Overbooking On A United Flight

[emmie]

was this the only way for them to get this chap off the flight, surely not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39563570

[EDDIE51]

emmie , If you read the link Togo put up at 19.59 it explains that his past had nothing to do with it. They asked for 4 volunteers and offered them $400 to get off, when there were no takers they upped the offer to $800 , when there were still no volunteers they selected 4 people at random. The other 3 then just got off but this man refused.

[emmie]

if he refused then why did they feel the need to body slam him down the damn aisle, cutting his face and causing uproar to the rest of the passengers, makes no sense.

[Garaman]

Why did he not leave when instructed to by the pilot and take it up with the airline instead of causing uproar to the rest of the passengers, makes no sense.

[EDDIE51]

On an aircraft,once the captain has made the decision his word is law!
They had no choice once he refused an order by the Captain.
If they had let him get away with it they would never get anyone else to leave!

[EDDIE51]

Garaman, he said he was a doctor, which is true, and he needed to get back to treat his patients.

[emmie]

so now its the passenger fault, he hadn't done anything wrong as far as i can see.

[bednobs]

doctor yadda yadda yadda postmen have to get back to deliver post, petrol station workers need to get back to run petrol stations and so on

[NoMercy]

Their whole behaviour was abhorrent.

If they took the man's money for his seat, they entered into a contract and had no right to just demand he vacate his seat because they needed it back.

I hope he sues the pants off them.

[EDDIE51]

emmie, it's not his fault and he had done nothing wrong.
He was chosen at random because no one would give up their seat voluntarily, then he refused to obey an order to get off.
A very unfortunate expierience but no other option under the circumstances.

[237SJ]

I doubt that he was chosen at random

[jno]

Eddie, they had a very clear option: offer more money. Most people will have a tipping point at which the money on offer appeals to them more than the necessity of landing on schedule. This man may not have been one of them - but there were lots of others who might have done so.

[EDDIE51]

^ Read the link at 19.59 They offered $400 and got no takers so they upped it to $800 still no takers. Then they chose 4 passengers at random, 3 got off as ordered but this guy refused.

[jno]

Eddie, they lost a billion on the markets yesterday. I daresay some of it will trickle back, eventually. But how does that, and the associated reputational demage, stack up against $800 a head for four? They could have offered each one a million and still come out ahead.

[RobNorth]

I was waiting for a flight to Peoria in Chicago - at the gate - the previous flight to Peoria was delayed and also overbooked, which is the norm on internal flights. The ensuing auction was quite entertaining and the young AA employees at the gate had a lot of freedom to spend money. As it was 9pm they weren't having much luck getting 6 people off and the offer just climbed until eventually they got 4 young blokes travelling together, who accepted a steak meal downtown, 400 dollars each and a hire car. The other two were a couple bumped back onto my flight at 800 dollars each....they sat next to me on the flight and told me that was their holiday for next year taken care of!
Ironically, due to the aircraft congestion at the gate, our flight took off first, so these folk got paid handsomely for arriving earlier.
This sort of shambles of routine overbooking must pay in the long run because of the igh load factor.

[emmie]

seems they are going to sue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39586391

[jno]

good luck to him.

[emmie]

Attorneys for Dr David Dao, who lost two front teeth and suffered a broken nose and "significant" concussion in the incident, say they will sue.

[clairson59]

I agree with Best answer. Also, if they did only realise the air crew needed seats after everyone had boarded why didn't they announce over the tannoy on board they would offer upgraded seats on another flight or other remuneration for the first four people to give up their seats instead of picking on a passenger who also needed to travel on the flight to get to his patients? He has lost two front teeth and is still receiving treatment and has launched a lawsuit against the airline. A costly error.

[jno]

clairson, they did - they offered $800; but only three volunteers came forward.

[douglas9401]

He vos only not obeying orders.