Doctor Dragged From United Plane After Computer "Solves" Overbooking Problem


Recommended Posts

United has really gone downhill the last year. I'm a premier member with lifetime status and have also had issues with overbooking, even though I've booked months in advance via a travel agency with a guaranteed seat, not to mention my member status. On more than one occasion I've been bumped by no fault of my own and receive a lousy free flight voucher for my next trip, that half the time can't be used in the time allotted and am put up in a one star hotel. A red roof in is usually a better experience.  The one time I said thanks, but no thanks and got a refund and instead took a rental car back to my home. It's a truly pain in the ass to be delayed for up to a 36 hours when you were guaranteed a seat, checked in, confirmed seat, only to be told it's overbooked.

 

Their flight attendants and gate staff have become increasingly rude, sarcastic and downright disrespectful. When there's a problem, they act as if you aren't there or are superior to you in every way. While I understand flying has become a chore, and nobody enjoys it anymore, their customer service has become almost non-existent. 

 

Anyone condoning the actions of this airline, where they forcibly remove a paying passenger, who booked and received a seat well in advance needs to have their head examined, not to mention they bloodied him up and dragged him off the plane. It's no surprise that the usual suspects here (*cough*, *trumpets playing*, *ahem*) are condoning the airlines actions. I have zero doubt in my mind that you would be bitching up a storm and being forced off the flight as well. 

7 minutes ago, shockz said:

United has really gone downhill the last year. I'm a premier member with lifetime status and have also had issues with overbooking, even though I've booked months in advance via a travel agency with a guaranteed seat, not to mention my member status. On more than one occasion I've been bumped by no fault of my own and receive a lousy free flight voucher for my next trip, that half the time can't be used in the time allotted and am put up in a one star hotel. A red roof in is usually a better experience.  The one time I said thanks, but no thanks and got a refund and instead took a rental car back to my home. It's a truly pain in the ass to be delayed for up to a 36 hours when you were guaranteed a seat, checked in, confirmed seat, only to be told it's overbooked.

Never ever accept the garbage voucher or hotel stay they give you. If you're bumped by more than 2 hours from a domestic flight you're entitled to 4x the one way ticket price upto $1350.

 

Only problem is you have to ask for it, the airline will never ever offer it to you.

 

Quote

Subject to the exceptions provided in § 250.6, a carrier to whom this part applies as described in § 250.2 shall pay compensation in interstate air transportation to passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily from an oversold flight as follows:
(1) No compensation is required if the carrier offers alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if none, the airport of the passenger's final destination not later than one hour after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight;
(2) Compensation shall be 200% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $675, if the carrier offers alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if none, the airport of the passenger's final destination more than one hour but less than two hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight; and
(3) Compensation shall be 400% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,350, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if none, the airport of the passenger's final destination less than two hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight.

 

25 minutes ago, shockz said:

Anyone condoning the actions of this airline, where they forcibly remove a paying passenger, who booked and received a seat well in advance needs to have their head examined, not to mention they bloodied him up and dragged him off the plane.

While they shouldn't overbook, people shouldn't be so stubborn either. It takes two to tango, and it's not fair to any of the other passengers if United allows one stubborn person to ground an entire flight.

 

Both sides were in the wrong in my book. I condone neither of their actions.

36 minutes ago, Emn1ty said:

While they shouldn't overbook, people shouldn't be so stubborn either. It takes two to tango, and it's not fair to any of the other passengers if United allows one stubborn person to ground an entire flight.

 

Both sides were in the wrong in my book. I condone neither of their actions.

I find it hard to believe United couldn't scrounge up any standby attendants for Monday's flight in other areas, that would require forcibly removing passengers who had no reason being removed. This was a procedural problem by United. While the customer isn't always right, this time, they were.

  • Like 4
21 minutes ago, shockz said:

I find it hard to believe United couldn't scrounge up any standby attendants for Monday's flight in other areas, that would require forcibly removing passengers who had no reason being removed. This was a procedural problem by United. While the customer isn't always right, this time, they were.

They don't need a reason to remove him, they just have to compensate him for being removed. It's their plane, their rules. The customer was not right to resist so uncompromisingly. Sure, United could have handled it better but this guy also made some poor choices.

7 hours ago, Nogib said:

He certainly did.  He literally ASKED for it to go down that way.

Why, because he didn't want to give up a seat that he PAID for, and had done no wrong?

 

OK, next time you go to the store and pay for your goods, would you like it if they refuse to give them to you, and then punch you in the mouth whilst forcibly dragging you from the store?

4 hours ago, Emn1ty said:

While they shouldn't overbook, people shouldn't be so stubborn either. It takes two to tango, and it's not fair to any of the other passengers if United allows one stubborn person to ground an entire flight.

 

Both sides were in the wrong in my book. I condone neither of their actions.

You are completely wrong. The passenger paid for a flight. The right time to ask someone to give up their seat is BEFORE boarding. The airline has every right at that point to say the flight is full. Never mind the fact that these scumbags wanted to make room for their employees on *standby* clearly ignoring the standby rule.

