United Airlines booking solution....

[Grand Torino]

[Oh Shoot]

 

[usuviri]

https://www.youtube.com/watch[YT]%3Fv%3Dd1Cpc8Vw-2A&ved=0ahUKEwiV672P1Z3TAhWos1QKHZfvAgQQuAIIIzAC&usg=AFQjCNFPW00zjKjYSIcphRylqrd2RkbwSw&sig2=lHuxXUMJNu6hTvmNipFrHghttps://youtu.be/d1Cpc8Vw-2A

 

Edited April 12, 2017 by usuviri

[DaveTN]

This is a good example of how one employee can impact a company’s reputation. From the accounts I have heard two Chicago Department of Aviation security officers were trying to deal with the man when a third came on and got violent with the guy.

Hindsight is 20/20 and armchair quarterbacking is what we do. I think explaining to the guy that he was getting off the plane or he was going to be arrested would have worked. If not, explain to the other people the plane can’t leave until this guy gets off the plane. Let them drag his azz off the plane. 

Chicago PD is taking heat and they weren’t even there.

This is going to cost United Airlines and the City of Chicago a bunch because of one hothead. I wonder how the cost of this will compare with the cost of training security to handle this type situation.

[Hozzie]

It's certainly bad PR, but in the long run, this isn't going to cost UA anything outside of some settlement with the guy.  People will still fly UA just like they do today because 95% of all people out there have very short memories, and more importantly the bottom line always wins out.  If UA is the cheapest flight, people will take it, period.  

I guarantee that there are some people that are going to make a lot of money off of the their market drop.  It may take  little bit, but it will also be back.

The interesting thing to watch is does the airline lobby have enough power to keep Congress from now enacting some stringent overbooking rules.  I can see that happening.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Hozzie

[Capbyrd]

33 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

I wonder how the cost of this will compare with the cost of training security to handle this type situation.

A lot more than offering someone on the plane a different flight plus 1000 dollars or 1500 or whatever it would have taken to get someone else to voluntarily take another flight. 

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

this isn't going to cost UA anything outside of some settlement with the guy. 

Its not really about what it costs United.  Its what its going to cost United's investors.  And after the hit they have already taken, I'm sure the board is sick of hearing about it.  I imagine something will change. 

 

[peejman]

51 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

This is a good example of how one employee can impact a company’s reputation. From the accounts I have heard two Chicago Department of Aviation security officers were trying to deal with the man when a third came on and got violent with the guy.

Hindsight is 20/20 and armchair quarterbacking is what we do. I think explaining to the guy that he was getting off the plane or he was going to be arrested would have worked. If not, explain to the other people the plane can’t leave until this guy gets off the plane. Let them drag his azz off the plane. 

Chicago PD is taking heat and they weren’t even there.

This is going to cost United Airlines and the City of Chicago a bunch because of one hothead. I wonder how the cost of this will compare with the cost of training security to handle this type situation.

No amount of explaining was gonna get that guy to walk off the plane. The proper solution is to get everyone else off the plane and then cuff 'em and stuff 'em away from prying eyes.

[Omega]

10 minutes ago, peejman said:

No amount of explaining was gonna get that guy to walk off the plane. The proper solution is to get everyone else off the plane and then cuff 'em and stuff 'em away from prying eyes.

No, the proper solution was to deal with the overbooking before boarding.  Once boarded, there should be no reason to get off unless it is a security issue.  They also need to figure out the crew assignments better, how is it that the crew could not take another flight, or a 4hr bus trip for that matter.  If crew rest would of been impacted, then they should of been sent off the day before.

[bud]

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Edited May 30, 2017 by bud

[LawVol]

19 minutes ago, Omega said:

No, the proper solution was to deal with the overbooking before boarding.  Once boarded, there should be no reason to get off unless it is a security issue.  They also need to figure out the crew assignments better, how is it that the crew could not take another flight, or a 4hr bus trip for that matter.  If crew rest would of been impacted, then they should of been sent off the day before.

This.  They should have stuck the employees in a rental car and had them drive to Louisville.  Or put them on a small charter plane.  Anything besides kicking off four paying passengers and making a scene in the process.

[gregintenn]

295 miles between Chicago and Louisville. All on I-65. I'd rather drive that than fly.

[Erik88]

2 hours ago, peejman said:

No amount of explaining was gonna get that guy to walk off the plane. The proper solution is to get everyone else off the plane and then cuff 'em and stuff 'em away from prying eyes.

I usually agree with you but can't say I feel the same way on this one.

 United screwed up and they will pay greatly for it. This entire thing could have been avoided.

[chances R]

3 hours ago, DaveTN said:

This is a good example of how one employee can impact a company’s reputation. From the accounts I have heard two Chicago Department of Aviation security officers were trying to deal with the man when a third came on and got violent with the guy.

Hindsight is 20/20 and armchair quarterbacking is what we do. I think explaining to the guy that he was getting off the plane or he was going to be arrested would have worked. If not, explain to the other people the plane can’t leave until this guy gets off the plane. Let them drag his azz off the plane. 

