Man Dragged off United Airlines/Flight Overbooked, April 2017

Jeez for a buck - all they had to do was up the offer and someone else would have gotten off

I see this man owning United AIrlines in 18 years after it goes through the courts (kidding)

Not OK. moo

 

All so United didn't suffer an inconvenience themselves. Clearly the customer doesn't come first with United. I've flown A LOT with work on many airlines - United has always been my least favorite for several reasons . . . the first being the horrible customer service I've always experienced.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

He's an internal specialist with five children, four of whom are ALSO doctors. What an absolute travesty.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401444/Name-man-hauled-United-flight-Chicago-revealed.html

 

Any lawyers in the family? This is unbelievable.

 

One of the law partners at the personal injury firm I work at has offered to represent him for free.

 

If the plane doesn't have enough seats, and they offer $400 and a free nite in a hotel, and nobody takes the offer. Then they up it to $800 and the hotel, still no takers. So they tell everyone on the plane, the computer will randomly pick 4 names. How else can it be? Should he have been above the picking because he is a dr? What if I am an attorney with an important case tomorrow? or a parent with kids but no sitter?
should they have asked everyones occupation and income level before naming 4 people?
I agree the planes should not have been overbooked and the employees should have been the first choice to lose their seats. BUT, the guy should have just complied, and settled it in court or with his future business. IMO, he created the disturbance by refusing to get up and walk off the plane.
I have been booted and placed on another airline, still with the compensation money in my pocket, and arrived within hours of my scheduled arrival time.
Life is not perfect. things go wrong. You can go with the flow or kick up a stink.

Just like the leggings issue last week. If you want a free flight, play by their rules, even if you think they don't make sense. If not, just pay for your flight and wear whatever you want to.

JMO, and I know it probably won't be popular.

 

I wonder what the Dr.'s history is. He looked like he might have been suffering PTSD when he came back on the plane. moo

 

United’s stock is falling 2.6% and wiping $600 million off the airline’s market cap

United Airlines Stock Drops $1.4 Billion After Passenger-Removal Controversy

 

He has had quite the troubled past. O.O

"The father of five, who has won sympathy globally over the incident, was given a suspended jail sentence for illegally obtaining and trafficking controlled substances by fraud and deceit....... He was also found to have in engaged in sex with a male patient- Brian Case, who he knew from the church they both attended - and then supplied him with drugs, including Oxycontin, in exchange for sexual favors.

The sexual liaisons, which happened motel rooms, were recorded by undercover agents. He paid $200 in cash each time he met Case.

The secret sex and drugs life of the doctor first came to light in in July 2003 when police alerted the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure of the allegations against him.

In October 2003 he was indicted by a Jefferson County Grand Jury for 'criminal acts of trafficking in a controlled substance, obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit, and unauthorized prescribing, dispensing or administering of controlled substances'.

His medical license was suspended later that month."


Much more including excerpts from the court mandated psychiatrist's findings at the link.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.dail...gged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I agree with you that they shouldn't prioritze anyone.

However, I also don't think they should randomly pick. If I buy a ticket, and they sell it to me, that is their implicit agreement that they owe me the service offered. If they are going to overbook, THEY should pay the price. If no one volunteers at $800, they should keep upping the price until they get a volunteer. Simple. They just weren't willing to pay the price for their dishonoring the "contract".

Regarding the particular passenger's behavior, we haven't seen exactly what it was before he was dragged off, so he might have made things worse (and I suspect that's the case). However, even though you and I might have handled it differently in his situation, he had every right to be on the plane.

The airline has to keep things from escalating to keep the flight safe, however they created the problem in the first place.

 

As a travel agent I always warn my clients about this if they haven't bought their actual seat. I will always prebook seats if available for free. If the airline doesn't allow except for a fee I will offer to clients. If they don't want to I alwayyyys urge my clients to be at the airport to check in early. That wouldn't have even worked in this case.
Most people don't use agents anymore and sometimes it's better to use one just for the simple fact that we can prebook seats for free.
I have flown for free (but for stupid taxes) on buddy seats with airline friends. However we have never had first dibs. We could only get on those seats if it wasn't overbooked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

"But the price has recovered during the early afternoon, and is none back at $69.82, MarketWatch reports" (from article)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-flight-Chicago-revealed.html#ixzz4dxjepNpC
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


'He said, more or less, 'I'm being selected because I’m Chinese",' the passenger told the Post (from article)
Oh no, the the Chinese card.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html

Seems to be a lot to read about this man.

 

I just don't give a damn about his past (as it relates to this case).

This is assault and battery. And it's BS.

 

Thank you for sharing the DM article. Definitely a lot more to this story. Stay tuned.

 

I want to clarify the plane was not overbooked thats just what UA is putting out. They were booked full with paying passengers, they needed 4 crew in the plane's destination city and the next flight wasn't until 3 the next day. So they were kicking off 4 paying passengers for their crew.

IMO they should have never boarded the plane and handled this at the gate. They can refuse boarding at the gate but dragging a man off(regardless of his shady background) is crazy.