United Airlines PR Disaster

[JJ Husker]

Regardless, no paying customer, no matter the disagreement deserves to lose teeth, get a concussion and a broken nose.

He may not have acted as copacetic as one would like to think we all would in that situation, but nothing in the multiple videos captured of the moments leading up to the removal, during or after suggest that he was behaving in a way that deserved such force.

And the fact that anyone is speaking about his past is ridiculous. Everyday you're surrounded by people who have done bad things. Some illegal things, some disgusting things. It wouldn't make an assault on those people acceptable. Period.

I'm going to go a little contrary on one aspect of this.

It sounds all fuzzy and warm to simply refer to him as a "paying customer" and that makes what you said hard to disagree with, BUT (and it's a big but), once officials ordered him to leave the plane and informed him he would be removed, he ceased to be just another "paying customer" and rather chose the physical confrontation route of things. A few questions to ponder; How long were they supposed to wait for him to follow their orders? How long were the other passengers supposed to be delayed? Is it okay to ignore/refuse official orders and expect there to be no repercussions? What you're basically saying is no authority has the right to physically enforce any verbal order, ever, for any reason? How considerate was he being to those seated near him by resisting the efforts to remove him? How easily could other passengers have been injured due to his failure to comply?

Yes, it sucks that it was even an issue due to United's poor decisions but once it got to that point, sorry, the physical part of the encounter is on that passenger. It's pretty simple, if he gets up and walks off the plane when ordered to do so, he doesn't suffer all those injuries. I maybe haven't seen all the videos out there but you don't end up missing teeth etc. unless you are resisting be removed. Sorry but he was behaving in a way that required force to remove him. That was his choice and he acknowledged as much when he told them they would have to drag him off. You know how cramped the quarters are on an aircraft. If I had been seated in front of him and say he kicked me in the face fighting being removed, I might've been the one to knock a couple of his teeth out.

 

[knapplc]

Except they never should have ordered him to leave the plane. None of that had to happen. United had at least half a dozen other options than kicking anyone off that plane.

The plane was not overbooked. It had paying customers in every seat. The problem arose when they tried to take the easy way out by inconveniencing one of their customers rather than do some work and get their crew to Louisville by another route.

United chose to kick paying customers off the plane, unnecessarily.

United chose to escalate the situation when no paying customers wanted to "volunteer."

United chose to become belligerent with a paying customer rather than seek alternatives.

United chose to involved the police.

United chose to ignore the other options available to them.

If United makes better choices, none of this happens.

 

[Fru]

I find it ironic that the "Don't Tread on Me" crowd is totally okay with physically assaulting people in order to remove them from a plane that the airline overbooked.

 

[JJ Husker]

Except they never should have ordered him to leave the plane. None of that had to happen. United had at least half a dozen other options than kicking anyone off that plane.

The plane was not overbooked. It had paying customers in every seat. The problem arose when they tried to take the easy way out by inconveniencing one of their customers rather than do some work and get their crew to Louisville by another route.

United chose to kick paying customers off the plane, unnecessarily.

United chose to escalate the situation when no paying customers wanted to "volunteer."

United chose to become belligerent with a paying customer rather than seek alternatives.

United chose to involved the police.

United chose to ignore the other options available to them.

If United makes better choices, none of this happens.

100% agree. United totally screwed the pooch on this. They could've and should've prevented it from ever getting to physical removal. And the passenger should've gotten off when ordered and prevented the injuries he suffered.

I'm not real sure why some here are struggling with the obvious concept.

 

[teachercd]

I find it ironic that the "Don't Tread on Me" crowd is totally okay with physically assaulting people in order to remove them from a plane that the airline overbooked.

Totally agree...I guess once he was asked and refused wouldn't the next step just be getting the police?

 

[Apathy]

Except they never should have ordered him to leave the plane. None of that had to happen. United had at least half a dozen other options than kicking anyone off that plane.

The plane was not overbooked. It had paying customers in every seat. The problem arose when they tried to take the easy way out by inconveniencing one of their customers rather than do some work and get their crew to Louisville by another route.

United chose to kick paying customers off the plane, unnecessarily.

United chose to escalate the situation when no paying customers wanted to "volunteer."

United chose to become belligerent with a paying customer rather than seek alternatives.

United chose to involved the police.

United chose to ignore the other options available to them.

If United makes better choices, none of this happens.

Could we say the same thing that had the Doctor made better choices that none of this would even be discussed today?
I mean the guy did accept their offer but then got back onto the plane in which why United had to call security.

 

[knapplc]

I mean the guy did accept their offer but then got back onto the plane in which why United had to call security.

That's not what happened.

 

[NM11046]

Regardless, no paying customer, no matter the disagreement deserves to lose teeth, get a concussion and a broken nose.

He may not have acted as copacetic as one would like to think we all would in that situation, but nothing in the multiple videos captured of the moments leading up to the removal, during or after suggest that he was behaving in a way that deserved such force.

And the fact that anyone is speaking about his past is ridiculous. Everyday you're surrounded by people who have done bad things. Some illegal things, some disgusting things. It wouldn't make an assault on those people acceptable. Period.

I'm going to go a little contrary on one aspect of this.

