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https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ma ... 100325694/

I don't get it why it would take the CEO of a company three public statements until he issues a decent apology.

United could have given each of those four passengers a private plane and United would have lost less money and salvaged their image. Stock might have even gone up.

Ernie wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ma ... 100325694/

I don't get it why it would take the CEO of a company three public statements until he issues a decent apology.

United could have given each of those four passengers a private plane and United would have lost less money and salvaged their image. Stock might have even gone up.

There is significantly more than meets the eye with this story. Let's wait to pass judgment until a few weeks pass. I do not want to repeat a bunch of things, but some news reports are that this man was very troubled and perhaps suffering from significant mental health and behavioural problems.

I'm kind of bothered how quickly everyone knows exactly how an airline should run things 1 - 2 days after an incident. If we really are such experts maybe we should run our own airline?

(I'm also puzzled how many people absolutely needed to be in Louisville on Monday. An entire plane load of people turned down $800 in compensation in exchange for arriving a day later.)

Josh wrote:

Ernie wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ma ... 100325694/

I don't get it why it would take the CEO of a company three public statements until he issues a decent apology.

United could have given each of those four passengers a private plane and United would have lost less money and salvaged their image. Stock might have even gone up.

There is significantly more than meets the eye with this story. Let's wait to pass judgment until a few weeks pass. I do not want to repeat a bunch of things, but some news reports are that this man was very troubled and perhaps suffering from significant mental health and behavioural problems.

I'm kind of bothered how quickly everyone knows exactly how an airline should run things 1 - 2 days after an incident. If we really are such experts maybe we should run our own airline?

(I'm also puzzled how many people absolutely needed to be in Louisville on Monday. An entire plane load of people turned down $800 in compensation in exchange for arriving a day later.)

If they were involuntarily removed compensation would likely have been more like $1350....in a check cut at the gate.

J.M.

Also surprised none of these self righteous people filming and complaining about United didn't just jump up and volunteer their seats.

This is probably the best time ever to book a flight on United.

temporal1 wrote:This is probably the best time ever to book a flight on United.

Josh wrote:

Ernie wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ma ... 100325694/

I don't get it why it would take the CEO of a company three public statements until he issues a decent apology.

United could have given each of those four passengers a private plane and United would have lost less money and salvaged their image. Stock might have even gone up.

There is significantly more than meets the eye with this story. Let's wait to pass judgment until a few weeks pass. I do not want to repeat a bunch of things, but some news reports are that this man was very troubled and perhaps suffering from significant mental health and behavioural problems.

I'm kind of bothered how quickly everyone knows exactly how an airline should run things 1 - 2 days after an incident. If we really are such experts maybe we should run our own airline?

(I'm also puzzled how many people absolutely needed to be in Louisville on Monday. An entire plane load of people turned down $800 in compensation in exchange for arriving a day later.)

I wouldn't have wanted to adjust my travel plans in exchange for $800 in United vouchers that are only good for a year. And I can see where a doctor who has a scheduled shift at the hospital wouldn't want to be AWOL even in exchange for a $1,350 check. There are also reports that this man may have initially volunteered or agreed to give up his seat, but then refused after he found out that the next available flight wouldn't be until after noon the following day.

I'm sure there is more to the story than meets the eye. I also think part of the reason this story has struck a nerve is the demeaning nature of air travel these days. It has a way of making people mad, and then when something like this comes along they just blow up.

I'm not smart enough to run an airline, but I am smart enough to know that to tackle a customer and drag him out of a seat that he paid for isn't a good PR move. Just like I don't know how to build a skyscraper, but I'm pretty sure it would be a career ending move to jump off a steel beam 30 stories high without some kind of fall protection.

Josh wrote:]I'm also puzzled how many people absolutely needed to be in Louisville on Monday. An entire plane load of people turned down $800 in compensation in exchange for arriving a day later.

These people felt being on that flight was worth more than $800 to them. That means the free market price of changing their seat was higher than that. United could have kept bidding it up until they got 4 volunteers. At some price, people would volunteer - $1000? $1400? $2000? Whatever the number, it was apparently more than $800 for that flight. And a cash check would be better than a voucher against future travel that expires in a year. People have enough experience with frequent flier miles to be uncertain whether things like that will pan out for them.

No matter what the contract says, you don't win popularity by having the police forcefully remove someone from a seat he bought on the airplane in ways that alarm other passengers. It doesn't make customers feel like you care about them and are trying to serve their needs.

Air travel is regulated, so if there are no volunteers you get 4X the fare you laid or $1,350, which is exactly what happened.

A few things to note here:

- This was actually a Republic flight, not a United flight, and Republic employees

- The passenger in question has a history of prescribing prescription narcotics in exchange for sex with a male patient, was suspended by the medical board after his wife turned him in, and is a convicted felon

- Air travel is really cheap. Employees often make very little money. The gate agent in question probably makes about the same as a Starbucks barista.

- Incidents like this happen almost every day and it's a normal thing to call the police on a uncooperative passenger.

Ultimately, it's important for there to be clear authority when it comes to air travel. Legally speaking, the airline has authority to determine who may or may not be in its aircraft. They do not use force, but the police do.

A society doesn't function without authority. Incidentally, I fly on United and other airlines a lot. I never seem to have these kinds of issues.
Occasionally I do run into a staffer in a bad mood or who has significant training issues. Sometimes I don't get the service I paid for either.

There are remedies to deal with that. I don't go and sue at law, but usually contacting customer service fixes the issue. Some things just aren't worth fighting for, too. I treat United as a group of people who are pretty good at getting me from point A to B without any accidents. In exchange, I do not challenge those people, yell at them, and when they make an unreasonable request, like when I've been involuntarily denied boarding after already on the plane and I just want to be home, I comply. It all gets sorted out within a few hours or days.

Josh wrote: The passenger in question has a history of prescribing prescription narcotics in exchange for sex with a male patient, was suspended by the medical board after his wife turned him in, and is a convicted felon

So that means that United should feel justified in beating him up and removing him from the plane just because they want to give his seat to one of their employees?

That has nothing to do with them dragging him off the plane. They didn't know that. Whether or not this is true, it is irrelevant. And it's even worse if the poor guy now has to deal with Internet shaming based on allegations that may or may not be true.

It's sad that anyone who gets public attention is suddenly put on trial in the media and social media.