Passenger forcibly removed from flight because it was overbooked

[ColinNish]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/10/shock-man-forcibly-removed-overbooked-flight/

This was just mental!! How can they get away with that!!

[stoneyburn hibs]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/10/shock-man-forcibly-removed-overbooked-flight/

This was just mental!! How can they get away with that!!

Seen it on channel four news, mental. Banged his head of a head rest as they dragged him off.

[Just Alf]

That is crazy!

He was obviously in a seat.. so why drag him off? Surely what should have happened is the person sitting in the departure lounge should have got the 800 cash and free overnight stay?


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[ColinNish]

That is crazy!

He was obviously in a seat.. so why drag him off? Surely what should have happened is the person sitting in the departure lounge should have got the 800 cash and free overnight stay?


Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

This is what i was thinking too. I remember being booked on a flight from LA to Chicago that was overbooked and they were trying to entice folk to give up their seats and put them on flight next day, but no one had boarded at that point.

[Moulin Yarns]

He was being removed to allow off duty flight crew fly to where they were due to be working the next day. Ignoring the fact he was doing the same thing.

[--------]

£500 and a night in a hotel to postpone my return to work by 24 hours?

Sounds a great deal to me.

I'd have taken it.

:wink:

[danhibees1875]

Those aren't nice scenes at all. Pretty shocking really.

The practice of airlines selling more tickets than they have seats in the expectation of no shows is a pretty rubbish one. While i understand the financial benefits of it, incidents like this are bound to arise. There should be measures in place to stop such practices.

[snooky]

Those aren't nice scenes at all. Pretty shocking really.

The practice of airlines selling more tickets than they have seats in the expectation of no shows is a pretty rubbish one. While i understand the financial benefits of it, incidents like this are bound to arise. There should be measures in place to stop such practices.

Did they not even give him a parachute? No wonder he had to be forcably ejected.

[danhibees1875]

Did they not even give him a parachute? No wonder he had to be forcably ejected.
:greengrin

I'd have kicked off if it was before the free meal too.

[Scouse Hibee]

Those aren't nice scenes at all. Pretty shocking really.

The practice of airlines selling more tickets than they have seats in the expectation of no shows is a pretty rubbish one. While i understand the financial benefits of it, incidents like this are bound to arise. There should be measures in place to stop such practices.

Hotels over sell too, common practice in the industry.

[danhibees1875]

Hotels over sell too, common practice in the industry.
I'm sure they do and as i said i can understand the financial viewpoint of doing so. But i don't think they should be without a much better thought out contingency plan for what to do in situations like this.

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[Speedy]

Hotels over sell too, common practice in the industry.

Doesn't make it right. Although the other side of it is that punters who aren't turning up are subsidising our flight costs.

[Scouse Hibee]

I'm sure they do and as i said i can understand the financial viewpoint of doing so. But i don't think they should be without a much better thought out contingency plan for what to do in situations like this.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

Absolutely I agree, when you book or reserve a seat or a room you at least expect it to be honoured or adequately compensated not assaulted and forceably ejected.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

I'm sure they do and as i said i can understand the financial viewpoint of doing so. But i don't think they should be without a much better thought out contingency plan for what to do in situations like this.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

I dont mind them doing it per se, but surely the onus then jas to be on them to up the enticement until someone accepts - its their risk, amd sometimes they wil lose.

Sending in the heavies is way out of order.

[Danderhall Hibs]

How did they choose that guy for the beating? Wouldn't they have asked if anyone would/could get a later flight?

[Just Alf]

I dont mind them doing it per se, but surely the onus then jas to be on them to up the enticement until someone accepts - its their risk, amd sometimes they wil lose.

Sending in the heavies is way out of order.

Totally agree, the 800 offered wasn't even their normal max, apparently it's 1350 dollars, maybe they'd have got a taker for that! (Mind you, they got 3 off for the 800 and wouldn't want to up the costs on them... All down to money!)

[danhibees1875]

Absolutely I agree, when you book or reserve a seat or a room you at least expect it to be honoured or adequately compensated not assaulted and forceably ejected.
Exactly - so obviously to the .Net holy ground but an airline couldn't get to the conclusion... :greengrin





I dont mind them doing it per se, but surely the onus then jas to be on them to up the enticement until someone accepts - its their risk, amd sometimes they wil lose.

Sending in the heavies is way out of order.

Yeah, not handled well at all.

Could have been a game show of calling each others bluff as the compensation increased. :wink:

[easty]

Shocking way to treat a customer, but I was also surprised other passengers allowed it to happen the way it did. If I had been on that plane, I wouldn't have sat there and watched the guy being dragged up the aisle like that. Not a chance.

[southfieldhibby]

Shocking way to treat a customer, but I was also surprised other passengers allowed it to happen the way it did. If I had been on that plane, I wouldn't have sat there and watched the guy being dragged up the aisle like that. Not a chance.