It sounds all fuzzy and warm to simply refer to him as a "paying customer" and that makes what you said hard to disagree with, BUT (and it's a big but), once officials ordered him to leave the plane and informed him he would be removed, he ceased to be just another "paying customer" and rather chose the physical confrontation route of things. A few questions to ponder; How long were they supposed to wait for him to follow their orders? How long were the other passengers supposed to be delayed? Is it okay to ignore/refuse official orders and expect there to be no repercussions? What you're basically saying is no authority has the right to physically enforce any verbal order, ever, for any reason? How considerate was he being to those seated near him by resisting the efforts to remove him? How easily could other passengers have been injured due to his failure to comply?

Yes, it sucks that it was even an issue due to United's poor decisions but once it got to that point, sorry, the physical part of the encounter is on that passenger. It's pretty simple, if he gets up and walks off the plane when ordered to do so, he doesn't suffer all those injuries. I maybe haven't seen all the videos out there but you don't end up missing teeth etc. unless you are resisting be removed. Sorry but he was behaving in a way that required force to remove him. That was his choice and he acknowledged as much when he told them they would have to drag him off. You know how cramped the quarters are on an aircraft. If I had been seated in front of him and say he kicked me in the face fighting being removed, I might've been the one to knock a couple of his teeth out.

JJ - Do you put any weight into the fact that customers sitting next/near him on the plane and those who have been interviewed said that the man was not belligerent and that they felt the move by United/security was over the top?

Believe me, I spend a lot of business and personal time in airports - and if there's one place in the world where people have little empathy for others, especially anyone who disrupts or delays their travel it's at the airports. I have to believe that if this man was "resisting" and creating the problem there would be more than just the airline speaking up.

 

[Ratt Mhule]

JFC people, the man is a doctor and had to work the next day. He has a responsibility to patients. Im sorry you people thinking if he would have just obeyed and none of this would have happened do not have a job that OTHER people depend on in a timely manner...

 

[knapplc]

Imagine where we'd be if George Washington had just obeyed.

 

[Apathy]

JFC people, the man is a doctor and had to work the next day. He has a responsibility to patients. Im sorry you people thinking if he would have just obeyed and none of this would have happened do not have a job that OTHER people depend on in a timely manner...

So because he's a doctor he's more important than anybody else on that plane? Lol

 

[Ratt Mhule]

JFC people, the man is a doctor and had to work the next day. He has a responsibility to patients. Im sorry you people thinking if he would have just obeyed and none of this would have happened do not have a job that OTHER people depend on in a timely manner...

So because he's a doctor he's more important than anybody else on that plane? Lol

To his sick and possibly dying patients, yes, he is more important than the person that works a computer job all day...

Sure hope you or someone in your family never get sick and need your doctor immediately. And if you do, and they are not able to help you, remember what you said here.

 

[Apathy]

I mean the guy did accept their offer but then got back onto the plane in which why United had to call security.

That's not what happened.

Oh but it did

The United employee then told the man that if he did not get off the plane, she would call security. As she turned to leave, the man shouted after her, Mr. Bridges said. Specifically, he said, the passenger complained that he had been singled out because he was Chinese.

It was really intense, really uncomfortable, he said.

The situation also became uncomfortable for the United employees who then got on board and took the vacated seats, Mr. Bridges said. They were berated by passengers and told they should be ashamed, he said.

The man who had been removed returned to the flight briefly, Mr. Bridges said. Video shows him jogging through the aisle, repeatedly saying, I have to go home.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/business/united-flight-passenger-dragged.amp.html

 

[Ratt Mhule]

I mean the guy did accept their offer but then got back onto the plane in which why United had to call security.

That's not what happened.

Oh but it did

The United employee then told the man that if he did not get off the plane, she would call security. As she turned to leave, the man shouted after her, Mr. Bridges said. Specifically, he said, the passenger complained that he had been singled out because he was Chinese.

It was really intense, really uncomfortable, he said.

The situation also became uncomfortable for the United employees who then got on board and took the vacated seats, Mr. Bridges said. They were berated by passengers and told they should be ashamed, he said.

The man who had been removed returned to the flight briefly, Mr. Bridges said. Video shows him jogging through the aisle, repeatedly saying, I have to go home.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/business/united-flight-passenger-dragged.amp.html

Omg dude, remember when Knapp told you to do a little research in the P and R forum a couple weeks back, well nows the time to do that. He got back on the plane AFTER the incident. With his face bloodied and concussed. Jesus. Thank god you don't work in a public service job. You don't know that the word compassion even means...

 

[ZRod]

JFC people, the man is a doctor and had to work the next day. He has a responsibility to patients. Im sorry you people thinking if he would have just obeyed and none of this would have happened do not have a job that OTHER people depend on in a timely manner...

So because he's a doctor he's more important than anybody else on that plane? Lol

No he wasn't. Nobody on that plane was more important than anyone else, and no one on that plane should have been forced to get off because United can't manage their buisness properly. This is bigger than just one passenger and United Airline, it's about customer rights across the board. You should be able to expect a few reasonable things when you purchase a ticket for hundreds of dollars, and being able to stay on the flight you payed for and boarded is one of them.