Contributor
Why is that even an issue? Is being a doctor the only thing that is more important than UA poor scheduling?Mike....has it been confirmed the guy was really a doctor?
A lot of things in peoples lives are just as, or more important than their schedules and poor planning.
UA should have just kept raising the ante...
Funny, I don't remember being absent minded...
Contributor
Whether or not the guy was a doctor isn't important to me but if someone just claiming to be a doctor excused them from being deplaned, wouldn't everyone do it after the word got out.
What United did was legal and United employees didn't remove the guy. The Airport police removed the guy. If he had just left the plane, he wouldn't have been injured. No. I have no sympathy for him, a doctor or not.
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Contributor
It isn't important that he was a doctor. Many people have reasons that they have to get home. Maybe a child or close relative is getting married the next day.
And, no, you can't believe any excuse that someone offers. If you listen to excuses everyone will have one.
The only fair solution is to offer compensation until you get volunteers. Those who HAVE to get home will not take the compensation. Those who can will do it for the right price.
Mike
[Suppose your mother was dying and you got the call to come quickly. How would you react if they tried to take you off the flight? Would you just get up without protest?]
[Another example: Suppose a basketball team was traveling to an away game and the star was chosen to be bumped?]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 04-12-2017 at 12:24 AM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
I agree completely with Ken is saying here. In addition to his first point about wouldn't everyone claim to be a doctor if it worked, what would stop future flights from becoming bidding wars if the other suggestions of just increasing the offer until someone agreed to get off had happened?Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald
Besides all of that, I think something stinks in this whole thing. I fly a lot, and have over the last 10 years. At least 3 trips a month so a minimum of 6+ flights every month over the last 10 years. I have never seen any airline call for volunteers to deplane after boarding because of an oversell. Not even once, something just seems fishy here.
Contributor
This one was different because the passengers were already boarded and seated. The whole problem with United's approach is that it ignores that some people HAVE to get home. Others, not so much.
Compensation will sort that out. Suppose the situation was what I described - where someone was trying to get home to a dying mother. Should the airline take that into account? If so, how do they know the story is true? There's no way to to know in advance but if they refuse, and it's true, the story will get out and explode in social media and the press.
No, it's easier and cheaper to do it with money and let the passengers choose. Each passenger who absolutely doesn't have to get home has a price. You'll get the four cheapest ones.
Mike
[And if it costs the airlines more money, they'll do a better job of not overbooking flights.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 04-12-2017 at 12:36 AM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
Fortunately, I landed a new role and now only fly for my personal trips. Like you, I was in the air a lot. And I have tons of coworkers who fly constantly: 800 person sales staff flying to customers plus the rest of us who travel between all our various offices around the world (55,000 employee company).
I have been on a few flights where passengers were asked to volunteer to give up their seats after boarding. Reasoning has been "weight," and it was always on the tiny puddle jumpers. But I have never even heard of randomly selecting passengers to be removed from a flight. Nor have any of my coworkers as we're having shocked conversations about United now.
What's blowing my mind is the CEO of United's piss poor responses. A smart man would have waited a few days for the facts to be present; while, making an immediate step through an internal communication asking employees to be patient and compliant with the thorough investigation United was launching.
[OP]
Contributor
I dont think his being a doctor has anything to do with it (except maybe to himself). His job is no more important than others we could think of. My feeling is they should have worked harder to avoid escalating. They got to feeling schedule pressured, or heavy handed, or whatever - and muffed it.
Contributor
I don't think they were police. It sounded like it was private airport security personnel working for United or the Airport.
Just because what you do is legal doesn't excuse being stupid and brutal. United planned poorly by not making accommodation for their employees prior to boarding passengers on the plane and then, to save a few hundred dollars, resorted to violence to free up a seat. There's a big psychological difference in being bumped before and after you're in your seat. If they'd offered $1000 or $1500 cash rather than vouchers that many passengers find to be worthless they would have had no problem getting a seat.
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