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United Airlines - Renamed To Gestapo Airlines

United Airlines Republic Airlines Overbooking Forced deplaning

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#1 Who_Do_You_Trust

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 09:26 AM

Yesterday, on a flight from Chicago to Louisville, the airline overbooked the seats.  They offered incentives to get people to take another flight the next day, but no one took them up on it.  The airline then told the passengers (already on the full plane) that they needed four seats for airline employees and the computer would select the four at random to deplane.  One of the selected passengers refused to get off the plane saying he was a doctor and had patients he needed to see the next day.  The airline then called security who physically assaulted this passenger, bloodied him, and then literally dragged him down the aisle and off the plane.

 

Additional details:

- Videos were taken by other passengers and have been posted on line

- The offending airline was Republic Airlines, operating as a regional carrier for United

- Passengers were offered $800 and a hotel room to take a flight the next day.  No one took the deal 

 

My opinions:

- If there were no seats for company employees on any scheduled flights, the airline should have hired a private air-shuttle service to carry the employees

- There is little recourse for this passenger because the terms on the ticket purchase agreement (in fine print) says the airline is allowed to do this

- Airline deregulation has resulted in giving the airlines this type of authority over passengers

 

Finally, how much abuse will airline passengers take before they revolt against the airline industry?  40 years ago, flying was a pleasure.  Since then, the level of service, and level of respect the airlines give their customers has declined all the way to physical brutality.

 

I will protest with my wallet.  I fly occasionally, and will never set foot onto a United airplane again.   

 

 



#2 camay2327

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 10:42 AM

I saw this today and what happened. You are so right, those people could have caught a different flight.

 

 

https://www.yahoo.co...-134930951.html


A VETERAN Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount "up to and including their life". That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it. -Author unknown-

#3 Chris

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 08:02 PM

Man, that was sickening to watch....!   I see lot's and lot's of money in this mans future...!   He's gonna clean their clock in court and good for him......!    Chris


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#4 Who_Do_You_Trust

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 08:23 AM

This sums it up:

 

 



#5 bordercolliefan

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 08:43 AM

Unbelievable. And the incident was followed up with a statement from the CEO stating it was unfortunate that some passengers had to be "reaccomodated."

I guess that's airline-speak for "forcibly dragged off the plane"... kind of like "water landing" for "plane crash."

I hope that in every over-booking situation, passengers will demand max compensation ($1,350 I believe) to give up their seats. We can ALL cost United lots of money!

#6 nomad

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 10:10 AM

Not on the side of United here but I read a couple accounts of the story where they said this man was told before he even got on the plane that he would be bumped and that he was also on a buddy pass which was the thing that got those girls in trouble for wearing leggings a couple weeks ago. Different rules for these buddy passes as opposed to paying customers.

 

So if he did get on the plane after being told he would not be able to then maybe he's not as innocent a victim as we are only seeing a short video and may not have all the details.



#7 Who_Do_You_Trust

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 10:59 AM

Nomad - all of that may be true, but hardly justifies brutality.  

 

This incident illustrates that United Airlines,and I believe others, view their customers as commodities at best, and as the "enemy" at worst.  Look at what's happened to the industry over the years:  

 

-  There's almost no competition.  the industry has consolidated into four major airlines and all are offering identical products for the most part.

 

-  They all collude on a policy they call "capacity discipline".  this is controlling the number of available seats to a number just under demand, which allows them to charge top dollar for the product.  It's an anti-trust violation and congress launched an investigation last year, but I'm certain the airline lobbyists have descended onto Washington to make sure an investigation doesn't happen.

 

-  Over the years, the industry has slowly eliminated features and amenities, while increasing prices.  this is upside down from the standard price/feature curve found in free enterprise.  It's a telltale sign of market manipulation and price fixing.

 

-  Over the years, when fuel prices go up, so do ticket prices.  Have you ever seen ticket prices drop when fuel prices drop?   Never.

 

-  I honestly believe the airlines are trying to find out how poorly they can treat their customers before their stock price suffers.  If you look at one of their annual reports and see how top management is compensated, you will be assured they only care about stock price and don't give a foggy damn about their customers.  Sunday's incident illustrates this point in spades.  By the way, United stock price increased 0.9% yesterday, while the rest of the market dropped.  The week started very good for UAL management.

 

-  And yet, people are still flying in droves, so the crappy experiences will continue. 



#8 bordercolliefan

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 11:11 AM

Excellent analysis, WDYT.

When the incentive to "please the customer" has disappeared, it's a telltale sign that somehow the market has been manipulated.

#9 Steve Heard

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 04:17 PM

It does appear that he has had legal and mental issues in the past, but that's not how we treat people with mental issues, is it? 


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#10 nomad

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 07:23 PM

Yeah still not 100% for United here but the good Dr does indeed have a checkered past....

