United overbooked a flight so they dragged a passenger off the plane

[zenkai]

Wouldn't happen if fat shaming didn't keep this guy from being 500 lbs.

What are you talking about?

[Krigaren]

Yeh, not sure why people think, making a scene, fuckign over ~200 other people (flight was delayed 2 hours) and being forcably ejected due to your shit attitude entitles you to "millions".

He paid for his ticket, same as everyone else.

He wasn't picked to leave for any reason other than at random.

He was physically assaulted, which resulted in injury bad enough to cause bleeding, after he refused to give up a seat that he paid for and had the reasonable expectation to keep.

His "shitty attitude" isn't what caused the problem. United's overbooking, lack of planning, and inability to handle the situation without resulting in the assault and injury of a paying customer, however, is what caused the problem.

[Kellhound]

I am willing to bet at this point United wishes they had just chartered a flight for their crew, the PR hit has to be hurting A LOT.

[Spectral]

Have you ever flown Pre-9/11? This shit keeps getting worse and worse. I use to fly without issues, but the last 4 years, issues every time I fly.

Not much. I'm 31 and flew a little when I was 16 or less, a bit more between 16-28, and a lot more over the last three years for work. Flying's basically fine these days though, people just make mountains out of molehills.

[Tinykong]

Why didn't United just put the 4 employees in a car and have them drive? Surely that would have been cheaper than the best alternative, which was $3,200 in payments they offered before they used the random selection.

[purebalance]

What would you do if you had to be somewhere and you were chosen to be removed from the flight?

How in the hell with computers today, do you overbook a flight? I see it happen all the time.

It's their plane. It was done by random so can't claim race, religion, sexual preference etc as a means of their choosing. They could cancel the flight and refund people technically if they wanted to do so. I mean if a sporting event you bought a ticket to see was canceled after you already arrived would you be like the picture and refuse to leave the stadium? That was nonsense on the person being dragged off not the airline at the point that he/she started acting. If they had been civil and left they would have had the high road here and been able to cause a stink.

Do I approve of the airline overbooking? Of course not, but shit happens.

[Akka]

I think the people taking the airline's side are probably the people that actually fly with regularity and understand how this system works.

I'd rather bet on people trying to look cool by highlighting how THEY could "take it" and "act mature".

[Deleted]

What did he expect was going to happen? No matter how unjustifiable it may be, they were never taking off with him still on that plane once his number was drawn.

[IIamaKing]

It amazes me how people can even defend this, it's like they love being fucked over by the airlines.

I am thinking of the ENTIRE FLIGHT this douchebag fucked over by not getting off when told to.

[Akka]

The airline broke no law

I have quite a bit of doubts about how it's legal for the company to unilaterally cancel a sale over their own fuck-up, especially once the customer is actually deeply engaged in it.

[Krigaren]

They could cancel the flight and refund people technically if they wanted to do so.

Do I approve of the airline overbooking? Of course not, but shit happens.

Shit certainly does happen. An airline cancelling or landing a flight early due to technical issues, staffing issues, weather, someone on the plane having a medical issue, someone on the plane posing a danger to others, or other unavoidable circumstance is one thing. People will be pissed, but at least will mostly understand.

Being forcefully removed after paying for a confirmed ticket on an aircraft, at random, so that airline's employees - who aren't paying - can take your seat isn't "shit happens." This guy had no reasonable expectation to comply with an arbitrary ruling, and certainly had an expectation to not be assaulted by airport staff.

[Pann]

The company didn't technically "fuck up". You're not guaranteed a seat on the specific flight you purchased the ticket for, whatever the reason may be, even if it's due to overbooking, which is also in the fine print.

Yes, they did. This is appalling customer service and trying to hide behind the fine print will only exacerbate the problem.

[IIamaKing]

The airline escalated this by putting free rides for their employees over paid rides for their customers.

They assaulted him, which apparently isn't illegal where you're from, but it is where I'm from.

This isn't about overbooking. They had the seats, they just gave them away to non-customers after the fact... and *used* the overbooking policy to deal with the fact that they now needed the seats they had already sold and provided.

How well would this fly if you were riding in a taxi and got kicked out halfway cuz your driver's buddy wanted him to take him out for drinks... and you were STILL PAYING FOR THE RIDE THAT YOU WEREN'T EVEN AROUND FOR.

Oh the feels, they make SUCH great arguments. You can say the airlines is in the wrong all you want. In the eyes of law and policy, they are not.

Its not assault if you fail to comply with an officer of the laws instructions. The man was told to leave, an order federal laws says HE MUST FOLLOW, he didnt, airline called police to have them enforce law.

Its the airlines plane, IE its their seats, they reserve the right to use them as they please, STILL not against the law or policy.

[Akka]

I am thinking of the ENTIRE FLIGHT this douchebag fucked over by not getting off when told to.

So the company fucks up, and the guy who doesn't want to get shafted is responsible ?
I don't know how your brain works, but it certainly seems to be in need of tuning.

[Everwake]

What happened between here: "security approached him" and here: "and eventually dragged him off the plane"?

[melodramocracy]

That's just incorrect. But with all the feeling based arguments in this thread I wont bother trying to explain AGAIN what has been explained quite a few times.

It's not incorrect. That an airline is worried about empty seats is called the risk of doing business.

[Allybeboba]

Why didn't United just put the 4 employees in a car and have them drive? Surely that would have been cheaper than the best alternative, which was $3,200 in payments they offered before they used the random selection.

Because those employees were customers too. They just happened to be United employees.

[Pann]

It's not a fuck up. Overbooking happens with nearly every flight. Customers are responsible for understanding that they aren't guaranteed a seat on the flight they purchased the ticket for. It's morally questionable, but not leagally.

And? You seem awfully accepting of the fact that the airline can mess up and it becomes their customers' problem. I have never said that it is illegal only that this will cost them.

[JohnBrown1917]

LOL I can't believe there's actually assholes who are taking the airlines side.

MMO-C is filled with far right pro-big business posters.

[smooshtheman]

If that had been me I would have went down swinging like a bat out of hell the second they grabbed me and tried to tug me out of my seat. Physical contact like that video shows suggests the guy blatantly refused many times to get up lol Idk if no refund was offered id definitely be fighting.