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[guppytrash]

Easy to form an opinion based on the information the media has put out, but the facts are not all exposed yet.

The one thing that seems to be hugely misunderstood is the employees that were being put on that jet were not going on some vacation or a visit to Grandma.
They were not self entitled to bump a paying passenger and they were not putting themselves on the jet in front of a passenger. 
They are simply being sent by their employer to do their job!  Not unlike any other business traveler being sent to do his or her job. 
On the other end of that flight there are 70, 80, 180 who knows how many passengers that are going to miss their flight without that crew. 

Over selling flights is IMO BS.  But the mainline airline that doesn't do it, doesn't exist.

I too hope this gets to the highest levels and makes a change in that law.

This happened at Ohare.  It happened on a United Express jet (Republic).  The video is of a Ohare airport security cop.  Insert name of airline that over books flights out of Ohare (all do... that I know of) and the story is now about airline X.

People love to hate the airlines!

[110tHunDer]

And they will be paying out big bucks thanks to corporate stupidity and greed.  The guy was basically assaulted not unlike a common street mugging.  He is currently scheduled for surgery and has retained the services of an excellent Chicago law firm.  United has already announced they are refunding ticket prices for all 70 passengers on the plane, and no doubt some of those will also retain legal counsel.

I've never seen a situation where this entire "ask for volunteers to give up a seat" process was done AFTER the passengers had all been boarded.  The normal method in my experience is to ask for volunteers prior to boarding, and to up the ante until they get the number of volunteers they need.  Of course they didn't do that this time because those four crew members didn't ask for seats until the very last minute.  Stupid on their part, stupid on the airlines part, and really stupid for the local yokels to get the airport rent-a-cops involved.  The experts here in Chicago have already confirmed this was an improper use of the airport authority "cops".

I hope the stink from this is strong enough and lasts long enough for the weasels in DC to fix the laws and restrict airlines from this sort of hooray for them and screw the public practice.  And they need to extend the changes to the usual overbooking (which didn't apply here) where they knowingly sell more tickets to a flight than they have available.  Let them make up the profits on no-shows some other way, like charging those no-shows directly.  Kind of like when you make an appointment with a medical professional and then don't show up.  The airlines need to be prohibited from screwing over people who bought tickets in good faith and have plans that being bumped will destroy.

Jerry

Totally agree, Jerry.  And you didn't even mention the smackdown their stock has taken since this.  Their brand has been suffering for a long time.  This is just the latest and most public example of why.

[RonandJanet]

I know we don't know all the facts and clearly there are some missing pieces to this story. Although handled very poorly by United they did call the airport police to take the passenger off. This was not done by United. The passenger resisted and the airport police didn't do a good job of escorting him off (rather pulled him out). He must have been resisting very much (you see all kinds of videos now when cops get blamed for something but what lead to the incident is not shown or videoed so it looks very one sided). That guy said he was a doctor and had patients to see in the morning. So basically he is saying he is so much more important then anyone else and to take another passenger that is so much less important. Even if you are pissed and resisting being taken off most people will give in when security comes in to take you off the plane. Keep in mind that three other passengers got off without incident.

[J.D.]

I applaud this guy for passively resisting.  Maybe it will force the regulations to prevent airlines from overbooking flights.  While I agree the United gate people were following their instructions, I'll argue (as will this guy's legal team) their instructions should be illegal.

More and more people are treated like chit by government and big corporations.  You sell me a seat on this flight and I'm there on time and seated, I'm on the plane and not leaving voluntarily either.  My life and commitments aren't important?  f$%* you United and your TSA security.

This guy was ASSAULTED by government TSA on United's direction.  He has a concussion, two broken teeth, and a broken nose.  That is ILLEGAL.  I hope this guy sues the hell out of these rotten bastards - both TSA and United.

What would you tough guys say if this was your wife or daughter?

Time people wake up.

[OBB]

So I'm wondering if they're going to have some cheap flights to Hawaii soon. We're going to fly out and see my Daughter and Son-in-law next winter.  

[110tHunDer]

I know we don't know all the facts and clearly there are some missing pieces to this story. Although handled very poorly by United they did call the airport police to take the passenger off. This was not done by United. The passenger resisted and the airport police didn't do a good job of escorting him off (rather pulled him out). He must have been resisting very much (you see all kinds of videos now when cops get blamed for something but what lead to the incident is not shown or videoed so it looks very one sided). That guy said he was a doctor and had patients to see in the morning. So basically he is saying he is so much more important then anyone else and to take another passenger that is so much less important. Even if you are pissed and resisting being taken off most people will give in when security comes in to take you off the plane. Keep in mind that three other passengers got off without incident.

Not "so much more important than anyone else."  More important than the United employee that took his seat so they could be in Kentucky to apparently fly again in the morning.  Whatever happened to customers first?

Purely a misguided decision that could have been solved by ordering a limo or taxi for the employee.

[110tHunDer]

So I'm wondering if they're going to have some cheap flights to Hawaii soon. We're going to fly out and see my Daughter and Son-in-law next winter.  

I'm sure there will be something good that comes out of it, Mike! 

[KGB]

So I'm wondering if they're going to have some cheap flights to Hawaii soon. We're going to fly out and see my Daughter and Son-in-law next winter.  

