While it is the LR after all, it is surprising to see the vitriol directed at the dr. whiner, pussy, idiot, should've done as directed, etc Shit, this guy exposed UA for their shitty practice and people are worried that their fare will go up.

That's not the point at all. The point is that violation of a contract is not an illegal act, which was the earlier statement. I've not even heard of any UA employee being charged, so I don't see any evidence of an illegal act on the part of UA. There are all kinds of subtleties that would have to be worked through to even decide if they had violated the contract. For example, there is the argument that it is long established in aviation law that boarding is not complete until all doors are closed, so he was never in fact legally boarded. It's something legal experts can and do disagree about, despite any evidence you want to gather from google.

On the other hand, if Mr Dao entered the plane after being asked to leave, there is really no denying that that is criminal trespass. You could argue about whether he was trespassing on the 1st seating, but once he had been asked to leave and he re-entered the plane, it is criminal trespass.

Sorry, I wasn't aware I was trying to have a reasoned argument with a 2nd grader.

 I've not even heard of any UA employee being charged,

And you won't either, as this is going to get settled out of court for about a million bucks it looks like. Companies do it all the time, know they would lose in court, so skip paying the lawyers and just get to the settlement phase. And I think they now realize that any court case in this instance is a no win, as in judgement and perception.

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/...-passengers-removed/

and you thought airline travel has been bad in the past...i think this will be it's future.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
we're doomed

and you thought airline travel has been bad in the past...i think this will be it's future.

If that guy on United gets a big settlement, you can bet there will be lots more people acting out to get themselves in the spotlight and if all goes well, get the police involved so they can provoke them. Any incident now will have reporters swarming with everyone out to try to clean up the airlines (*cough*extort money*cough)..

Bank on it.


.

So I received this email last night from United. Titled "Actions Speak Louder than Words" :

_______________________


Dear Mr Xxxxxx,

Each flight you take with us represents an important promise we make to you, our customer. It's not simply that we make sure you reach your destination safely and on time, but also that you will be treated with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we broke that trust when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words.

For the past several weeks, we have been urgently working to answer two questions: How did this happen, and how can we do our best to ensure this never happens again?

It happened because our corporate policies were placed ahead of our shared values. Our procedures got in the way of our employees doing what they know is right.

Fixing that problem starts now with changing how we fly, serve and respect our customers. This is a turning point for all of us here at United – and as CEO, it's my responsibility to make sure that we learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to put our customers at the center of everything we do.

That’s why we announced that we will no longer ask law enforcement to remove customers from a flight and customers will not be required to give up their seat once on board – except in matters of safety or security.

We also know that despite our best efforts, when things don’t go the way they should, we need to be there for you to make things right. There are several new ways we’re going to do just that.

We will increase incentives for voluntary rebooking up to $10,000 and will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy. We will also be rolling out a new app for our employees that will enable them to provide on-the-spot goodwill gestures in the form of miles, travel credit and other amenities when your experience with us misses the mark. You can learn more about these commitments and many other changes at hub.united.com.

While these actions are important, I have found myself reflecting more broadly on the role we play and the responsibilities we have to you and the communities we serve.

I believe we must go further in redefining what United's corporate citizenship looks like in our society. You can and ought to expect more from us, and we intend to live up to those higher expectations in the way we embody social responsibility and civic leadership everywhere we operate. I hope you will see that pledge express itself in our actions going forward, of which these initial, though important, changes are merely a first step.

Our goal should be nothing less than to make you truly proud to say, "I fly United."

Ultimately, the measure of our success is your satisfaction and the past several weeks have moved us to go further than ever before in elevating your experience with us. I know our 87,000 employees have taken this message to heart, and they are as energized as ever to fulfill our promise to serve you better with each flight and earn the trust you’ve given us.

We are working harder than ever for the privilege to serve you and I know we will be stronger, better and the customer-focused airline you expect and deserve.

With Great Gratitude,

Oscar Munoz
CEO
United Airlines

United will be just fine. People will fly it based on price and convenience. People will be more likely to stay in their seats but United has learned how to handle them. Nothing will change. Nothing to see here. Business as usual.