 

http://nypost.com/20...-drugs-for-sex/



#11 Who_Do_You_Trust

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Posted 11 April 2017 - 10:56 PM

Yeah, this fellow seems to be a little sketchy, but it's still no excuse for brutality.  

 

Looks like United stock took a hit in overnight trading - down about 6%.  Recovered early in the day today with a loss of only about 1.9%.  Problem is this - the whole thing will be forgotten by everyone in two weeks.  Until the next airline travesty comes along.  Customers have to make a strong and permanent statement to get top management's attention, and it won't happen here.  

 

I'm particularly angry at the airline industry for the way they've stacked the deck against their customers.  They've completely distorted the market, lobbied congress for a couple decades to remove regulations, and are now milking their customers both substantially and persistently, while delivering a horribly inferior product.  Air travel has become an essential commodity, much like electricity, water, gas, phone service.  And as such, requires some oversight by gov't to avoid a distorted market, price gouging, and a monopoly mentality.  But the "free enterprise" crowd of legislators in Washington will never apply regulations to the industry, mostly because of lobbying and because they all probably own stock in the industry.  The airline business is anything but free enterprise, but no one will call them out on it.  One last point - these problems don't occur in foreign countries because most foreign airlines are owned and operated by the government.  Not proposing that here, but some regulations are sorely needed.



#12 Chris

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Posted 12 April 2017 - 12:12 AM

It does appear that he has had legal and mental issues in the past, but that's not how we treat people with mental issues, is it? 

Steve and Nomad, I am always suspicious when dirt comes out really quickly on people like this man.  I think it's an immediate and well financed response by a hired research company to find and dump dirt on this guy paid for by UAL.  This happens in politics all the time.  Look what they did to Assange.   This mans past has nothing to do with this story in my opinion.  It's the glass house and throwing stones lesson to me.  This could be done to every one of us.   Selective facts about our life put out there and embellished maybe to suit the situation.  I hope this man makes a few hundred million off of this from UAL....!   And maybe every person on that plane who had to witness this should get $25K.   Just put me on that jury please....!   Trust me, I am no bleeding heart snowflake but this was very wrong and should be punished severely, in the UAL wallet....!  Chris 


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#13 slowthegrowth

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Posted 12 April 2017 - 07:05 AM

Here's the question no one seems willing to answer:
If overbooking or whatever causes a need to bump someone (40,000 were last year) and the decision is made as to who needs to get off the plane....but that person then refused to leave...what then?
After pleading and whatnot, what force CAN be used?

#14 bordercolliefan

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Posted 12 April 2017 - 07:34 AM

Agree with Chris and WDYT.

The reason this resonates, especially with people who travel frequently, is because more and more, the airlines have been treating passengers like unpleasant pieces of garbage, and this video just brings it to a head. The Wall St Journal yesterday had a story of a full-fare 1st class business traveler who was made to exit because "We have a higher priority passenger"--apparently someone with more frequent flyer miles. The overbooking is so prevalent that when my family's flight was canceled on a Sunday due to weather elsewhere on the grid, we were told they couldn't find seats for us until Wednesday! I've seen a gate agent coldly tell an Asian lady with an accent to "call Expedia to rebook" when our flight was canceled, even though he re-booked me and gave me a hotel voucher, no problem (my ticket was Expedia, too). Not to mention the new program of charging for overhead space, the ever-tinier seats. 11 national airlines have consolidated down to 5, and they are making record profits now. Someone needs to stand up for the passengers

#15 Who_Do_You_Trust

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Posted 12 April 2017 - 08:39 AM

colliefan - the problem you encountered is the result of their "capacity discipline" strategy.  The airlines collude and limit the number of seats available on most routes.  They try to keep the available seats just a little bit less than the need for those seats.  This results in several outcomes:

 

-  It creates an artificial "demand" for seats, and following the typical supply/demand effects, they can charge outrageous prices for the seats, due to the high "demand", a demand which the airlines actually manufactured.

-  Every plane is absolutely full.

-  When a flight is cancelled for any reason, the passengers have great difficulty getting seats on other airlines or on later flights, because every seat is taken.

 

Estimates are the industry spent nearly $80,000,000 on lobbyists last year to sustain deregulation and ask for more deregulation.  this allows them to pull stunts like United did without penalty.

 

The purchase agreement for a typical airfare ticket is thirty four pages long.  NOBODY reads it.  the industry knows this and takes advantage of it big time.

 

The "capacity discipline" strategy is an FTC violation, but no one will go after them about it.  Again, thank the lobbyists.

 

If ever there was a threat to free enterprise, capitalism, and democracy, THIS IS IT.  this industry completely violates every parameter of the free enterprise system.  It's infuriating.






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