Man Dragged off United Airlines/Flight Overbooked, April 2017

[Rocco]

Well from what i could tell the gist of the story is:
(quote)
Michael Hohl and his fiancée Amber Maxwell were flying to Costa Rica for their wedding on Saturday when they boarded a flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, to find someone stretched out sleeping in their seats, NBC reports.

The couple decided they would leave the passenger resting, and moved to another row of empty seats they claimed were in the same economy class.
And:
(quote)
When a United flight attendant approached them, the soon-to-be married couple asked if they could be upgraded from their assigned seats but were turned down.

The couple claims they calmly returned to their seats but a short time later a US Marshal appeared on board and escorted the couple from the flight.

So if they returned to their seats as stated and they were compliant, what was the problem to call in a U.S. marshall to remove them from the flight?
And from what i read in the article it was a matter of he said she said. The couple told their story but the airline refuted that story. So who to believe? I certainly wouldn't trust what UA say at the moment after the fiasco with the Dr. they forcibly removed.

I imagine in the upcoming days we're going to be hearing a lot of stories regarding people who feel wronged by airlines. If anything, the airline industry should be using extreme caution to make sure they have satisfied customers after the UA incident---especially UA.

You're right--it's a he said/ she said so no one knows. The fact that no other passengers have spoken out in support of this couples story makes me wonder though.

 

[Karinna]

I imagine in the upcoming days we're going to be hearing a lot of stories regarding people who feel wronged by airlines. If anything, the airline industry should be using extreme caution to make sure they have satisfied customers after the UA incident---especially UA.

You're right--it's a he said/ she said so no one knows. The fact that no other passengers have spoken out in support of this couples story makes me wonder though.

Exactly, and at least in this case no one was injured physically thank goodness and it was sorted out. But it will probably make people think twice about flying with UA, and may try to avoid that in future. Not good for their image i imagine.

 

[CoolJ]

Well from what i could tell the gist of the story is:
(quote)
Michael Hohl and his fiancée Amber Maxwell were flying to Costa Rica for their wedding on Saturday when they boarded a flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, to find someone stretched out sleeping in their seats, NBC reports.

The couple decided they would leave the passenger resting, and moved to another row of empty seats they claimed were in the same economy class.
And:
(quote)
When a United flight attendant approached them, the soon-to-be married couple asked if they could be upgraded from their assigned seats but were turned down.

The couple claims they calmly returned to their seats but a short time later a US Marshal appeared on board and escorted the couple from the flight.

So if they returned to their seats as stated and they were compliant, what was the problem to call in a U.S. marshall to remove them from the flight?
And from what i read in the article it was a matter of he said she said. The couple told their story but the airline refuted that story. So who to believe? I certainly wouldn't trust what UA say at the moment after the fiasco with the Dr. they forcibly removed.

Remember when businesses used to live by the old adage " The customer is always right" ?

 

[Karinna]

Remember when businesses used to live by the old adage " The customer is always right" ?

Yes i do CoolJ, and thought that still is the case, but i guess not in some places. Times have certainly changed in some of those ways, and not for the better either, IMO.

 

[FelicityLemon]

I imagine in the upcoming days we're going to be hearing a lot of stories regarding people who feel wronged by airlines. If anything, the airline industry should be using extreme caution to make sure they have satisfied customers after the UA incident---especially UA.

You're right--it's a he said/ she said so no one knows. The fact that no other passengers have spoken out in support of this couples story makes me wonder though.

Do armrests retract?

Since I haven't flown in years, just how long does it take to board a plane these days that by the time the couple boarded they found "a man napping across the row of seats"?

Did they take pics of the napper? I would have. It seems natural for so many people would have taken a pic at least and uploaded it for laughs.

These days, it does help to document everything.

 

[chloes1]

It can be news, provided a news source is included with the twit... On the whole though, social media is rarely news, it's just a self justifying bubble reinforcing a particular point of view.

Twitter is not news , it is gossip moo

 

[chloes1]

They lift up, or used too anyway.

Do armrests retract?

 

[Hraefn]

So if they're changing their policy to now say they will no longer take seats of boarded passengers, their policy before this incident must have been that they did allow them to take seats of boarded passengers.

How can they change a policy that was not legal (as some claim) in the first place? United must have a team of attorneys who review their policies before they're put into effect. Is this the first time in United's history that this issue has come up?

Oh well, Jesse Jackson is on the scene now. I'm sure he'll take care of this in no time flat.

Their policy only allowed them to refuse boarding, it never allowed them to remove a boarded passenger. It seems they are going to make the language more clear, set a time limit for when crew members must be booked on a flight, and to disallow LE to be contacted to remove passengers who aren't immediate security threats. The policy language was posted here many times, it only allowed them to deny boarding. That part of the policy is not being changed, they are just no longer going to allow that policy to be violated I guess.

United Airlines, which is reviewing its policies after the violent removal of a passenger from a flight last week, says it will no longer allow employees to take the place of civilian passengers who have already boarded overbooked flights.
...
“We issued an updated policy to make sure crews traveling on our aircraft are booked at least 60 minutes prior to departure,” a spokeswoman, Maggie Schmerin, wrote in an email on Sunday. “This is one of our initial steps in a review of our policies.”
...
She also emphasized a previously announced change that law enforcement officials would no longer be asked to remove passengers who do not pose immediate security threats.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/16/us/united-passengers-removal.html?_r=0

 

[human]

Do armrests retract?

