Don't fly United

[Anonymous]

A pilot friend for United just told me that most of the flights this week are oversold, btw. It's a busy travel time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering what all the other passangers (who are now coming forward with videos) were doing. I mean - the "police" who were security were dragging this man off the plane and they did nothing? But film?

No one stood up for him?

What would you have done?

You would've been arrested for interfering or being an unruly passenger. It's more effective to get your cell phones out to record it and post it on social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A pilot friend for United just told me that most of the flights this week are oversold, btw. It's a busy travel time.

oversell fine, but then compensate people appropriately when you board them on the plane and then realize you made a mistake and want to kick them off. don't call police to have your customers beaten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The airlines could easily solve this by upping the pittance. There is always a price that will get somebody off (well, except maybe if people are fleeing a new war zone)

They offered $800 but there are indeed Federal regulations on this, which limit compensation.

We need to change those laws. Let's write our congressmen. How can this law possibly be anybody's interest but the airlines.

I would actually be more interested in seeing reciprocity agreements in situations like this between airlines. Can't fit everyone on the United flight from Chicago to Louisville? Maybe Delta or American have seats available and/or passengers who are willing to take a later flight. There were any number of ways to solve this problem other than simply throwing money at it or strongarming (read: bloodying the face of a senior citizen) passengers to get out of seats they booked and paid for.

They do have such agreement (I got bumped and they put me on United to Dulles instead of AMerican to Reagan). Only American flies the same route (O'Hare to Louisville), also on a small plane.. so my guess is that was full also. I'm sure the gate agent checked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A pilot friend for United just told me that most of the flights this week are oversold, btw. It's a busy travel time.

Yes, because it is spring break in a lot of places and also Easter weekend is coming up. Do not try to frame this as anything other than airlines being out to maximize profit at the expense of customer comfort and customer service. There is literally no other explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be illegal to deny a person their flight if they paid for the ticket and checked in on time. We need a law. This incident makes this obvious.

Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your tickets for this? Most airlines overbook since they get many no-shows. If they didn't oversell, they'd need to raise prices.

Well, most tickets are non-refundable, so even if you don't show up, the airline still gets your money.

And what other industry is allowed to sell people something that doesn't actually exist? The airlines make a choice to oversell; fine. But they should bear the costs of that, not their passengers. If that means shelling out 4 times the ticket price when they have to kick someone off a flight, then that's what it means.

A lot of them. Cellphone companies and internet providers sell "unlimited data" but it won't actually work if everyone tries to use unlimited data that much -- the network can't handle it.

Same with the phone company. If everyone tried to make a call at once, the system couldn't handle it. They know that no one really would try to do that (except on 9/11.. then everything came to a halt because of being overloaded).

Or the water company. They dont' have enough water pressue if everyone were to take a shower and flush the toilet at once. But I don't see them advertisign limits on water.

How about the Dulles Toll Road? I pay a fee to use the road, but in rush hour, I barely move. I thought I'm paying to get from point A to B in a speedy manner?

That is a ridiculous argument and you know it. Everyone knows that all of those services you mentioned are never going to be used by all people at the same time. But when you have 250 seats on a flight and they sell 260, supposedly all of those passengers are going to be expected to fly on the flight you sold them. If not, you need to compensate properly

They did. $800 to people who volunteered to get bumped, and some were probably on $150 tickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The airlines could easily solve this by upping the pittance. There is always a price that will get somebody off (well, except maybe if people are fleeing a new war zone)

They offered $800 but there are indeed Federal regulations on this, which limit compensation.

We need to change those laws. Let's write our congressmen. How can this law possibly be anybody's interest but the airlines.

I would actually be more interested in seeing reciprocity agreements in situations like this between airlines. Can't fit everyone on the United flight from Chicago to Louisville? Maybe Delta or American have seats available and/or passengers who are willing to take a later flight. There were any number of ways to solve this problem other than simply throwing money at it or strongarming (read: bloodying the face of a senior citizen) passengers to get out of seats they booked and paid for.

They do have such agreement (I got bumped and they put me on United to Dulles instead of AMerican to Reagan). Only American flies the same route (O'Hare to Louisville), also on a small plane.. so my guess is that was full also. I'm sure the gate agent checked.

I'm not sure why you're sure the gate agent checked. The gate agent let everyone board, thereby creating this situation on the plane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be illegal to deny a person their flight if they paid for the ticket and checked in on time. We need a law. This incident makes this obvious.

Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your tickets for this? Most airlines overbook since they get many no-shows. If they didn't oversell, they'd need to raise prices.

Well, most tickets are non-refundable, so even if you don't show up, the airline still gets your money.

And what other industry is allowed to sell people something that doesn't actually exist? The airlines make a choice to oversell; fine. But they should bear the costs of that, not their passengers. If that means shelling out 4 times the ticket price when they have to kick someone off a flight, then that's what it means.

A lot of them. Cellphone companies and internet providers sell "unlimited data" but it won't actually work if everyone tries to use unlimited data that much -- the network can't handle it.

Same with the phone company. If everyone tried to make a call at once, the system couldn't handle it. They know that no one really would try to do that (except on 9/11.. then everything came to a halt because of being overloaded).

Or the water company. They dont' have enough water pressue if everyone were to take a shower and flush the toilet at once. But I don't see them advertisign limits on water.

How about the Dulles Toll Road? I pay a fee to use the road, but in rush hour, I barely move. I thought I'm paying to get from point A to B in a speedy manner?

That is a ridiculous argument and you know it. Everyone knows that all of those services you mentioned are never going to be used by all people at the same time. But when you have 250 seats on a flight and they sell 260, supposedly all of those passengers are going to be expected to fly on the flight you sold them. If not, you need to compensate properly

They did. $800 to people who volunteered to get bumped, and some were probably on $150 tickets.

obviously that is not enough compensation. it needs to be more.

[Anonymous]

Was the $800 offered a voucher or cash? I'd take the cash, but would pass on a voucher. Vouchers are so hard to use.

[Anonymous]

When I travel, I would need $10000 to change a flight. My time is worth that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I travel, I would need $10000 to change a flight. My time is worth that.

Why aren't you flying on private planes then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I travel, I would need $10000 to change a flight. My time is worth that.

Why aren't you flying on private planes then?

you clearly don't understand what the time of people flying on private planes is worth. They would need $100000 to compensate them.

[Anonymous]

Wow... Just read the story. Simply terrible. I am done with United.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was the $800 offered a voucher or cash? I'd take the cash, but would pass on a voucher. Vouchers are so hard to use.

Exactly, why would i take a shitty airline voucher? Give me cash or get lost. I hope this man wins big time if he sues.

[Anonymous]

between this incident and the girls changing their clothes because of their leggings, i don't think I could book a United flight, even if it was significantly cheaper. Who wants to deal with a company that seems to have zero regard for their customers? Absolutely disgusting.

BTW - this a management problem. The attitude of their crew/staff comes from poor management at the top.