our home through Toronto to Hong Kong and Tokyo. The outbound trip was on Air Canada (which was fantastic). I should have known better but I booked the return from Tokyo back to the US on United. We had selected two seats for some privacy – one window and the aisle. (The seating was 2 – 4 – 2.) I noticed a day before returning our seats had been changed. They gave our two seats to United personnel (we went to look at who got our seats) and moved us to the two worst possible business class seats – two seats in the middle of four seats in two different rows, one facing backwards. We could not even see each other on a 15 hour flight. (A nice passenger switched so at least we could fly together. Having to climb over a stranger to use the restroom is a pain.) Could they not have given the United personnel the seats they gave us? Or coach seats? We complained on the plane but it did not good. We complained in writing but they just sent us a form letter explaining you can have your seat changed at any time and they looked forward to us flying with them again. In many years of flying we had never had our seats changed. I guess it mostly happens in business or first class which we don’t fly very often.
I should have known better. The year before on the same destinations, we both had first class seats from Newark to Hong Kong on United. We had a window seat and aisle seat together booked months earlier. When we get on board, my spouse (who had the window seat) was moved to a separate first class cabin. We were supposed to fly for 15 hours in separate cabins. We complained which was unlikely to do any good (they really don’t care). The only thing that saved us was the person they gave the seat to didn’t show up for the flight. They have no qualms about giving away already booked seats to frequent high flyers.
That’s why we no longer will book anything on United.
I see lawsuits against United and even the Police for their role in heavy-handed tactics. Want to play rough, expect to be sued.
Passengers who are already boarded and seated are already off the list for being bumped off unless they voluntarily give up their seats. Non revenue passengers only get on when there are available seats. There should be a good and legal reason for this happening.
A point too as noted above, I am Asian and on occasion would be given a short stick by a crew member which I just shrug off as inconsequential in the big picture and order of things so profiling could also have played something here. It was also usually only one of the crew members and the others usually make up for it, unknowingly of course by just being their nice selves.
This is ridiculous. Why let people board if you are planning to kick them off the plane? United did not plan properly or they would not have 4 crew members needing to fly to their destination at the last minute. If they can charge ridiculous fares for last minute passengers, then passengers should be able to ask high compensation (in cash, not useless vouchers) in order to give up their seats. Let United decide the level at which it is willing to buy back these seats from passengers. At some price point, people will be willing to sell back their seats. FAA, Justice, Commerce – all should investigate this. Make United pay.
As far as how they decide who to bump, on another United flight we were told it was by the ticket price. The lowest price ticket customer is the first to be bumped. On another post where I talked about flying back from Tokyo, we landed in Washington, DC. There was snow. We boarded the flight. Was about ready to go when we were told that the plane was “too heavy” and volunteers were needed to deplane. No one volunteered. So they selected 3 or 4 passengers. This process took about an hour as the gate agent kept running back and forth from the plane to gate until they selected the soon-to-be ex-passengers and got them off the plane. We left more than two hours late on a 50 minute flight. This might be expected if United had just started in the business – but they have been around a long time (some might say too long).
everyone should have left the plane! Why didn’t they?
Whoever authorized assaulting a customer off the plane needs to be fired. I won’t fly with united until they publicly release termination of their Dangerous employee. Not how a profession business should be run. Disgraceful.
just cancelled DFW TO LAX first class going A/A
I will never fly United ever again. That is a terrible way to treat a paying customer.
Switching all company travel from United Airlines to alternative sources. Bill Jennings, Stanley Tools Dallas TX.
Horrible! This is racist.
Wow United sucks, I fly with them to Florida every summer but no more ….never again
Basically it’s a gamble that the seat you pay for will be there. You have no rights, and the airline, technically doesn’t have to reimburse you…
As a fellow doctor/administrator I am truly appalled, my office has been directed to avoid any future use of United Air for business travel and I will also discontinue personal use as well. This kind of blatant disregard to a (payed in full) customer already in his seat is absolutely unacceptable.
Actually, Mike, there are very few exceptions to keep you from being compensated. Per DOT, voluntary and involuntary bumping or delays are entitled to cash or check compensation. Just know your rights, and which rules to reference if it happens — while many airlines to lay out their offer to you, some will not unless you make your request on-the-spot.
I have witnessed this exact behavior on a United flight from DEN to HNL – they looked for volunteers and then began dragging people off of the plane. I despise flying United and will only do so when it is the ONLY way to get where I am going…
No one should fly with United until they publicly apologize to this man, pay his medical bills, give him free flights for the rest of his life and fire the idiot who assaulted him. And even if they do all that, I will still never fly United again.
This happened in America? Appalling!
