United Airlines PR Disaster

[knapplc]

Welp. Just found confirmation that the United Airlines video we've all seen was the result of four of their employees needing to get on the plane. And turns out, there was no need for it.

 

United’s booting of passenger wasn’t just a PR disaster, it also made no money sense

 

 

 

A viral video of a screaming passenger being dragged off a United flight Sunday by police raises a question: Was it even necessary to kick passengers off the flight to accommodate four airline employees who needed transportation?

 

The answer is no, passenger advocates say.

 

The airlines have agreements with one another to give discounts to employees of other carriers based on the distance flown. It’s a huge discount from usual fares.

 

For example, United could have sent its employees by taxi about an hour across Chicago from O’Hare airport to Midway airport and put them on a Southwest flight to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were needed Monday.

 

The top fare for the Southwest flight between Chicago and Louisville is $243, so under the airlines’ agreement, four United employees could have flown for slightly more than $100 combined with the discount. Southwest offers three nonstop flights from Midway to Louisville on Sundays. The trip takes about an hour.

 

Or the United employees could have taken one of four Sunday nonstop flights on American Airlines from O’Hare to Louisville. Undiscounted fares on the route are $221 in the main cabin and $321 in first class.

 

By contrast, United was offering each of the four passengers as much as $800 in compensation and a hotel room to give up their seats for the employees.

[NM11046]

And this is the bright CEO's PR response, which took the situation from bad to worse. Re-accomodating? Wow.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

United is screwed in this situation..........if I'm that guy you aren't talking to me, you're talking to my attorney.

[Moiraine]

That was disgusting.

I wouldn't have gone willingly either unless I had nothing I was in a hurry to get to. But when people take plane flights they usually have something they need to do at their destination in a timely manner, and if you read the article the guy they dragged is a doctor who had to get back in time to do his shift.

[knapplc]

A giant corporation with resources to spare vs. one guy with far fewer options. The worst of it is, United ended up putting their corporate image in the hands of a $17/hour security guy.

 

Their PR department must be on fire right now.

[The Dude]

[huKSer]

I can imagine something similar happening with the secret service pulling Trump off of Air Force One after landing in Washington after a Mar Lago weekend.

[ZRod]

Judging by the amount of memes on reddit this morning, they screwed.

[commando]

right wing radio (Rush, Vorhees,.etc...) are defending the airline and crucifying the passenger this morning.

[NM11046]

Shocker. Are they using some line about PC boarding rules?

[teachercd]

Couldn't the guy just have sat down in the cargo area...where people like Commando and Rambo fly?

[Landlord]

Shocker. Are they using some line about PC boarding rules?

 

 

 

No, they found out the passenger was convicted of trading drugs for sexual favors. Which is awful. But has absolutely nothing to do with the situation in the eyes of any fair-minded person.

 

 

 

You know, the same way that an unarmed black teenager having a juvenile record is completely irrelevant to the hope that he could survive an encounter with the police.

[zoogs]

Wow, what are the odds. That is pretty awful. It's true?

[Landlord]

 

 

Dao was convicted of multiple felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud or deceit in November 2004 and was placed on five years of supervised probation in January 2005, according to the documents. He surrendered his medical license the next month.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure permitted Dao to resume practicing medicine in 2015 under certain conditions.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/04/11/david-dao-passenger-removed-united-flight-doctor-troubled-past/100318320/

[Nebfanatic]

 

 

Shocker. Are they using some line about PC boarding rules?

 

 

No, they found out the passenger was convicted of trading drugs for sexual favors. Which is awful. But has absolutely nothing to do with the situation in the eyes of any fair-minded person.

 

 

 

You know, the same way that an unarmed black teenager having a juvenile record is completely irrelevant to the hope that he could survive an encounter with the police.

yep! Shady past doesn't mean it's ok to throw you off of the plane