Chicago PD is taking heat and they weren’t even there.

This is going to cost United Airlines and the City of Chicago a bunch because of one hothead. I wonder how the cost of this will compare with the cost of training security to handle this type situation.

What...why?  You going to arrest him for buying a ticket and allowing him to board and be seated?  Oversale is the first point of BS, the second is tossing paying customers off to seat employees.  And then let's throw in the patients the doctor has the next day that have to cancel and rearrange their life.  This is totally on the shoulders of United, and there are several much better options.  I hope they continue to get roasted.

[Omega]

While active duty I was racking up the air miles, I seldom had the opportunity to accept any offers because they were always on the way out and I had a timeline to meet.  But, in my experience all overbooking matters were handled before boarding, and in a manner which benefited those that volunteered to be bumped.  I have been driven to another airport due to canceled flights, been given room and meal tickets when connections have been missed (airlines fault) and on a couple rare occasions had free flights.  Only once have I been asked to come off an airplane, and that was the entire plane, the entire concourse for that matter, a passenger had gone around security and boarded so we all got inconvenienced then.  It amazes me that airlines are allowed to overbook, but will charge for changing or cancelling flights unless you buy the trip insurance up front.  How about selling more standby flights, at least then you know you may not get on.  I think United will take a hit, but also agree that they will just pay and be done with it..probably covered by their insurance anyway.

[MP5_Rizzo]

 

[MP5_Rizzo]

[Capbyrd]

58 minutes ago, Omega said:

But, in my experience all overbooking matters were handled before boarding, and in a manner which benefited those that volunteered to be bumped.  

 

Although the solutions could be the same, this wasn't strictly an overbooking issue.  This was a "we need to get flight staff to Louisville and this sold out flight is the only one that will get them there on time" issue.  They should have handled it like an overbooking issue though and offered some vouchers, hotels or money and it would have resolved itself.  But they didnt.  

[DaveTN]

2 hours ago, chances R said:

What...why?  You going to arrest him for buying a ticket and allowing him to board and be seated?  Oversale is the first point of BS, the second is tossing paying customers off to seat employees.  And then let's throw in the patients the doctor has the next day that have to cancel and rearrange their life.  This is totally on the shoulders of United, and there are several much better options.  I hope they continue to get roasted.

Criminal trespass. I agree that United should have handled it, but they didn’t and they called security to the aircraft. Why they want him off is immaterial to security. As a Police Officer I couldn’t tell a business owner to “negotiate better”. Whether it is a restaurant, bar or an aircraft; if you are told to leave you leave. I would have explained to him that he could walk off the aircraft and go about his business or he would be placed under arrest, cuffed and taken to Cook County jail for booking. No sane person would choose the latter.

United will pay whatever this costs them and move on. The security guard and whoever they work for should be on the hook for the cost of this. When security guards meet unreasonable people in emotional situations they need to be able to deal with them without beating someone’s azz.

[bersaguy]

I'm sure United could have handled this entire matter differently but they screwed up big time. There are many alternatives to getting their flight crew 295 miles to a new location without disturbing paying customers like they did. Several alternatives have already been mentioned. United could have checked other airlines for flights going to same location and put them on another company's plane that was not over booked. I'm sure any other airline would have been more than glad to help out..........jmho

[Luap]

Over my career I have flown several million miles.  Out of those several million i had less than 25,000 on United for this very reason.  United Airlines can suck pond water.  

[peejman]

6 hours ago, peejman said:

No amount of explaining was gonna get that guy to walk off the plane. The proper solution is to get everyone else off the plane and then cuff 'em and stuff 'em away from prying eyes.

When I wrote this I was under the mistaken impression that the guy they removed had a warrant. 

Yes, the United employees should have just rented a car.  The whole situation is exceedingly stupid. 

[jgradyc]

Lots of mistakes made here, including some major mistakes by the passenger. When law enforcement was brought in, he should have complied. I really think this guy was high on something. I have a friend who is a flight attendant and she tells me a significant percent of passengers are taking sedatives to sleep, anti-anxiety drugs because they are afraid to fly, or just drunk. 

After he is dragged off, he comes running back on the plane, according to one source, shouting, "I have to get home, I have to get home!"  Who does that if they aren't impaired? 

Yeah, United handled it wrong. Then, the airport law enforcement handled it wrong. But this guy shares responsibility for what happened to him. 

[shotgunshooter]

New United spokesman: Randy Orton with the surprise RKO outta nowhere!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[btq96r]

I think this is just another example of how government is on-call to enforce edicts from business interests.

Unless it's a health or safety issue, officers should not be willing to enforce on behalf of the airlines.  United had a problem that was 100% business created, and therefore should have been 100% business solved.  Forcing a booked, ticketed, checked, and seated passenger off a plane should never be a police function because there is no public danger in play.

Edited April 13, 2017 by btq96r

[Sam1]