Since I haven't flown in years, just how long does it take to board a plane these days that by the time the couple boarded they found "a man napping across the row of seats"?

Did they take pics of the napper? I would have. It seems natural for so many people would have taken a pic at least and uploaded it for laughs.

These days, it does help to document everything.

Yes, they do retract. And it takes awhile to board. And people are always hoping for empty seats, me included.

 

[frisson]

Wow. I don't care what his profession is or how good or bad is he at it as it pertains to this issue. I don't need to know his personal history.
Even if he just wanted to go home to be with his family that is a good enough reason for me. If they needed seats they should not have let all those people board imo. He paid for the seat. He was allowed to board. He was sitting in his seat and not bothering anyone until he was accosted. That tells me enough.

This man may be the Rosa Parks of the airline industry. I hope it sets a precedent. It seems this is not racial and I'm not saying that it is; but it IS a horrible mistreatment of a human being. My point is that this may mark serious change in the way people are treated.

 

[ilovewings]

They treated this man like a criminal-- he was a passenger on an airplane, FGS-- it was a horrible assault --- it is so beyond the pale that
it defies comprehension what they did to this man -- the security and/or police who did this should lose their jobs. period.

 

[frisson]

On a sidenote, the overbooking just galls me. People who make a reservation , pay for a seat, get there early and go through all the hoops of security, and need to be somewhere for whatever personal or business reason should get that seat, imo. The tickets are not cheap like riding a bus with another bus coming along in a few minutes. Plus people have luggage checked . for crying out loud. Let some seats go unfilled if they have to or have some standbys ready to accept/pay for them at a discount.

I get it that while still at the gate circumstances can change. But once a person is boarded and seated that is a done deal imo.

 

[frisson]

ooops double post. sorry

 

[CARIIS]

On a sidenote, the overbooking just galls me. People who make a reservation , pay for a seat, get there early and go through all the hoops of security, and need to be somewhere for whatever personal or business reason should get that seat, imo. The tickets are not cheap like riding a bus for crying out loud. Let some seats go unfilled if they have to or have some standbys ready to accept/pay for them at a discount.

I get it that while still at the gate circumstances can change. But once a person is boarded and seated that is a done deal imo.

The media is still reporting the story wrong. It was not overbooked. Nor did it have anything to with United Airlines staff.

 

[CARIIS]

Yes, they do retract. And it takes awhile to board. And people are always hoping for empty seats, me included.

ahhhhhhh those planes with 30% on them long gone!!

 

[human]

ahhhhhhh those planes with 30% on them long gone!!

Some international flights are not filled

 

[CARIIS]

For younger folks- here is how we got into the nightmare flying has become even before hijacking and then terrorism.

Civil Aeronautics Board

Insert some elevator music! Before the industry was deregulated in 1978, flying was magnificent! The industry was tightly controlled by the government. TheCivil Aeronautics Board. They controlled everything. They controlled what airline flew where, how much they could charge per seat.

The basic premise was the skies above the USA belonged to the public. So an American who lived in bumbo Arkansas does have the tight to have some access to air travel.

The carriers bid for routes. As time went by the CAB became truthfully just like the mafia. Sleezy corrupt back room dealings blackmail etc etc.

THe basic deal was when the CAB awarded a lucrative route they also made it to where in order to get that one they had to fly to bee bop America and lose money on that segment - way game worked.

Pricing was fixed by them. So it became the only way the carrier to get a passenger to select them again was based entirely on how awesome they treated and fed their customers!

Before deregulation here was dinner!!

Airlines were then allowed to fly anywhere charge anything which changed the whole mess. It was about the price of the seat. Working for the biggies (legacy carriers Pan Am TWA, Eastern, United, American) were great jobs. Employees were union.

When it all went to hell- new start ups could slash their fares cause they are paying there staff welfare wages! The legacy carriers could not compete - they were union. The could not match Southwest fare of 89 a seat, the legacy carriers "payroll" were unreal.

So it went from the service industry to price industry. You could not overbook a flight before 1978 - period!

So it erodes to a Grayhound Bus Line at 37,000 feet! Here we are . You in all likelihood are sitting right next to a passenger that paid 389 less than you for the same seat . !

The legacy carriers could not continue and slowly vanished. Which during that period left us with Value Jet, People Express and all them!

That is why now (service wise your flight attendant might shoot you!)

They bought you magazines. pillows, blankets, cocktails were free YAH! You dressed - it was like theater! You don't show up for Flight 487 like your heading for the beach!

The Waldorf vs Motel SIx! Flying was so neat !! None of this cra@ would ever happen prior to 1978.



After deregulation here is dinner:

Flight crew attire then

Dress code today

 

[CARIIS]

How one dressed to fly before 1978!

Forgot all images Google


Today

 

[CARIIS]

Compare contrast yes this is an airline offering!

I feel compelled to prove that this is true !!

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Travel/ht_ryanair_cheeseburger_ll_120921_ssh.jpg

 

[LaneGirl]

I think the pictures might be comparing 1st class back then to coach today.

ETA - As well as an international flight food with a domestic flight food. International 1st class flights still serve some pretty nice dishes as do the domestic 1st class, however not as much as the one pictured from Brannif.