You would have taken on 3 armed American police officers in a confined space? That would have ended well for you!

[easty]

You would have taken on 3 armed American police officers in a confined space? That would have ended well for you!

Taken on? I'm not saying I would have put them on their ***** and dragged them off the plane screaming one by one. I would have stood up for a guy being bullied and dragged bleeding off a plane, I wouldn't have sat there like the rest of them saying "oh my god, oh my god". The guy wasn't a criminal, there was no need to treat him like one.

[overdrive]

It doesn't surprise me in the least. United's customer service at boarding gates, check in desks and their call centre is appalling though their responses to written complaints are OK.

We had a big hassle when going on honeymoon with them after our outbound flight was cancelled. Booked us on connecting flights with barely any changeover time (despite us pointing that out to them), and when we did actually make the gate in time we were told, "sorry, we assumed you wouldn't make the connection, so we sold your seats to someone else". Managed to find us other seats but when we got to them there were already people sitting in them with a ticket with those seats on them arguing with another set of people also with the same seats on their ticket... one pair of seats issued 3 times!

[ColinNish]

How did they choose that guy for the beating? Wouldn't they have asked if anyone would/could get a later flight?

They apparently chose 4 seats at random, 3 of the passengers agreed to get off with compensation being given, he refused.

[stantonhibby]

They apparently chose 4 seats at random, 3 of the passengers agreed to get off with compensation being given, he refused.

Including the guys wife apparently which I thought was a bit odd

[snooky]

The 'experts' are pointing out that it's the passenger who broke the law not the airline as the captain is ultimately in charge of the plane and he ordered the man off. What about a law that says if you book a seat you are entitled to it (unless you are found out to be a danger to the security or the like)?
It's incidents like these that really show the Law up to being the proverbial ass that it is. Whether he was belligerent or not IMO, the man had paid for his seat on that flight and was entitled to it. The AIRLINE should have kept upping the compensation till a passenger(s) decided to cash in. In my book the airline is 100% at fault here. "Disunited Airlines R Us"
Ridiculous situation.

[JeMeSouviens]

It's a bit of an odd one this. It's not a run of the mill overbooking. I've seen these a few times and they make the offer for volunteers at check in and at the boarding gate. The fact that they actually let the passengers board indicates they didn't think they were overbooked at that point. It must have been a very late call to try and send their own flight crew on that plane.

I'm not sure that they do have the right to chuck the guy off once he's in an assigned seat, but even if they do, this amount of bad publicity means the guy is probably already negotiating a very juicy out of court settlement. :cb

[HH81]

I am flying home today from America. Hope this happens to me I fancy a big pay out. :-)

[One Day Soon]

This practice of deliberately overselling is outrageous. Imagine that principle applied by Hibernian to Scottish Cup Final tickets. I'd love to see how that selective "we want your seat back" policy would go as the game is about to start.

[easty]

This practice of deliberately overselling is outrageous. Imagine that principle applied by Hibernian to Scottish Cup Final tickets. I'd love to see how that selective "we want your seat back" policy would go as the game is about to start.

:faf: I'm picturing a guy being dragged up the steps at Hampden screaming...."but my loyalty points....I went to Morton away!"

[IWasThere2016]

UA are a shambles.

Split me, wife and youngest (13) up going Glasgow to Newark and then again Newark to Orlando.

Same again coming back to Newark, and then had 7 passengers and 6 seats for Newark to Glasgow. Fortunately, a Norwegian took their offer and all 6 boarded.

However, despite there being 3 seats together and being told we would be sat together - the other 3 passengers insisted also - the UA desk staff effed it up and we got 3 separate seats.

Shambolic organisation. We were compensated but NEVER again!

[snooky]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Just as well the old guy wasn't a guitar. United have form.


And the follow ups.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-UoERHaSQg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P45E0uGVyeg

[Wilson]

Fortunately, a Norwegian took their offer and all 6 boarded.



Must have been yon Helpy Helpersson fella Jason Manford is always on about.

[McD]

UA are a shambles.

Split me, wife and youngest (13) up going Glasgow to Newark and then again Newark to Orlando.

Same again coming back to Newark, and then had 7 passengers and 6 seats for Newark to Glasgow. Fortunately, a Norwegian took their offer and all 6 boarded.

However, despite there being 3 seats together and being told we would be sat together - the other 3 passengers insisted also - the UA desk staff effed it up and we got 3 separate seats.

Shambolic organisation. We were compensated but NEVER again!


Exactly the the same happened to us on the same routes - United tell you that you can book your seats together then tell you to bolt when you get to check in and the seats are all separate!

on our flight the cabin crew had taken up 6 full overhead lockers meaning us poor saps paying for the privilege of flying were struggling to get things stowed. They also had a go at my father for having the temerity of needing into his stowed bag (some 20odd metres up the plane) for medication.

as you've said, NEVER again.

