Man Violently Dragged Off Plane After United Airlines Overbooks Flight

a reply to: Edumakated

no what they should have done was either put their employees on a different flight or b paid for someone to drive them to destination .

a reply to: Edumakated

originally posted by: DanDanDat

originally posted by: sputniksteve
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I have been taking abuse all day for trying to explain this on reddit as my wife works for an airline, but I will just say I keep seeing "over sold by 4 seats" but this is quite different. They sold precisely the correct amount of seats but last minute they had to fly a new crew to take over a flight. They were in a position where they either displace 4 people or displace an entire flight.

It was obviously not handled correctly on the plane but it wasn't United employees that drug that man off the plane, it was police. If there is anyone to be furious out for knocking the Dr. out and dragging him off it is them. I don't expect that will change anyones mind but the misplaced outrage of what is essentially a 1st world problem is immature, ignorant, and unnecessary.

Every single airline has to do this at times, this is just the first time it has been on the news because the passenger refused to leave. The whole thing sucks, but flying is a privilege not a right. Anyone furious with UA, I challenge you to either quit flying all together or find an airline that doesn't have to displace passengers from time to time in order to move employees. It will be the same result either way.

I don't think anyone is all that upset about the fact that an airline needed to bump passengers due to their lack of good planning. As you said Airlines have to do this all the time because of their bad planning.

I think what is upsetting people is that the airline choose to have a man assaulted instead of offering fair compensation to 4 of their passengers who had to be inconvenienced.

From what I have seen, that is incorrect. I have spoken with people that are furious that a person would have to give up their seat after already being let on the plane. I am not saying it is rational, but it is certainly happening. Even after I explained why that would happen and that all airlines do it they flat out told me "I am going to continue to be furious that someone would have to give up their seat".

As to your second reply, it isn't usually due to "bad planning". For instance lets say there is a flight scheduled to leave at 5pm out of Dallas, that will be staffed by a crew out of San Francisco. Due to a bad storm in in SF the flight doesn't make it to Dallas for that crew to work. So they now have to bring in a crew that is "on call" in Atlanta, on a flight leaving Atlanta in 10 minutes which would get them there in time to work the flight departing from Dallas. However that Atlanta flight is fully booked, so they either displace 4 passengers in Atlanta in order to make get the Dallas flight out on time so those 200 people can get to their destination or they tell all of those 200 people in Dallas "sorry you won't be going anywhere today because of bad weather in SF".

No matter what someone isn't flying, they can chose to pay off and possibly piss of 4 people who can possibly get another later flight and a few hundred dollars in vouchers or rebook, feed, and get hotels for all 200 people in Dallas. That isn't even a choice in the end. If you are one of the 200 in Dallas you wouldn't think twice about the problems 4 people in Atlanta have.

It wasn't United Airlines that knocked out and pulled the man off the plane, it was the airport police. United in fact offered to rebook him on a later flight and give him vouchers, only he wouldn't accept it.



I don't want anyone to think I am cheer leading or running interference for United Airlines. I am not excusing the actions of the police in any fashion. It is pretty despicable what happened, but I wasn't there. I don't have any idea what all happened and what was discussed. I am only trying to give some perspective, because I happen to have insight that most people without a Flight Attendant spouse have. There are tons of reasons to be upset with and disgruntled with airlines, this just isn't one of them. The entity that is responsible for the way that man was physically treated are the police in this instance, and we all now that being pissed at them does and means nothing.

I also don't expect anyone with manufactured outrage to suddenly change their mind, but I hope that some rational people that just don't understand the situation and how it could happen will appreciate something more than feel good platitudes about some kind of corporate injustice nonsense.

Don't see how they had right to kick him off.

And since they had no right to kick him off, but did anyway, looks clearly like assault.

And since the man was knocked out in the process, looks like the assault is aggravated.

Don't all states regard that as a felony?

a reply to: subfab

no law was broken the man paid for his seat the airline tried to reneg on his ticket. they had no right to call law officers on plane man wasn't violent he just refused to give up his seat HE PAID FOR.

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

the other important part of that posting of your said DENIED BOARDING these passengers were already checked and boarded so how did they have right to ask or tell boarded passengers to get off plane what if that passenger had checked valuables in luggage hold is he supposed to get off plane while his valuables fly off with out him? surely you realize they are not going to open luggage compartment and look for his stuff after they kick him off and to me that should be considered theft.

originally posted by: sputniksteve
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I have been taking abuse all day for trying to explain this on reddit as my wife works for an airline, but I will just say I keep seeing "over sold by 4 seats" but this is quite different. They sold precisely the correct amount of seats but last minute they had to fly a new crew to take over a flight. They were in a position where they either displace 4 people or displace an entire flight.

It was obviously not handled correctly on the plane but it wasn't United employees that drug that man off the plane, it was police. If there is anyone to be furious out for knocking the Dr. out and dragging him off it is them. I don't expect that will change anyones mind but the misplaced outrage of what is essentially a 1st world problem is immature, ignorant, and unnecessary.

Every single airline has to do this at times, this is just the first time it has been on the news because the passenger refused to leave. The whole thing sucks, but flying is a privilege not a right. Anyone furious with UA, I challenge you to either quit flying all together or find an airline that doesn't have to displace passengers from time to time in order to move employees. It will be the same result either way.