Yea, if you don't mind a black eye


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OBB]

Yea, if you don't mind a black eye


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll wear my Nolan FF. 

[grc]

For those who keep saying the thugs who assaulted the passenger were TSA, that is not true.  They work for the Chicago airport authority as security guards and have no police powers.  They are one step up from the rent-a-cops at the local mall, and had absolutely no authority to board that plane and forcibly remove the passenger. 

United did announce they were changing their policies to require crew members deadheading to an assignment reserve their seat no less than 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure of the flight.  Had this policy been in affect at the time, the bumping process would have occurred prior to anyone actually boarding the aircraft and odds are the result would have been very different.  It still doesn't make the idea of bumping a ticketed customer at the last minute fair or reasonable, but it would at least be a common sense requirement to avoid all the last minute drama and delay of the flight.  Ultimately the entire idea of bumping confirmed passengers due to employees or due to overbooking needs to be fixed.  My time is every bit as important as anyone else, and if I've planned ahead and bought a ticket I should have a reasonable expectation that I will be on the flight unless weather or equipment failure dictates otherwise.  The airlines have no right to punish me because they have a no-show problem.  Take it up with the no-shows.  Here's an idea; make the tickets issued to people with a previous no-show nonrefundable.  That will slow down the clowns who make reservations "just in case" and then fail to use them. 

Jerry

[J.D.]

I believe an airline should not be able to bump paid passengers against their will, period.  I also believe that the airline will eventually get volunteers if the offer is high enough.  So let them continue to overbook, but pass legislation to ensure that passengers cannot be bumped unless they volunteer.  This will solve the issue, IMO.

[coloradotom]

There are instances where there's no way they can meet a 60 minute cutoff. One easy one is if there is equipment failure at an airport and the other pilot isn't qualified to fly the replacement aircraft. But a non-rev must-ride ticketed pilot can just hop in the jump seat in the cock pit.

I have no idea what the backstory is on that United flight but it's very hard to get a must-ride ticket let alone four of 'em. And someone high up has to approve those kinds of tickets too, you can't just get those from a friend that happens works at for airline tossing luggage like a buddy pass.

Heck let em put jump seats in the galley and in all the heads and then an entire crew can deadhead w/o bumping anyone. And other airlines will fly other airlines people around for free too, so there's that option.

United screwed up several times to have let that happen - it wasn't just one thing they did, and then those rent-a-cop dicks, they should just be charged and then banned from airports.

[guppytrash]

Why the hate on the employees?

Have you ever traveled on an airline for work?
You were going to work.  Given the choice, I am certain that you would have rather been at home with your families or out riding your motorcycle.

The airline employees were going to work.  Assigned this by their airline. 
Given a choice, those same employees... you know the ones just trying to make a paycheck... would have much rather been at home with their families or out riding their motorcycles.

So what if, your daughter or wife, is a flight attendant or pilot assigned this flight.  Is she supposed to refuse it?  Be fired?  Ok, now, you are a passenger on the flight out of Louisville and they cancel due to no flight attendants/pilots.
Go ahead!!  Hate on the crew again!!!  Why, how, is this a crew failure!

Why did they need that crew in Louisville last minute?  WHO KNOWS?  Mechanical, weather, legalities in rest requirements, literally hundreds of possibilities.

Why do some of you insist on thinking this was an employee arrogance "I'm better than a paying passenger" issue when they are just going to work like you do. 
Doing their job!
Putting food on the table and a roof over their families heads. 

What should they have done?  Think about it!!!

[FlaHeatWave]

Why the hate on the employees?

Have you ever traveled on an airline for work?
You were going to work.  Given the choice, I am certain that you would have rather been at home with your families or out riding your motorcycle.

The airline employees were going to work.  Assigned this by their airline. 
Given a choice, those same employees... you know the ones just trying to make a paycheck... would have much rather been at home with their families or out riding their motorcycles.

So what if, your daughter or wife, is a flight attendant or pilot assigned this flight.  Is she supposed to refuse it?  Be fired?  Ok, now, you are a passenger on the flight out of Louisville and they cancel due to no flight attendants/pilots.
Go ahead!!  Hate on the crew again!!!  Why, how, is this a crew failure!

Why did they need that crew in Louisville last minute?  WHO KNOWS?  Mechanical, weather, legalities in rest requirements, literally hundreds of possibilities.

Why do some of you insist on thinking this was an employee arrogance "I'm better than a paying passenger" issue when they are just going to work like you do. 
Doing their job!
Putting food on the table and a roof over their families heads. 

What should they have done?  Think about it!!!

Well,,, just about anything other than what they did do...

If they offered the passengers $1Million each to deplane,,, it would have been cheap at the price... $tock drop, Pending Lawsuits, Bad PR etc...

Wondering if it was a plot by someone that "Shorted" United Stock LMFAO... 

[guppytrash]

Well,,, just about anything other than what they did do...

If they offered the passengers $1Million each to deplane,,, it would have been cheap at the price... $tock drop, Pending Lawsuits, Bad PR etc...

Wondering if it was a plot by someone that "Shorted" United Stock LMFAO... 

Missed the entire point!

What should "they" have done?  "They" being the 4 airline employees assigned to fly the last 4 seats.

Why hate on them?