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How screwed is United airlines?
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So looking at the guy they forcably took off a plane so that some employee could get a seat, looks like at least a 5 figure settlement to me, maybe a lot more. But the real damage seems to be on social media to their reputation, that could be millions. And so stupid, all they had to do was up the offer to give up seats until they had the volunteers, would have been a few hundred bucks in united credits. Now it is going to be millions it looks like, and this dude ought to fly for free forever for that beat down he took. And his wife was a couple rows back watching the whole thing, probably get her some $$ for something, what say you lawyers? Think they are beating down his doors to represent him?
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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didnt their refusal to replace a guy's guitar they broke cost them $180 million? this will be worse.

who's smarter than you're? i'm!
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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If they have the best rates next time I fly, I won't think twice about it.

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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If they have the best rates next time I fly, I won't think twice about it.


I agree, I don't go for most of these outrage boycotts. And besides, they are going to pay dearly for this in other ways, and when you get down to it, it will be the fault of just a couple people really. Although they may be shielded by some united policy, so that is going to have to change too. Like I said, just up the payout until you get your volunteers, I remember many, many years ago that is what they used to do. I was on a flight I absolutely did not want to get off of, but it got to about a grand and a hotel room, so I lost the 12 hours for that. Half the plane was ready to get off for that, I just happened to be right in front and got my hand up quickly..
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
And so stupid, all they had to do was up the offer to give up seats until they had the volunteers, would have been a few hundred bucks in united credits.

Well, apparently they did offer money. First they offered hotel and flight costs for volunteers, then that plus $400, then $800, but still no takers.

FAA rules are weird. They allow airlines to overbook, require them to offer compensation for bumping someone, but if they don't get volunteers, the rules allow them to involuntarily bump someone.

Not sure that would really apply for when they want the seats for their own crew though.

Poorly handled for sure.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Ya but it would just have been a couple/few hundred bucks more, and hands would have shot up, and you don't grab some random guy whose wife is also on the plane and stuck there while you have to get off. The whole thing just did not make any sense, and surly heads are going to roll. I just wonder how long it is going to take, if cooler heads are in charge I would expect a total capitulation by tomorrow morning at the latest.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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sphere wrote:
If they have the best rates next time I fly, I won't think twice about it.

If the prices are close I'd go with a competitor especially if it's Southwest because I don't fee like they are out to screw me.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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sphere wrote:
If they have the best rates next time I fly, I won't think twice about it.

This.

I live in a United hub. I travel at least 2x per month. The hassle of connecting if I fly Delta or American, and the just as big of a hassle flying Southwest or Frontier makes it very unlikely that this will impact my decision to pick UA on my next trip.

However, I am surprised they didn't get a volunteer or two when they hit $800 plus a hotel.

drn92
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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United is doubling down. Frankly, it's a PR war they'll never win.

http://time.com/...assenger-disruptive/
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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The Chicago Aviation Authority suspended the officer involved.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [veganerd] [ In reply to ]
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didnt their refusal to replace a guy's guitar they broke cost them $180 million?


That does help explain why some airlines can't seem to make money...
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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It's outrageous, agregious, preposterous

_________________________________
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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sphere wrote:
If they have the best rates next time I fly, I won't think twice about it.

When I'm flying for work I can't avoid them if they have the best rates within a reasonable timeframe. Corporate policy is lowest rate with a few qualifiers. I'm just glad they kicked off Frontier who wanted $8 for you to get an assigned middle seat ahead of time (that we were not reimbursed for) and money for a soda and carry on off. I was not surprised when they won worst airline this year. And they used to serve the best hot cookies.

I think a lot of corporations have similar policies. So any impact will be limited on business travel.

Monday morning I'll be flying the friendly skis again.

That said I'm glad this guy caused a stink about this. Flying has become a very unpredictable experience. Not wanting to fly on Easter has me hoping my flight is on time Monday to get to a meeting.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Is this a United Air thing or an O'Hare security thing?

From a pr perspective, it was a United thing, but PR often doesn't mesh with reality. I didn't think the security were UA's private security.

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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
Is this a United Air thing or an O'Hare security thing?

From a pr perspective, it was a United thing, but PR often doesn't mesh with reality. I didn't think the security were UA's private security.