Using that kind of force was totally wrong for this situation! That program for random selection of passengers that they used should be done away with and replaced with one that would exclude medical Doctors. As it is sensible to assume that a Doctor traveling on an airplane has patients with life threatening conditions waiting for him, also to have a medical Doctor on a flight increases safety for both the crew and the passengers as life threatening situations have occurred on flights. Medical Doctors should exempt from that process.
While the fact the the Doctor was injured during his forced removable from the plane is terrible, EVERY airline does IDB. Every single one.
If all this outrage is due to the IDB then there are going to be a lot of people taking the train.
Wow as an intelligent Asian man, I am never flying United Airlines again.
Wow! I’m glad I don’t own stock in United (and thankful my miles cover flying all of Star Alliance). This is cause for a hefty lawsuit, clearly. And however much deregulation Trump manages to ram through, we can always rest assured that since many (most?) congress folks fly home and back weekly, they are highly attuned to lousy conditions in flights. Geez, United, you hit bottom with this one!
They are TERRIBLE! They cancelled our flight coming home from NC and wouldn’t help us with hotel or anything. The woman told me they don’t control the weather and walked away while I was still talking! They were going to let us sit in the airport till the next flight home…3 DAYS LATER. I had 1 year old Brayden, my mother and Arian sick with a fever. They are disgusting!! They gave each of use $100 credit to use by the end of the year. FUCK THEM AND THEIR CREDIT! I’ll NEVER fly with them again!!
Just wanted to book a TATL on United. Will fly competitors. If there are no volunteers your get knocked out of the seat? I + family will avoid this company at any cost.
Mike wrote, “Basically it’s a gamble that the seat you pay for will be there. You have no rights, and the airline, technically doesn’t have to reimburse you…”
Technically true. But also if you pay with a credit card, you now have a valid reason to refuse payment. Also federal law makes this the credit card company’s fault and failing to provide goods or services falls squarely under the Fair Credit Billing Act’s purpose. Also there is plenty of established case law where credit card companies have lost fighting such disputes.
But the problem about potentially loosing your seat on a flight that you’ve paid for is frustrating. It’s one of several reasons I don’t like to fly unless there is a clear time advantage. Or if my employer insists.
As a fellow physician this is just horrible. When we travel our biggest fear is not making it back to work on time. We don’t have the luxury to just call in sick all the time. We want to take care of our patients. This poor doctor just wanted to do just that and because one of United employee needed a seat he was dragged out his seat which he payed for. I have no words for United.
I traveled United this last weekend from DC-Reagan to Orange county. The flight was oversold by 6. The entire trip has a laundry list of problems from poor flight management, boarding, lost luggage, lack of food, flight attendant attitudes and horrific customer service from multiple personnel. I thankfully did not have to endure what this Doctor did (that is beyond ridiculous!) but as someone who flies over 100 flights a year, I can tell you I will NOT be flying with United anymore. I work hard for my money and don’t like being treated like crap when I pay for a service. So long United!
I empathize for this guy, and will boycott UA as well, but can we just drop the Doctor getting special rights BS? Thanks. We all have jobs. All of our employers/clients/patients expect us to take care of them. It’s a bad look for wealthy doctors suggesting they deserve seats more than other paying customers. Let’s focus on UA here.
With all the airplanes for hire in Chicago and Louisville, and United’s contacts in each city, how much would it have cost them to charter, or buys tickets on another carrier for the crew? When they offer $3,200 of credit and up to 4 hotel rooms for compensation, they could have saved that cost and flew the crew. Now they can pay for their mistake bad publicity and maybe other cost for a poor decision. Good luck United.
My family and I will never ever fly with United Airlines.
If we all do the same they will never ever do something like this again.
Stand up and be counted.
Thank you
I will NEVER take united airlines again! We travel for our jobs several times a month and they will never see a nickel from us!
@Patrick —> Me thinks thou missed the point. YES, every airline has something in its Contract of Carriage covering the INvoluntary “bumping” of passengers, and every carrier a) does this (involuntarily bumps passengers from time to time), and b) has something in its Policies & Procedures manual to cover what is to be done and how.
THAT, however is most decidedly NOT the issue at hand.
Please show me where in United’s P&P manual it says it’s perfectly fine to bloody someone and then drag them off the plane . . .
@JoeItaliano — No. We can’t drop it. As I said earlier, what would you do if YOU were waiting for surgery, for example, and your doctor failed to show up at the hospital?
