United Airlines

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by martynz

Imagine if theatres tried that...I guess they can't because you buy/reserve a specific seat.

Yup imagine you had travelled maybe 100 miles after having eagerly waited for months to see a show and just as you sat down you were asked to leave as the Director's family wanted your seat

It's pisspoor management in this day and age and they fully deserve the ensuing shit storm

[martynz]

Updated to take account of the current incident.
http://lifehacker.com/if-your-flight...722036179?IR=T
But it doesn't explain why the airlines are allowed to indulge in overbooking.

[bowlinggreen]

Originally Posted by martynz

Updated to take account of the current incident.
http://lifehacker.com/if-your-flight...722036179?IR=T
But it doesn't explain why the airlines are allowed to indulge in overbooking.

It's a perfectly legal practice, as long as a customer receives a legitimate degree of compensation if he gets the boot, because making the reservation and paying for it constitutes a form of financial contract.

Hotels routinely overbook too, depending on cancellations to make up the shortfall on rooms. USUALLY that works out but when it doesn't... how would you like to spend a "free" night in a roach motel 15 miles from the Hilton you were supposed to stay in, with a promise of a room the next evening and a complimentary dinner in the hotel restaurant?

If I were this guy, I would have held out for more than $500 too. I'd want a free 5 star hotel room for the night, if I had to stay overnight, plus a free pass entitling me to 3 round trip flights in first class on United, wherever I wanted to go in the next year.

No matter if this guy is a "rapscallion", he now has a golden ticket to United's bank accounts, no jury in world is going to side with United after seeing that video. If I were the attorneys for United, I'd be calling up the good Dr. Dao and offering him a 10 million dollar settlement, right now.

[cginok]

Originally Posted by martynz

Updated to take account of the current incident.
http://lifehacker.com/if-your-flight...722036179?IR=T
But it doesn't explain why the airlines are allowed to indulge in overbooking.

Same reason why corporations get away with all the things they get away with...they've bought off the politicians.

[Wendigo]

It may be legal but it is immoral, simply if your airplane has 100 seats don't sell 105 on the off chance 5 people won't show as you've already taken money off 100 you greedy bastards so if they don't show up you've not lost anything and less weight on the plane is marginally less fuel.
As for bumping people off to provide space for your own crews well if you've fucked up with your planning and have to accommodate a spare crew then offer passengers a decent sum and make it worth while, use a little common sense and negotiate within reasonable parameters, would you want to be stranded somewhere and need to book into a hotel with your luggage flying off into the sunset?
The comments on the link above refer to small parties being split up and even a child being removed but not the parents who had to volunteer to leave so as not to leave the child alone so got less compensation. If that is true whoever decided that is a 100% arrogant thick as pig-shit knob.

Each situation should be handled on its own merits but it is clear United Airlines are guilty of crass incompetence in the way this case has snowballed and it has highlighted a problem we may not have been aware of as shown in the statistics on that page.
We now know not to accept voluntarily but to be made to leave and screw them for as much as possible. The more it costs them maybe they will realise the goodwill it is losing them.

The competiton must be loving it right now, this first image is bang on for appropriately crap timing

[Meini Again]

Even though the character assasination of the victim has started, it cannot alter the facts and the evidence produced.

One important fact is that over-booking happens.
The 'auction' and search for volunteers normally, if not always, takes place between check-in and the gate.

When the over-booking on even the most slovenly computer has discerned the situation, the search for volunteers begins ~ before boarding.

To then involve the local "armed security" and become heavy handed, on board the plane, is ridiculous and amateur.

One, perhaps two by now, of the local "security" are now suspended from duty, which gives United a bit more wriggle room, in their search for scapegoats.
Trashed the victim, now trash the security.

[Wendigo]

United Airlines changes policy after 'horrific' passenger ordeal
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39617879


The airline said that in future crew members would be allocated seats at least an hour before departure.

Still no guarantee they will not honour your tickets in future but they are at least now trying to do something positive to try and save face ahead of any legal claims and their initial blame the passengers opening gambit which was their Homer Simpson moment

[martynz]

That seems to be part of the "How to deal with complaining passengers/customers 101"
As soon as you get a complaint accuse the complainant of being rude and/or aggressive.

[Arturo2nd]

There is still time to short United Airlines stock before it becomes worthless.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/united-a...181721817.html

[diamelsx]

I am surprised this does get tied in to a bigger discussion on deregulation. If United does under libertarians will try to shape the narrative that the markets worked and there is no need for change.

Here is the story about a change United is making