Passenger Forcibly Removed From Overbooked UA Flight

[stroudie]

Last year my wife & myself were denied boarding (together with another 4 pax) a Air Italia flight from Rome to Malta, due to overbooking. They freely admitted that this was common practice & quite legal, We were given vouchers for a couple of snacks & put on another flight that departed some 3 hours later & went via Sicily rather than direct. They also advised us to claim compensation through the "Schengen system". This was duly processed, albeit a couple of months, and deposited into our bank account (A$373 x 2 )
I must admit initially I was annoyed, but in the end we had lost only 5 or 6 hours of the day on Malta & we were compensated without too much drama.
Pity a similar system is not available to passengers here in Australia or on flights departing Australia.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Last year my wife & myself were denied boarding (together with another 4 pax) a Air Italia flight from Rome to Malta, due to overbooking. They freely admitted that this was common practice & quite legal, We were given vouchers for a couple of snacks & put on another light that departed some 3 hours later & went via Sicily rather than direct. They also advised us to claim compensation through the "Schengen system". This was duly processed, albeit a couple of months, and deposited into our bank account (A$373 x 2 )
I must admit initially I was annoyed, but in the end we had lost only 5 or 6 hours of the day on Malta & we were compensated without too much drama.
Pity a similar system is not available to passengers here in Australia or on flights departing Australia.

The 'schengen system' is EU261. Exactly designed to (a) get you on your way as quickly as possible and (b) provide care and/or monetary compensation if you can't be reaccommodated in a timely manner.

 

[baldman]

EVERY business should be run for the convenience and satisfaction of its customers, NOT the owners, management or staff.

NO passenger should ever be involuntarily bumped for crew. In this case, why couldn't United fly / chopper the crew "private " to KY? The cost must have been close to what they were offering in compensation. Or have someone drive them ( if time permitted )

Bottom line is this was the "peak" example of poor corporate culture where customers are treated with thinly disguised contempt.

And in this case, they dispensed with any attempt at disguising it !

 

[TheRealTMA]

The 'schengen system' is EU261. Exactly designed to (a) get you on your way as quickly as possible and (b) provide care and/or monetary compensation if you can't be reaccommodated in a timely manner.

Ah that's all due to those faceless bureaucrats of the EU imposing their Red Tape to stifle excellently run businesses. They even have outrageously forced phone companies to dump the perfectly reasonable and highly profitable global roaming charges between countries in Europe (incl UK). No wonder the UK money supported Brexit.

Here, our governments can't even manage to sort out a no-roaming policy between Australia and NZ, let alone impose penalties on airlines for bad customer services.

 

[juddles]

.....EVERY business should be run for the convenience and satisfaction of its customers, NOT the owners, management or staff......

Not defending the actions of individuals here, but your statement is on face value completely wrong - a business exists for the benefit of the owner, not the customer. Otherwise they would be a charity, not a business.

 

[JohnK]

Just a few differences! The US network is incredibly complex, the Australian network is incredibly simple.

Not that complex if you hire the right amount of staff and pay the right amount of compensation.

It is quite clear that we handle things much better in Australia.

 

[gungadin6]

Having read the various posts about everything from the legal situation, to a corporations repututation and its share price, ceos that do not care, to customers being at fault for buying in good faith a ticket to transport them from one place to another.
Here is my take, human beings should not be allowed to behave as the people involved did to the doctor, ceos are paid a lot of money to lead organisations failure to do so should result in their termination, a corporation needs to respect it customers and a corporation that fails to honour its promises to its customers does not deserve to be in business.

 

[Corny44]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

I agree, if you're saying no one should be treated like this no matter what their size colour or vocation. That this may or may not have happened to a different person is no justification.

Perhaps this doctor did not have a premonition what would actually be done to him. Perhaps seeing as they were all sitting in the seats, some sort of other resolution could've been given. Someone else could've been invited to volunteer with whatever appropriate payment is necessary before this sort of violent treatment is perpetrated. The gate staff may have known that this could be the outcome of them calling the police.

The pertinent question is What would happen in Australia?????????????

 

[Corny44]

DO they handle it better in Australia ???????????? I would like to hear from QANTAS etc or any personal experiences

 

[jb747]

Here is my take, human beings should not be allowed to behave as the people involved did to the doctor, ceos are paid a lot of money to lead organisations failure to do so should result in their termination, a corporation needs to respect it customers and a corporation that fails to honour its promises to its customers does not deserve to be in business.

You have used a word describing a capability that does not exist in the corporate world.

Leadership is something that the average corporate person could spell, but most certainly cannot do.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

The pertinent question is What would happen in Australia?????????????

I really can't believe it would get to that point in Australia!

 

[paxman]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

United Airlines passenger was violent in seat fiasco, police report claims

wow, just wow. now the police are saying he did this to himself!

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

There is a lot of money and reputations on the line here. Obfuscation at least will be the name of the game. Still looking forward to hear the complete outcome later, if not CIC.

United Airlines passenger was violent in seat fiasco, police report claims

wow, just wow. now the police are saying he did this to himself!

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

The matter between Dao and UA has been settled - confidentially.

dao's lawyer praises Munoz for correcting the wrong

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

Review and action report from United: https://hub.united.com/united-review-action-report-2380196105.html

 

[yld200]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

Review and action report from United: https://hub.united.com/united-review-action-report-2380196105.html

Other airlines will be looking closely at these actions especially if some of their current policies put them at risk to a similar situation occurring on one of their flights. Overall they look to be a step in the right direction and will remove the risk of the incident re-occurring for United.

Big compensation up for grabs now.
[FONT=&quot]United's policy will be revised to increase the compensation levels up to $10,000 for customers willing to volunteer to take a later flight. This will go into effect on April 28.[/FONT]

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

Would the degree of overbooking be reduced now on UA?.
Would passengers hold out for the $10k. I would imagine no one will start putting their hand up now when the initial offer of $200 is offered

 

[Flying Fox]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

News update - Settlement reached -

https://finance.nine.com.au/2017/04/28/09/08/united-airlines-settles-with-doctor-dragged-off-flight

In a statement to the media, Dr Dao's lawyer Thomas Demetrio said while the settlement amount will remain confidential, his client is happy with how United have remedied the situation.....

How much the embattled airline paid Dr Dao in damages remains confidential as part of the settlement, but American pundits are estimating it's in the ballpark of five to ten million dollars.

I'd imagine those estimates are fairly realistic.

 

[drron]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

But how much does his lawyer get?

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Pax forcibly removed from United overbooked flight

Would the degree of overbooking be reduced now on UA?.
Would passengers hold out for the $10k. I would imagine no one will start putting their hand up now when the initial offer of $200 is offered

Overbooking is being reduced on a case by case basis. For the most part it affects last flights of the day where there has been a low take up of voluntary offers.