Yes, we all have jobs, and employers who count on us, but (e.g.) a school can call in a substitute with relative ease; an office worker can call his or her boss and explain the situation (“I didn’t ask to get bumped, but I got kicked. I’ll be in as soon as I can . . . [or tomorrow, if that’s what the boss says]”); etc., etc., etc. Even a police officer or fire fighter can have someone cover their shift if forced to take a sick day; how is this any different? Having said that, however, there ARE certain situations and certain professions that are not so easily covered:
— A member of the military who is traveling under orders, who might otherwise get charged with Unauthorized Leave, being AWOL, or worse, charged with UCMJ Article 87 (missing a troop movement), which could result in a dishonorable discharge and up to two years in prison (maximum).
— A lawyer, scheduled to appear in court the next morning, who will not only let his or her client down, but could face potential disciplinary actions, sanctions, and Contempt of Court citations. (Just out of curiosity, do you think the US Supreme Court would reschedule a case if one side’s lawyer failed to show up for Oral Argument?)
— A doctor, who has surgeries to perform the next morning, or patients in hospital with life-threatening conditions, or . . .
So, no, we can’t drop it . . .
@Jason
I agree that no passenger should ever be manhandled as the Doctor was. (Done by law enforcement NOT United)
But what I was getting at is that there seem to be some people here that think the IDB is just the most horrible thing in the world and they will never fly United again because of it. If THAT’S there reason for not flying UA then they will be in for a surprise when the go to XZY airline and they do the same thing.
Leaving because of the way UA handled the entire process? OK have at it. But just because of the IDB?
United Airline is so wrong to deal with the overbooking situation like that. Who made mistake is obvious. I cannot imagine if I have a good reason to reject to get off the plane. Do I deserve to be treated like that? What’s wrong with UA? I refuse to take United Airline.
Wow. The people commenting here are unreal. Poor guy. I can’t believe those officers.
Why didn’t they just wait patiently and politely when this guy wouldn’t do what they said? Why didn’t they just say “pretty please…?” Why didn’t they get down on their knees and beg?
Oh. Because this guy is illegally resisting removal from an aircraft. Wow, when are adults in this country going to start expecting other adults to behave like adults and not children?
This dude is an idiot….he was physically resisting removal and in the process of being forcibly removed he his head was injured…it was his fault!!!! He made the ridiculous choice to physically resist…
What a f***ing child.
Yes, involuntary boarding sucks. Yes, United could have offered better incentives. But this guy was chosen to leave. How would it be fair to say, oh, you’re a doctor, you can stay? Think that would have gone down well with the persons after him selected for removal?
I blame one person for his injury and his situation… him.
If my kids get hurt doing something stupid
Fly United. Fly the friendly skies.
Yeah right!
I have never ever seen such a terrifying episode on a flight, but I’ve not frequently travelled on US carriers as exactly this thing worries me. I travelled on Delta, United and AA, and despite the American service supposedly being so much better than British carriers, I have to say the difference is noticeable and to the contrary.
Airlines offloading passengers for THEIR overbooking should suffer significant penalties, but overbooking should not be necessary or legal in this day and age. Unless you buy a cheap ticket on a standby basis and only have rights to empty seats once everyone has boarded, this should be completely outlawed.
I’m sure United Airlines are not proud of this, but I’ll stick to Virgin, BA and easyJet if it’s all the same.
@PAtrick —> In re: “Leaving because of the way UA handled the entire process? OK have at it. But just because of the IDB?”
Maybe I missed it, but I have yet to hear/read anyone saying IDB is the cause. I think people — or, OK, let’s make it personal — *I* will boycott UA because of the WAY this was handled; the way the passenger in question was mistreated; and the asinine way in which UA has responded to this incident, both last night and their CEO’s statement today. Sheer stupidity!
I am switching all my flights to anything but United unless I really must
Racist bastards, I will never fly that airline again, and YES they need to arrest the person who dragged him off; it IS assault!
my wife left me for a chinese doctor
Im done with united!
Worst experience ever! Scary and dangerous.. people need to be fired. United should of asked who wanted to volunteer to get off and compensate the passenger, not randomly choose who gets off.
The passenger was dragged off of a commuter flight variously referred to as either Republic or Expressjet, not mainline United. Fifty percent of United passengers ride on a contractor United brand commuter. Passengers on the commuters per United management are only authorized reimbursement to $800. The rules per overbooked flights should require the airline keeps upping the ante, until somebody takes the bait. In what business can you sell something and arbitrarily not provide the service.
The dragger appeared to be attended by police but perhaps not actually a police officer. I suspect contract security.
There are some ridiculous “rules” in the playbook that should be challenged in court. I hope the doctor sues United, the commuter, and security.
I am ex-Delta baggage handler, Delta Counterperson, and ex-United Commuter Airline Pilot.
