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Delays are pretty much the rule now. No one flying these days should expect to adhere to a schedule. Flying is a privilege and the customer is not in charge. We need to be realistic. Those seats keep getting filled regardless of how poorly they treat us.
You seem to have a submissive attitude. Accept it and you will continue to be treated like that. As for me, I will never fly United after this.
Yup. They're within their right to overbook, the law is clear on that. In the age of social media they should have known better than to drag him off the flight. Now they have to give him something and it will be more costly than the $800 they were offering.
They weren't even overbooked. They had to get 4 employees somewhere and I'll bet there was a better way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katzpaw
You can quote and cite every legal expert and contract in the world but being "right" in this case will damage United's reputation and revenues. I may have the legal right of way but I'm not going to walk out in front of a speeding truck.
Can't believe this has to be explained. The PR on this is just horrendous and their stock is taking a hit today. But, hey, they were 'within their rights".
The video was all over social media; on every news outlet and shown over and over again. Along WITH the tone deaf letter blathering on about 're-accommodating".
Pure ignorance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TXStrat
This is just the latest nail in the United brand. As a somewhat frequent business traveler, United has always been my absolute last choice. Without exception, there is a major inconvenience every single time I fly United. Overbooked flights, delays (normally mechanical failures in my personal experience), cancellations, and without fail, lost luggage. I will never understand why this occurs so frequently with United. When flying through their main hubs, and with a 2 hour plus layover, why is it that United cannot seem to get luggage moved from aircraft A to aircraft B? How do the all other airlines manage to get it done, and usually in less time, layover wise?
The current market indicators point to a 5% drop in UAL shares, and around $1B lost. The United leadership is currently putting on a master class in how NOT to respond to this controversy.
My son flies back and forth to Chicago all the time and has always said that United is AWFUL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jojajn
Cannot sue the airlines. Write your congress person!
Someone's getting sued. I guarantee Attorneys are calling this guy all over the place. Maybe he'll just name a few individuals personally if necessary.
Then he was cutting it close, he should have been back earlier. He knew he could be bumped. Furthermore, doctors have to reschedule patients all the time, they get called to emergencies or get sick themselves. He was not more important or special than any other passenger.
I take it that you don't do any business traveling. Tight schedules are exactly why busy people fly. Perhaps the doctor was giving a lecture at a weekend medical conference which are often held in Chicago.
I've always known that airlines reserve the right in their purchase agreement to bump a passenger.
However.....while they were legally able to pull four people off, were they authorized to use physical force. I don't think so.
Second, they poorly managed their resources (didn't have the appropriate staff in the appropriate locations) and were punishing customers for their poor planning.
Third, they obviously didn't offer enough and should have continued to offer incentives if it was THAT important to them that they felt the need to physically remove a passenger in such an aggressive way.
Fourth, I think their statements after the video and incident do NOTHING to help their cause.
There will be some impact but I suspect United will come back with lower prices to true and lure passengers back on to their planes. Truth is -- money talks -- many people who travel have to choose the lowest airfare and Untied will end up paying for this incident with discounted ticket prices for some time I think. (or in the real world that's how it should work -- lol).
There are laws and rules for a reason, if someone refuses to comply with the law, it gets physical. I'm sure the cops probably could have tried harder to avoid this, but unfortunately the childish and unhinged behavior of the passenger was the trigger for this escalation.
This is just the latest nail in the United brand. As a somewhat frequent business traveler, United has always been my absolute last choice. Without exception, there is a major inconvenience every single time I fly United. Overbooked flights, delays (normally mechanical failures in my personal experience), cancellations, and without fail, lost luggage. I will never understand why this occurs so frequently with United. When flying through their main hubs, and with a 2 hour plus layover, why is it that United cannot seem to get luggage moved from aircraft A to aircraft B? How do the all other airlines manage to get it done, and usually in less time, layover wise?
The current market indicators point to a 5% drop in UAL shares, and around $1B lost. The United leadership is currently putting on a master class in how NOT to respond to this controversy.
Years ago, I watched a man use a marker to cross off "Fly the friendly skies" from a United sign in an airport. He was cussing and carrying on. United is my least favorite airline, probably based on the memory of this man's experience rather than my own.
I used to love to fly Sun Country out of Minneapolis. Every flight was a party.
We moved and now mostly fly Southwest. SWA prices aren't as good as they used to be, but their website is easy to use, particularly when comparing prices between several different days and times.
I love that they've kept the free baggage. Even though we usually fly with just carryon, the policy means that the other passengers aren't loaded down like Sherpas hogging all the overhead space.
I like the boarding process. Seems straightforward and smooth and fairly efficient.
But I mostly like the customer service. It's efficient, friendly, and often with a bit of fun.
Be interesting to see what United comes up with to counter this PR fiasco.
Can't believe this has to be explained. The PR on this is just horrendous and their stock is taking a hit today. But, hey, they were 'within their rights".
That original reply was directed at me, and nobody was "explaining" anything to me, its obvious that from a PR perspective its bad news. But again for the 100th time, what gives this grown adult the right to throw a tantrum with kicking and screaming like a 4 year old because he didn't like the rules and because law enforcement was asking him to leave. United may have ****ty policies and be terrible at handing the after effect, but in no way is it their fault that this man acted like a child, or that the police werent better trained to handle such a situation.
If it's true that the last four were crew heading to fly another plane elsewhere, that will affect far more people.
United could have gotten volunteers, but someone chose not to go that route.
Where they were going was reportedly only 4 hours away by car. United could've rented a limo for their crew allowing them to relax the whole way or even a private plane but they chose to play the corporate big foot and force a situation that they created to begin with...
How dare this man expect a service in exchange for money!
Just remember that if you fly United and you are offered the "opportunity" to be screwed out of the seat you paid money for, you better take the offer because United first course send goons to beat the **** out of you.
Then again, maybe the American consumer will wise up and never again will the be an overbooked United flight.
It's sometimes worth paying that little bit extra and enjoying drinking champagne, cocktails and conopies rather than tasting the tarmac.
Good point. You'll all notice it seems nobody from First Class was removed and their removal policy puts their frequent flyers last in line to be asked to give up their seats.
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