United Airlines - bloke dragged off plane that was overbooked

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Has he sued them yet ? just noticed united have changed their policy on allowing staff to take up seats and that ! :).

Until they stop the practice of allowing staff to take seats that have been paid for by the public they've just shifted the problem from the seat to the check-in desk. It's absolutely unacceptable practice to bump a customer off a flight when he's paid and made plans based on that flight. I don't care what the Ts & Cs say, it's shocking and it should stop. It's their problem sorting out staffing for flights, they shouldn't rely on people not showing up to move their own people around. I honestly can't get my head around people accepting it just because it's become custom and practice.
 
Until they stop the practice of allowing staff to take seats that have been paid for by the public they've just shifted the problem from the seat to the check-in desk. It's absolutely unacceptable practice to bump a customer off a flight when he's paid and made plans based on that flight. I don't care what the Ts & Cs say, it's shocking and it should stop. It's their problem sorting out staffing for flights, they shouldn't rely on people not showing up to move their own people around. I honestly can't get my head around people accepting it just because it's become custom and practice.

Shirley they could organise it the other way round and offer people standby tickets. If you are less bothered about exactly when you fly and can reach the airport easily/ it's a route with several flights a day you could buy a cheap ticket and wait for a spot to open up after someone's not turned up and there's no staff shortages.

Or just not overbook. Like most things that are shit in America, it's done differently in Europe and the sky hasn't f***ing fallen in on us
 
What about those points about doing it before boarding or managing their own internal logistics correctly? They seem thoroughly relevant to how airlines run their business.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39729265

United Airlines have decided to:

Only bump people before they have boarded.
Book staff on flights at least 60 mins beforehand as they know where they are, their schedule etc.

Why have they taken up these policies that I am assured only the thick think are possible?
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39729265

United Airlines have decided to:

Only bump people before they have boarded.
Book staff on flights at least 60 mins beforehand as they know where they are, their schedule etc.

Why have they taken up these policies that I am assured only the thick think are possible?

They are also implementing a policy of demanding that any passengers prove they are doctors before being excused violent handling on board, with a three day verification period
 
Actions speak louder than words, apparently



Dear Mr. Beattie,



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.
 
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