United Airlines is done. Boycott.
Hey Nobody Says, You are the idiot in the room ( or cabin) . If the fates were kind the next “dude” to be pulled out of his seat should be you, and maybe kicked in your balls for resisting. These were not regular LE they were goons and they acted the part. The good doctor was totally within his rights to DISAGREE and not comply. He was not intoxicated, violent or screaming Allahu Akbar while waving a Koran. . United was never my first choice ( crappy in flight service and dirty seats on several flights. Their first class is inferior to every other airline I fly. I have just issued a memo to all of our division heads to discontinue flying on United as of today date. We have just 16 executives that will be affected but thats 16 less that will fly United Gestapo Airlines.
What do you guys want? The Chicago police was kind enough not to shoot you on the spot when you started filming them. They even allowed you to fly out and to KEEP THOSE VIDEOS.
Do you think Nazis selecting people in Auschwitz for immediate gassing or hard work to death were better? Who entitled you to a privilege?
[/sarcasm off]
Let’s re-accomodate ourselves so that UA staff can have the whole plane for themselves.
Every year, my company organizes for about 2,000 student Edu-tour trips to the US. We have had a number of bad incidences with UA for the round trips made between Shanghai/Beijing and O-Hare last summer. From this horrific incident that the elderly Chinese doctor went through, my company will not be using UA anymore during this June-July-August period.
We stand in solidarity with the victim and will not let the cocky airline and its cocky CEO take our money and bully us.
No volunteer only means the compensation UA provided is not enough. UA does not have the right to use violence for ending the service agreement with the passengers.
I’d like to suggest to all the doctors here saying that it is more important that you more so than other passengers be at your destination on time not wait until the night before to fly home. There are many reasons tht a flight would be canceled and you, my dear doctor, are not immune to any of them.
I will never, ever fly on United again.
This pathetic excuse for a service oriented company would have been smarter to allow this passenger to be voluntarily removed by promising to get him to his destination on one of their private jets reserved for their executives. Or better yet, booked their own employees they removed him for on another airline themselves!
He had every right to get to his job the next day, too. But United put their own interests ahead of his and his wife.
They have no excuse for their egregious and disgusting actions and don’t deserve the business of any self-respecting traveler.
Any airline that is this stupid on the ground can’t possibly be trusted with the safety of it’s passengers in the air.
This is not the dirst time they doing this to asian person.
When they have over book problem first one they drage out is belive or not it was allways asian.
Search on google its all there.
Never fly again with UA.
On April 10, Mike wrote: ‘Any airline that is this stupid on the ground can’t possibly be trusted with the safety of it’s passengers in the air.’
I would add Stupid and Reckless.
And this is only what the public sees. Imagine what an airline so totally void of any ethical standards could be doing behind the scenes?
Every executive of this company should have their compensation ‘clawed back’ to the last century and offered to this passenger along with their apologies.
Yep, already starting the fallout…
Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is demanding a hearing and for the transportation committee to look into this.
Lawsuits will be the least of Oscar Munoz’s problems. Have a feeling he will be ousted over this. Might take 6 months, but it will likely happen.
Lot of Media Coverage all day, from this afternoon thru this evening, on the highest rating news network, FOX.
Lot of damage.
Watch FOX news for real news……
not the imaginary : “Putin has set this Syria chemical drop, and subsequent bombing for Trump to have a win” fantasy non news delivered by CNN.
Watch CNN’s rating continue to drop.
The audience isn’t that dumb.
Where is the proof that he is a doctor ?
This is how fake news starts. How does anyone know he is a doctor? It may be a small issue in the story, but details are important
When the elderly man was boarded, the flight was not oversold! The passenger was bumped not because there were more paying passengers than seats, but because United wanted to reduce the number of seats available – after seating passengers – in order to transport its staff. The elderly man was not “denied boarding”, he was removed from the plane after he was boarded. This action is governed by United’s Rule 21 ” REFUSAL OF TRANSPORT” none of which applied to this man *before* they told him they were kicking him off the flight.
United employees need to read their own rules https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract-of-carriage.aspx.
How can it be Involuntarily Denied Boarding if he had already been allowed to board and was sitting in his seat?
Tim, please seek professional help.
@Dee Lyter —> This was NOT a cancelled flight, and therein lies a HUGE difference . . .
so horrible company in this world!!!!! I can’t believe this happen!!! the united airline has to applozied to every one.
It was a random draw, just happened randomly picked a 69 years old Asian doctor. On top of that it was UAF – United American employee First, and the poor guy was just a customer. Of course
it was all his fault, he shouldn’t choose UAL in the first place.