A little bit of both. UA called security (who I believe are peace officers, but independent of the Chicago Police Department) and the security guys roughed him up. Under the Slowguy theory of history has no bearing UA is absolved of all blame even though they called security. I tend to disagree.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I fail to see the outrage. As others noted, these are the rules we sign up for when we buy a ticket. The report I saw said he got back on and had to be removed twice. If true, he deserves everything he got along with any legal penalties for boarding a plane he wasn't supposed to be on. This should be a lesson to those that fly - take what they offer or listen when you're told to leave. The ability to overbook keeps prices from being higher than they already are.

Geez, a company tries to treat its employees well, and they just can't win.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I'm guessing a whole lot of shit went down (not on any posted video) before it got to the point of dragging that guy out of the plane.

We just walked into a movie theater 1 1/2 hours late and then walked out 15 seconds later.

We have no idea what this movie is really about.

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [Duffy] [ In reply to ]
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Heard from a couple of eye witnesses on the plane that saw it all. They said he was a nice quite guy minding his own business. He got belligerent once they started to pull him out of his seat, understandably. I know you Duffy, you wife and kid in the back, your in that seat going to Hawaii where the surf is in epic mode, you probably get shot by those security guards. Weren't you just going to go postal if you couldn't even see your son at his school after a shooting? Or are you going to just lay down and leave your family and the plane quietly?
Last edited by: monty: Apr 10, 17 21:10
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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So it sounds like they are not UA employees.

About 3 trillion passengers get bumped from overbooked flights every day. Sometimes those bumps are because they have to get employees to certain locations, so that several hundred passengers aren't delayed later that day or the next day. That's just part of the industry.

They made a mistake in allowing the passengers to board, but once they told him that he's bumped, then he's bumped. Just get on the next flight. He wouldn't leave, UA's only options are to continue to delay the flight or to call security.

I don't think that UA asked security to rough this guy up a little.

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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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He wouldn't leave, UA's only options are to continue to delay the flight or to call security. //

Not true, they just needed to get volunteers to come off that plane, very simple. I think they got some to give up their seats, but they needed just a little more incentive to get the last one. That would have been the easy and most efficient thing to do. Their route delayed not only the plane, but those employees that I guess they desperately needed somewhere else, and now probably losing millions of $$ to boot.


I would bet just about anything that they will not go this route ever again. This is going to sting them, and I think rightly so. You do not separate families on flights, find the amount that gets enough to just give up their seats, or use some other system that takes into account people traveling with others..
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [Runski] [ In reply to ]
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Do you really know all the rules in fine print when you buy a ticket? Not just airline ticket, any ticket.

Runski wrote:
I fail to see the outrage. As others noted, these are the rules we sign up for when we buy a ticket. The report I saw said he got back on and had to be removed twice. If true, he deserves everything he got along with any legal penalties for boarding a plane he wasn't supposed to be on. This should be a lesson to those that fly - take what they offer or listen when you're told to leave. The ability to overbook keeps prices from being higher than they already are.

Geez, a company tries to treat its employees well, and they just can't win.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [Perseus] [ In reply to ]
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Perseus wrote:
If the prices are close I'd go with a competitor especially if it's Southwest because I don't fee like they are out to screw me.

monty wrote:
surly heads are going to roll.

You guys clearly have the next-gen autocorrect - AI with a subtle sense of humor.
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I would bet just about anything that they will not go this route ever again. This is going to sting them, and I think rightly so. You do not separate families on flights, find the amount that gets enough to just give up their seats, or use some other system that takes into account people traveling with others..

I was wondering how they went about random selection for one seat. My guess is they pooled all the solo passengers together and chose among them. No way they'd have pulled someone traveling with family.

He was traveling solo, right?

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W
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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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They tried getting volunteers (you could argue that they didn't try hard enough, but they did try).

I understand that there were no takers. Once there were no takers, 4 people had to get bumped via lottery.

99.999999% of the time, the people who get bumped get off quietly, take the compensation, and find another way to get where they are going.

The fault here lies with how security handled a 69!year old man. UA could not possibly have foreseen this happening.

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Re: How screwed is United airlines? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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I agree.

How do you remove a 69 year old man who refuses to leave, though, without physical force?

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W
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