Your wife works for a bunch of azzhats then. UA should had had alternates in place(like the railroad does) in case of a missing crew. OR stop booking so close to other flights.
As to privledge. Its a privledge the Airline can fly the airspace So they should respect the laws of the country dictating their use. And a right to not be detained is one of those rights.

a reply to: sputniksteve

its totally the fault of united the flight was not overbooked as reported . yes they had a crew they needed to get somewhere so what. they couldn't not have caught a later flight,a bus ,or hell drove them in a limo. Kentucky is not that far from chicago. they chose to screw up 4 custumers travel plans instead of paying to use other transpo to get their people where they needed them. when doctor refused to give up his seat because he was already boarded united called the cops even through doc broke no laws. you didn't here air marshals dragging his arse off plane did you no weren't there any on board?
there probably were 2 on board but they did not see any crime so they didn't detain anyone. yes i don't like united that much i got stranded in ohare by them when i was a kid traveling by myself they cancelled my flight because of weather and refused to put me up anywhere so i spent all night at ohare by myself next time that happened i was flying a different airline and they put me in a hotel for the night

a reply to: sputniksteve

simple solution leave 4 seats vacant on everyflight reserved for crew members only and no they would not lose money by doing this.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

The tyrranical power of big busienss exposed

Hmm, well the airline's "overbooking" mistake was the root cause of everything that happened, and they certainly made some bad decisions after that, but can the worst aspects of this situation really be so easily pinned on the airline itself? It just seems like this story triggered some deeply entrenched hatred towards a certain company and now people are unable to remain rational when commenting on any aspect of the story.

So people are angry because UA kicked him off of a flight at random because they overbooked (something that all companies have always done due to dwindling numbers) and everyone showed up.

So people are angry because this guy was randomly picked, out of X number of people, who then made a scene was led to security asking him to leave which escalated to him holding onto the chair and causing a scene which almost caused real physical injury?

So people are angry because as he had been asked to leave and hadn't, which means "IN THEORY" hes was trespassing as he was no longer welcome on company property.

But thats ok because no one is angry at all the passengers sitting on that plane filming him being dragged off and not volunteering themselves or automatically boycotting UA.

People on this forum slagging UA off for enforcing policy? Lets burn all policy, have people standing on planes, over load them! 1 cabin crew per plane with only a pilot an no co-pilot! as it makes more room for people and means the company cant keep us down man! Whilst we are at it, lets throw caution to the wind and stop boarder control completely! I mean if you want over loaded flights then you would be fine with people bringing bad things into the country right?

People refuse to see the bigger picture, they are so focused on the sob story they forget that things are in place for a reason and its all well and good whilst the system works in your favour but the second it says "no" you throw all your toys out of the pram.

This doctor needed to grow up, not act so immature and move on. Dont like that I have to say there? Then take it up with the rest of the passengers who REFUSED to give up their seat as well.

O.k. say i've bought a hamburger at mcd's. Just as i've unwrapped it , and am about to take a bite....they come and offer me 4 $ for it back so they can feed an employee. If i dont...they're gonna snatch it from me anyway.?

originally posted by: Wrapscalllion
O.k. say i've bought a hamburger at mcd's. Just as i've unwrapped it , and am about to take a bite....they come and offer me 4 $ for it back so they can feed an employee. If i dont...they're gonna snatch it from me anyway.?

As it is an item which isnt rented off of the company they would be stealing. That make you happy?

www.marketwatch.com...


United Airlines stock has already fallen %5 in the pre market trading over night potentially lising them $1.1 Billion, we will see the real damage when the markets open.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

then that means law enforcement can drag you whereever whenever for nothing other than someone doesn't want you there?

When law enforcement want you to do something do it, they are not there to protect you, they are there to enforce the rules for their corporate overlords.

originally posted by: Wrapscalllion
O.k. say i've bought a hamburger at mcd's. Just as i've unwrapped it , and am about to take a bite....they come and offer me 4 $ for it back so they can feed an employee. If i dont...they're gonna snatch it from me anyway.?

To be fair though, the equivalent would be that you weren't actually getting the cash to go and buy another burger elsewhere, you'd be getting a voucher for McD's and being told you'll have to come back tomorrow, when they have more burgers, to use that voucher and get your burger..it's your lunch break, you have no other cash to go anywhere else, would you just say "okay no lunch for me today then..just have to wait til tomorrow"

Erm, no I don't think I'd be happy about that

originally posted by: NeoSpace
www.marketwatch.com...


United Airlines stock has already fallen %5 in the pre market trading over night potentially lising them $1.1 Billion, we will see the real damage when the markets open.

I imagine many like myself will be making a mental note not to fly united, should i decide to return to the states.

The worst part about this thread are the number of people who are willing (or at least vicariously demonstrating through this gentleman that got dragged away) to place their own principles above logic, reason and truth. If the doctor had made a statement clearly stating he was being taken against his will to at least one other witness (there were many more than one), all he had to do was NOT resist arrest after dong that. ALL he had to do, was NOT resist arrest.

The only reason to resist arrest is if your life is in immediate danger as a result of not resisting. It does not matter how unjust or controversial your purpose for being arrested is, it will ALWAYS work out better for you if you DON'T resist. It's not like this happened in some third world country where an arrest is a guaranteed jail term or death warrant. THINK people. You have brains, use your brain!

I see a fat lawsuit on the horizon, and United deserves it.

I'm not even a lawyer and I'm tallying up a case here:

1. Head getting knocked against armrest, and then he's out cold. Possibility of TBI for the doctor.
2. Man posed no threat to passengers, crew, or the safe operation of the air craft, yet was violently manhandled in his seat and removed by force. Security had no legit reason for this response.
3. The airline was the one at fault for the whole mess in the first place, and handled everything from the overbooking to the passenger removal in an irresponsible manner, even though there were numerous, more reasonable options available.

Sure, United might have all its little fine prints and contracts, but we shall see how well all that holds up under a jury and the right legal team. I really want to see United Lose their underwear for this, because this is pure fascist BS.