United should be very ashamed on how they handled this. I can see this causing way more damage to their airlines then a seat is worth.
Yeah watch the pu**y grabbing FOX News, after all the POTUS tweets they cater specifically now. Between Ailes, Riley, and Napolitano anyone who believes FOX might as well start getting a subscription to the National Enquirer.
“Most viewed” doesn’t mean “most accurate,” example, The Walking Dead has higher ratings than FOX News..
You want semi unbiased news for USA but also big network, best bet is BBC, unless you’re interested in Brexit of course.
Keep your Yellow journalistic shit crock to yourself Gary.
Foremost huh? You are not a lawyer and not an expert on the legalities of this so stop trying to spin your tub of lard because it isn’t getting whipped.
*share*
A lawyer by the online name of NegativeFeedback commented on this article about the United incident ( https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/your-rights-on-involuntary-bumps/ it is in the comments section at the bottom ). I think it’s important to get this out and share it everywhere, so here it is. Feel free to share or copy/paste into your own status.
I am not a lawyer, but this person is. This is what they said.
NegativeFeedback:
“Lawyer here. This myth that passengers don’t have rights needs to go away, ASAP. You are dead wrong when saying that United legally kicked him off the plane.
1. First of all, it’s airline spin to call this an overbooking. The statutory provision granting them the ability to deny boarding is about “OVERSELLING”, which is specifically defined as booking more reserved confirmed seats than there are available. This is not what happened. They did not overbook the flight; they had a fully booked flight, and not only did everyone already have a reserved confirmed seat, they were all sitting in them. The law allowing them to deny boarding in the event of an oversale does not apply.
2. Even if it did apply, the law is unambiguously clear that airlines have to give preference to everyone with reserved confirmed seats when choosing to involuntarily deny boarding. They have to always choose the solution that will affect the least amount of reserved confirmed seats. This rule is straightforward, and United makes very clear in their own contract of carriage that employees of their own or of other carriers may be denied boarding without compensation because they do not have reserved confirmed seats. On its face, it’s clear that what they did was illegal– they gave preference to their employees over people who had reserved confirmed seats, in violation of 14 CFR 250.2a.
3. Furthermore, even if you try and twist this into a legal application of 250.2a and say that United had the right to deny him boarding in the event of an overbooking; they did NOT have the right to kick him off the plane. Their contract of carriage highlights there is a complete difference in rights after you’ve boarded and sat on the plane, and Rule 21 goes over the specific scenarios where you could get kicked off. NONE of them apply here. He did absolutely nothing wrong and shouldn’t have been targeted. He’s going to leave with a hefty settlement after this fiasco.”
@Pesko
CNN have been dwarfed by Fox in the ratings these day, and for good reason.
their so called journalists stating they believe Putin set this up for Trump to have a win in Syria, is absurd, illusionary, and ridiculous, at best and they claim to be a news network….. they’re becoming the laughing stock in the news industry, and their ratings are reflecting the major fall from their former glory.
i particularly like watching election night reruns, when they continually claimed there was no possible avenue for Trump to win.
and then it was history.
I believe United (or rather Republic Airlines, since they were reportedly the operators for this flight) was completely in the wrong, for the same reasons pointed out by ScrewGary. In addition, the CEO made it worse by trying to blame the victim.
Since airlines will fly their employees on competitor flights in a pinch (and they have a reduced fare arrangement), I’d like to know whether or not there were any seats available for the employees on any of these flights:
American Airlines flight 3509 @ 6:40pm (an hour after the United flight)
American Airlines flight 2035 @ 6:45pm (with plane change in CLT)
Southwest Air flight 6508 @ 10:25pm (from Chicago Midway, nearly 5 hours after the United flight, so plenty of time to get to other airport)
In regards to Steve’s question about putting the flight crew onto another flight. The crew had been moved to that particular flight because they had been booked to another flight first but the other flight had mechanical issues which delayed the flight they were scheduled to fly on by 9 hours. They couldn’t take a later flight because FAA regulations require a minimum amount of rest time before a flight crew can work. If they did not fly on that flight they wouldn’t have had enough time to rest before having to fly their own flight and thus the flight the following day that the crew was supposed to work would have had to have been cancelled.
This does not excuse the way the situation was handled. It just explains why the crew had to take that particular flight.
Hopefully United enjoyed the payout for what they did. On average the most expensive of flights is around $3000 and that’s for international flights. So take that figure and times it by about 3333 and you get the payout they just had to make. Good luck making that money up after everyone that has a TV or gets the news in any way saw the way the flight handled one of their “respected and appreciated” customer.
Chaoscurse, where do you come up with those settlement figures for the doctor??