One snowflake, squealing like a pig, as he is dragged from the plane as other snowflakes sit by and scream "Oh my God"! That had to be a flight either to or from California.
Maybe the police should have taken the guy who kept saying "I have to go home" with them too.
It was an overbook by the airlines. They asked for volunteers and offered an $800 voucher to stay over night and catch a flight the next day. Nobody volunteered. Therefore, they randomly selected 4 people via algorithm method. A young couple who were asked to leave quietly left. The man who refused said he is a doctor who has patients he needs to see in the morning in Louisville, where the flight was headed. His refusal prompt security who dragged him off. It was pure bullshit by the airlines and I hope the guy sues them for millions and settles for half that. He will win.
I bet United will sweeten the pot until someone bites next time. They used to make better deals until the lobbyists got the law changed and reduced their liability. The thing that would have me bartering with the desk agent is the fact that this was all United's fault. It was their lack of planning that forced them to board 4 crew members and bump 4 passengers. It certainly would not be a lousy $800 because my tickets usually cost more than that.
************** Print this and keep it in your pocket when you fly (from the DOT web site)
If the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to arrive at your destination between one and two hours after your original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights), the airline must pay you an amount equal to 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination that day, with a $675 maximum.
If the substitute transportation is scheduled to get you to your destination more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (400% of your one-way fare, $1350 maximum).
*******************
This would be my starting point. I would want more.
The last thing you ever want to do is start a fight with a cop and that is doubly true at an airport where every little infraction is a federal crime. With something like this, get out your lap top and open an incident with the airline immediately. Update it frequently and you will have a good paper trail. You can easily end up with 40,000 points in addition to whatever you negotiate with the gate agent. Just be respectful but firm.
It wasn't overbooked. Everyone had boarded and taken their seats. Then United decided it needed to get 4 of its employees on that flight, bumping passengers *AFTER BOARDING*. Their behavior was unconscionable.
Yep. .. you can't buy this kind of public relations ! I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other passengers develop enough trauma to launch a law suit. .. I'm a little traumatized myself - just seeing the videos ! John T.
There must be respect for the cops. The passanger was wrong to resist.
If I was the total judge on this, I would give the passanger about a month of house arrest with one of the ankle things, and then give him about a million dollars from the airline for over booking.
The over booking should be stopped,and if you get a ticket you should pay for it even if you can not make the flight.
I agree. He's just another one of these self-assholes who makes travel miserable for the whole plane. Twenty years ago, we didn't have this happening. Now unfortunately, jerks like this guy have seen that everyone has a cell phone to take a video and they figure they can make a spectacle, get a pay day, go on The Today Show, etc.
Are you willing to pay the price increase for tickets if they stop overbooking? That's what will happen. They overbook based on experience for that flight, so that they wind up with a plane as full as possible. If they book to passengers scheduled, most planes will have more empty seats and customers wind up paying for it. Plus we have the environental waste of fuel.
about a million dollars from the airline for over booking.
I may not understand the over booking.
However if someone wants a ticket on a plane and does not show up, isn't true he does not pay for the ticket ? If that is the case, then the airplane looses the money for that seat if not filled by over booking.
If the people were forced to pay for the ticket even if they do not make the flight , then the seat is paid for even if it is empty.
Wouldn't that be a way for the plane to make the same ammount of money ?
Depends on the airline and the ticket. If it's some deep discount carrier, then you may wind up paying for it, with no refund and no ability to use it in the future. If it's a major carrier like AA, UAL, etc, then usually you can either use it for the same destination at another time or towards another ticket, usually with some re-booking/change charge.
If that is the case, then the
Exactly, and that's why they over book.
Yes, but then a lot of customers wouldn't like that either.
Or to whatever price necessary to induce four ticketed passengers to give up their seats. Most Americans are fair weather free marketeers: they're all in favor of "capitalism" when it works in their favor, but they'll resort to coercion when they can get away with it.
Nobody would get bumped if the airlines didn't f*ck up with their overbooking. I'm amazed there isn't a better control of this issue considering overbooking is common. They waste so much money with overbooking the need to offset the cost reflects on the rest who fly.
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