Funniest part about the United Airlines incident

[ocrenter]

http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/sneed-exclusive-united-gave-doctors-luggage-the-runaround-too/

Apparently the luggage went to Kentucky while the forcibly dragged out passenger was hospitalized in Chicago.

Just the perfect little side note to this disturbing story.

[spdrun]

Funnier parts:
(1) Chicago to Louisville is under 5 hr by car. They could have rented each bumped passenger a Lambo or limo and got them there the same day. For that matter, wet lease on a King Air is ~$1500/hr — could have stuck them on a private plane for less than vouchers + hotel.
(2) The doctor involved was an immigrant and possibly a criminal. Trump came down on his side, not the airline’s. If that’s not irony, dunno what is.
(3) Everyone is blaming United, not the overgrown mall cops.

In all seriousness, if they’d have offered $800 to $1000 cash (actual cash or check), I’d have climbed over other passengers to get it, then rented myself a Porsche one way, bought a case of cigars, and got to Louisville in style.

[ocrenter]

[quote=spdrun]Funnier parts:
(1) Chicago to Louisville is under 5 hr by car. They could have rented each bumped passenger a Lambo or limo and got them there the same day. For that matter, wet lease on a King Air is ~$1500/hr — could have stuck them on a private plane for less than vouchers + hotel.
(2) The doctor involved was an immigrant and possibly a criminal. Trump came down on his side, not the airline’s. If that’s not irony, dunno what is.
(3) Everyone is blaming United, not the overgrown mall cops.

In all seriousness, if they’d have offered $800 to $1000 cash (actual cash or check), I’d have climbed over other passengers to get it, then rented myself a Porsche one way, bought a case of cigars, and got to Louisville in style.[/quote]

It is amazing how people are often closed to alternatives once they are set on a path (travel plan, career path, home purchase). So much easier to present alternatives when people are not already seated and buckled.

Regarding the doctor’s past, more evidence in this internet driven society everything is unforgiving. You only got one shot in life, do not stray, don’t not error, anything you ever done could come back to haunt you.

Of course, corporation vs the police/military. That’s an easy one. Everyone knows the police and military can do no wrong. They are like the priest/clergy class.

[svelte]

Didn’t this happen about the time Delta canceled hundreds of flights back east due to weather around Atlanta? It could be that all other flights were totally full and the passengers already knew that…they may not have wanted to deal with getting another flight that may actually be several days out, not just a few hours later.

In any case, the proper solution was to just keep upping the amount offered to give up a seat – they were sitting in their rightfully assigned and purchased seat, if the airline wants it back let them buy it back at the market rate at the moment. After all, they charged the market rate at the moment when they sold it, right?

I have no sympathy for United. They were arrogant and deserve exactly what they are getting. Even if they didn’t drag the dude from the seat themselves, they were the ones who decided he needed to vacate that seat. Deserve exactly what they’re getting…

[Hobie]

Surprised CEO still has his job. I was hoping it came out how they selected the dude simply as his bag was the first one when they opened the baggage door. Silly me thinking they actually enforced bag=passenger and no bag travels alone.

[no_such_reality]

[quote=spdrun]
(3) Everyone is blaming United, not the overgrown mall cops.
[/quote]

Yea, the media just keeps ignoring that point because they might accidentally start idenitfy how many government ‘agencies’ have their own semi-militarized quazi-police that operate under the protection and guise of being considered police under the law without the oversight

Funny point #4: the dude that did the dragging, isn’t even one of the over grown mall security guards, he’s a private contractor working from a 3rd party company filling in the role of mall security.

[ucodegen]

So how does Dao being convicted of paying for gay sex with drugs have anything to do with justifying United Airlines handling of the passenger? That conviction was 12 years ago.

The laws handing overbooking require that;
1) Cash not vouchers be offered before physical removal (up to about $1500 per passenger).
2) Written notification of rights be handed to the passenger(s) beforehand.
3) Open offers be given to all passengers – first come first serve for rebooking with compensation before physical removal.

None of these were done. That makes United’s and ‘associates’ act a very simple felony assault and battery – and this one is not 12 years ago.

I would also wonder if any stand-by passengers were boarded because usually they are the first to be denied. In many cases ‘deadhead’s are done as standby because they are costing the airline so they use open seats instead of bumping paying passengers.

I think the media should be concentrating on what the laws covering passenger rights are as well as how United and ‘associates’ violated these laws instead of bowing to the pressure of the corporate interests (corporatocracy) and trying a smear campaign to try to discredit and reduce any awards that Dr. Dao might get.

[ucodegen]

[quote=spdrun]Funnier parts:
(1) Chicago to Louisville is under 5 hr by car. They could have rented each bumped passenger a Lambo or limo and got them there the same day. For that matter, wet lease on a King Air is ~$1500/hr — could have stuck them on a private plane for less than vouchers + hotel.[/quote]
With vouchers, they still have the customer and their ‘markup’, so the vouchers don’t cost as much because that customer has to come back and the airline still gets there markup over costs. This is why the requirement is cash not voucher. It discourages egregious overbooking.

King Airs are very quick planes too.. a little small inside but nice and personal. ‘Took a Super King Air from SD to LV – 30 min flight time (flight was straight – shorter than driving). No booking hassle no landing hassle. Total time from cars to rental cars was somewhere around 1 hour. Maybe because this plane had the upgraded engines. ;P.

[Hatfield]

5) Apparently there was a Southwest flight that left shortly afterwards that was not full. United could have flown their employees to Louisville for $120 a pop. That’s retail; I’m guessing the airlines have a courtesy rate for each other similar to when a hotel “walks” a guest to a competing hotel.

[plm]

I think there must be a courtesy rate. During a connection in SFO, we missed our flight to Frankfurt since our plane was delayed coming in. I remember the gate agent going well beyond her job duties walking us over to Lufthansa getting us two Business class seats (only seats left) then walking us through security to bypass the lines so we can board the Lufthansa flight in time. Totally saved our european vacation although we didn’t get our luggage until four days later.

This was United so it really depends on the person, not the airline.

[Author]

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