[--------]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Just as well the old guy wasn't a guitar. United have form.

It's clear to me from the clip that the baggage-handler was obviously a music-lover.

Would YOU want to be stuck on a plane with that guy and his pals leading a sing-song?

He's lucky they didn't put HIM in the hold.


And the follow ups.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-UoERHaSQg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P45E0uGVyeg

Jings! They're even worse. Are they the Deliverance Seven?

Put me in mind of Mark Twain's definition of a gentleman - someone who CAN play the banjo, but DOESN'T.


But seriously, it's clear UA badly need lessons in customer services.

If an airline sells you a ticket for a particular flight, then surely they've entered into a contract with you to transport you from (say) Dulles to LAX at that time on that aircraft.

Surely they can't just say, "Oops, sorry, we've over-booked. We're reneging on our contract - get off the plane."

And then call up RentaThug when you insist they fulfill their obligations.

[overdrive]

Jings! They're even worse. Are they the Deliverance Seven?

Put me in mind of Mark Twain's definition of a gentleman - someone who CAN play the banjo, but DOESN'T.


But seriously, it's clear UA badly need lessons in customer services.

If an airline sells you a ticket for a particular flight, then surely they've entered into a contract with you to transport you from (say) Dulles to LAX at that time on that aircraft.

Surely they can't just say, "Oops, sorry, we've over-booked. We're reneging on our contract - get off the plane."

And then call up RentaThug when you insist they fulfill their obligations.

Apparently the contract is actually we will transport you from Dulles to LAX with nothing about when or how that will happen.

That is how it was explained to me by United's rude and unhelpful operator at their call centre when I called them after receiving a text from them in the middle of the night that simply said "Your flight UAxx has been cancelled".

[Colr]

Apparently the contract is actually we will transport you from Dulles to LAX with nothing about when or how that will happen.

That is how it was explained to me by United's rude and unhelpful operator at their call centre when I called them after receiving a text from them in the middle of the night that simply said "Your flight UAxx has been cancelled".

Which, off course, runs right through the logic that different flights cost different amounts.

[grunt]

Couple of points here.


He was not removed because the flight was overbooked. The airlines have processes for dealing with overbookings but this was not that situation.
The airline was in the wrong in this case, because there was no overbooking and the man had boarded and was in his seat.
This is going to cost UA big time.

[--------]

Apparently the contract is actually we will transport you from Dulles to LAX with nothing about when or how that will happen.

That is how it was explained to me by United's rude and unhelpful operator at their call centre when I called them after receiving a text from them in the middle of the night that simply said "Your flight UAxx has been cancelled".


I can foresee some American attorneys having a lot of fun with that idea ....

I really hope they're nailed good and proper for this. The guy was treated abominably.

[Colr]

Probably a lot of stories like this.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/easyjet-overbooking-luton-airport-catania-sicily-denied-boarding-ordered-off-plane-a7686471.html

[snooky]

Probably a lot of stories like this.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/easyjet-overbooking-luton-airport-catania-sicily-denied-boarding-ordered-off-plane-a7686471.html

What is distasteful as well is the smugness of the Fox newscaster (O'Riley). I'd love to see this happen to him and see if he thinks it's something to laugh about.

[ColinNish]

Couple of points here.


He was not removed because the flight was overbooked. The airlines have processes for dealing with overbookings but this was not that situation.
The airline was in the wrong in this case, because there was no overbooking and the man had boarded and was in his seat.
This is going to cost UA big time.


Where did you hear this from? I've not seen anything but it being an overbooking?

[patch1875]

Got £150 to take a flight 2 hours later to London due to overbooking a couple of years ago jumped at the chance as I was in a hotel overnight for a flight the next morning.

Got some food vouchers also!

[JeMeSouviens]

Where did you hear this from? I've not seen anything but it being an overbooking?

From UA themselves. It wasn't a passenger that needed the seat, they were trying to shift air crew from one airport to another at the last minute.

[ColinNish]

From UA themselves. It wasn't a passenger that needed the seat, they were trying to shift air crew from one airport to another at the last minute.

Yeah i knew that it was UA staff.
Saw today that its now not an overbooking, they just decided 4 staff had to go on that flight at very short notice.

[snooky]

Yeah i knew that it was UA staff.
Saw today that its now not an overbooking, they just decided 4 staff had to go on that flight at very short notice.

Apparently it wasn't even UA staff but a sister company's staff.
Sad state of affairs but that's the way the world of business operates these days.

[heretoday]

I gather Ryanair passengers are beaten on a regular basis.

[Hibrandenburg]

I gather Ryanair passengers are beaten on a regular basis.

Aye, they get beaten then dragged on.