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United Airlines violently drag passenger off overbooked flight

Why didn't United just have their staff stand, for the duration of the flight, in the cabin crew area?

It's not going to be comfortable but at least it doesn't cause problems.

I doubt that's allowed. There has to be a seat available to everyone for take-off and landing.
 
Why didn't United just have their staff stand, for the duration of the flight, in the cabin crew area?

It's not going to be comfortable but at least it doesn't cause problems.

Because it's against regulations. Obviously. :facepalm:
 
Because it's against regulations. Obviously. :facepalm:
True, but as things have turned out for United it would have been better for them to take the risk. Chances are they wouldn't have been found out for overloading and even if they did it would have only resulted in a fine (which hardly anyone would know about or care much about anyway). Now, even if they win any legal cases that arise from this incident, their reputation (such as it was) is in tatters and they'll do well to keep their business in the air, so to speak.
 
Airlines that offer fully flexible fares have to overbook, or else they go bust.

However announcements of overbooking should be done at check in. Can't recall an airline ever asking people already seated on the aircraft to get up and sod off.

Total clusterfuck, followed by bloodying your passenger. Whoop :thumbs:
 
True, but as things have turned out for United it would have been better for them to take the risk. Chances are they wouldn't have been found out for overloading and even if they did it would have only resulted in a fine (which hardly anyone would know about or care much about anyway). Now, even if they win any legal cases that arise from this incident, their reputation (such as it was) is in tatters and they'll do well to keep their business in the air, so to speak.

Nah. Safety is absolutely everything in commercial aviation. They'll get over this but being found to flaunt safety regulations would be worse. People will be forgiving of this if they can get a cheap fare, safety regulation violations? Nah.
 
what's shit about stories like this is its so clearly out of order it leaves no room to find an angle to argue about on urban

I did try. I mean what did he expect was going to happen if he refused to obey cabin crew? Was his own journey worth holding up the rest of the flight for?
 
I did try. I mean what did he expect was going to happen if he refused to obey cabin crew? Was his own journey worth holding up the rest of the flight for?

It does seem that legally speaking the passenger was the one committing the crime. If a captain decides you have to get off, legally you're stumped. I wonder if United will press charges.
 
I'm sure that'll restore their collapsed PR image a treat.

People now know that uncooperative passengers will be removed in a timely fashion so their flight can get under way. :thumbs:

When it comes to airlines ticket price is by far the biggest factor, no one cares whether people-who-aren't-them get manhandled by security
 
It does seem that legally speaking the passenger was the one committing the crime. If a captain decides you have to get off, legally you're stumped. I wonder if United will press charges.

The bloke kicked off did sound a bit odd to me. One news report I heard this morning said he tried to run back onto the plane after he was removed. :facepalm:
 
It is an outrageous story. Overbooking at its worst and violence against a customer, and why did they pick on this particular customer I wonder? And why did they only know when everyone was seated that they needed spaces, this smacks of very poor organisation.

If I were an American passenger, I would be giving United a wide berth from now on. Hopefully people will vote with their feet.
 
I'm sure that'll restore their collapsed PR image a treat.

Well they were talking about this incident on the R4 Today programme, you're not going to like this but basically they mentioned that it did nothing to their share price, it didn't register at all. Some business bod said we have short memories, we have to fly, and our expectations are at an all time low as to how we are treated. They pretty much shrugged it off as just another example of bad treatment from an airline.
 
I think I read funding for Amtrak is being pulled, so that's going to be crap for the middle of the country. :(

Even in the late 70's where I lived, you had to drive an hour to the nearest train station, or Greyhound bus station. Even if you wanted to leave, they've never made it easy! :)

Its always been crap for the middle of the country. Even in the "good old days" of bus travel there wasn't anything that took me closer than 60 miles from home. I had to arrange a ride from their drop-off point. Luckily, there was infrastructure in place in the form of ride sharing boards and such. All that old infrastructure is gone and you'd be reliant on something like Craig's List to get a ride. Or, go the old fashioned way and thumb it.

BTW, United is the only airline that flies out of our airport. If you want another one, you have to drive to Omaha or KC. Even so, most people make the drive.
 
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Well they were talking about this incident on the R4 Today programme, you're not going to like this but basically they mentioned that it did nothing to their share price, it didn't register at all. Some business bod said we have short memories, we have to fly, and our expectations are at an all time low as to how we are treated. They pretty much shrugged it off as just another example of bad treatment from an airline.

That was yesterday. S&P now has it starting about 2.5% lower. Given their current strategy is to get a strong foothold in Asia; 100 million views on Chinese site Weibo with loads of people there calling for a boycott and "is it cos I is Chinese?" might be a bit overpriced still.
 
That was yesterday. S&P now has it starting about 2.5% lower. Given their current strategy is to get a strong foothold in Asia 100 million views on Chinese site Weibo with loads of people there calling for a boycott and "is it cos I is Chinese?" might be a bit overpriced still.

It was this morning - I was driving to work, listening to radio 4.
 
Well they were talking about this incident on the R4 Today programme, you're not going to like this but basically they mentioned that it did nothing to their share price, it didn't register at all. Some business bod said we have short memories, we have to fly, and our expectations are at an all time low as to how we are treated. They pretty much shrugged it off as just another example of bad treatment from an airline.

No, they don't care. I've watched various shareholder proposals at a number of companies. Things like higher worker pay for fast food jobs, better environmental responsibility, etc. I've never seen one succeed.
 
It was this morning - I was driving to work, listening to radio 4.

This morning, the US stock exchanges were shut due to the time delay. Trading , yesterday finished slightly up. Granted its not the biggest mover on the presales though
 
Used to fly United Airlines all the time. They are most unremarkable like virtually all American airlines are unremarkable.

The whole experience of flying within the US seems to me as if people have become accustomed to being treated like shit. Airports are usually very boring, and airport staff - particularly TSA or security staff - are more than often rude, overtly authoritarian, and very dense - as seems to be the case with the two goons who dragged that guy off the plane.

I mean it doesn't take a genius to work out that if getting those staff on the airline was imperative, the smart way to have done it would have been to 'deplane' everyone and then only allow back on only those ticketed passengers with approved boarding passes.

(deplane is one of the worst verbs ever btw)
 
This morning, the US stock exchanges were shut due to the time delay. Trading , yesterday finished slightly up. Granted its not the biggest mover on the presales though

Ah, I thought you thought the R4 programme were talking about it yesterday. Well, the business bods having a chat about it didn't think the incident would have much impact on ticket sales for UA. Flying is like getting a bus, but worse because you have to turn up hours beforehand and unpack repack and remove articles of clothing, just to sit down and wait for another hour.
 
Used to fly United Airlines all the time. They are most unremarkable like virtually all American airlines are unremarkable.

The whole experience of flying within the US seems to me as if people have become accustomed to being treated like shit. Airports are usually very boring, and airport staff - particularly TSA or security staff - are more than often rude, overtly authoritarian, and very dense - as seems to be the case with the two goons who dragged that guy off the plane.

I mean it doesn't take a genius to work out that if getting those staff on the airline was imperative, the smart way to have done it would have been to 'deplane' everyone and then only allow back on only those ticketed passengers with approved boarding passes.

(deplane is one of the worst verbs ever btw)

I noticed that this happened in Chicago. O'Hare is the shittiest place I've ever had to fly through. The staff is beyond rude and actually seemed to be playing games with how awful of an experience they could make it without causing someone to go apeshit. If they got apeshit this time, they probably deserved it.
 
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