 

Once boarded and seated,  FAA rules are in effect. You can't just call the cops and beat up passengers because you feel like it. Except in this day and age you apparently can and people will even defend that !!

 

If I'm invited to your house, you have a right to ask me to leave. The cops DO NOT have the right to beat me up if I present no threat. Thats called excessive force and police brutality in any sane country.

4 minutes ago, Defcon said:

Thats called excessive force and police brutality in any sane country.

If people are condoning this behaviour, then America has ceased to be a sane country...

13 hours ago, Nogib said:

Once the authorities are involved, I don't care how badly you WANT to stay on that flight, it isn't going to happen and you should just accept defeat and fight it later.  This dumb fool got what he deserved.

Maybe you will learn when a loved one is on their death bed and you get thrown off the plane and never get to say your last words.

  • Like 2
12 minutes ago, jesseinsf said:

Maybe you will learn when a loved one is on their death bed and you get thrown off the plane and never get to say your last words.

Probably not even then.. They don't care, as it didn't affect their tiny little glass worlds

  • Like 2

You know who I also feel sorry for? The United Airlines staff that would end up sitting in those seats. Can you imagine the tension and the look of disgust from the other passengers? They weren't responsible for the overbooking, nor the way this situation was handled.

14 hours ago, Nogib said:

Once the authorities are involved, I don't care how badly you WANT to stay on that flight, it isn't going to happen and you should just accept defeat and fight it later.  This dumb fool got what he deserved.

I disagree. If he had got off the plane and tried to fight the injustice of the overbooking it would probably have been swept under the carpet. There are two issues being highlighted now in the media: the appalling practice of overbooking flights with no regard to customer situations, and the completely outrageous treatment of a passenger who had paid money to be on a flight and who was potentially working on a schedule. Suppose he was your doctor, treating you or a family member. If something tragic happened to you or the family member because he was removed from a flight that he had booked would you really accept his excuse?

Saw a few articles this morning regarding "bumping" and overbooking. It is interesting to note that the DOT does legally allow airlines to overbook to allow for passengers that are a no show. 

http://www.gomn.com/news/united-scandal-unfolds-rules-bumping-people-flights/

Quote

We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him

This sounds like a settlement is in the works.

 

I hope the victim will get a five-figure compensation at least.

  • Like 2

"in order to get his compliance"

 

That's a wonderful choice of words.

 

"in order to get his compliance we punched him, he lost his consciousness, and wasn't complaining any more"

  • Like 4
12 minutes ago, wv@gt said:

Statement released from the CEO. 

As expected he is putting part of the blame on the passenger 

 

Yea, ###### reply from United.   They have NO IDEA what passengers need to get back to.  Could be a funeral, work, or another important trip.  But they are more concerned in getting their own employees to where they need to go and if they would have been smarter and better planning, would not have had this issue.  They do not value their customers at all.

  • Like 1
11 hours ago, shockz said:

United has really gone downhill the last year. I'm a premier member with lifetime status and have also had issues with overbooking, even though I've booked months in advance via a travel agency with a guaranteed seat, not to mention my member status. On more than one occasion I've been bumped by no fault of my own and receive a lousy free flight voucher for my next trip, that half the time can't be used in the time allotted and am put up in a one star hotel. A red roof in is usually a better experience.  The one time I said thanks, but no thanks and got a refund and instead took a rental car back to my home. It's a truly pain in the ass to be delayed for up to a 36 hours when you were guaranteed a seat, checked in, confirmed seat, only to be told it's overbooked.

 

Their flight attendants and gate staff have become increasingly rude, sarcastic and downright disrespectful. When there's a problem, they act as if you aren't there or are superior to you in every way. While I understand flying has become a chore, and nobody enjoys it anymore, their customer service has become almost non-existent. 

 

Anyone condoning the actions of this airline, where they forcibly remove a paying passenger, who booked and received a seat well in advance needs to have their head examined, not to mention they bloodied him up and dragged him off the plane. It's no surprise that the usual suspects here (*cough*, *trumpets playing*, *ahem*) are condoning the airlines actions. I have zero doubt in my mind that you would be bitching up a storm and being forced off the flight as well. 

Why is that?

5 hours ago, Nick H. said:

I disagree. If he had got off the plane and tried to fight the injustice of the overbooking it would probably have been swept under the carpet.

This. Having tried to get my due a few times after being mistreated by various international companies of the sort (airlines, car rental, etc), I can bet in most cases you don't get refunded everything. Your flight has a huge delay or you're put on another flight, you miss a time-critical appointment, or whatever perishable stuff you're carrying with you gets spoiled, they'll just pay you the other flight, and if you're lucky the ugliest motel room near the airport. And if you accept whatever payment they give you you give up the rights to anything else.

  • Like 1
19 hours ago, Nogib said:

Once the authorities are involved, I don't care how badly you WANT to stay on that flight, it isn't going to happen and you should just accept defeat and fight it later.  This dumb fool got what he deserved.

Nobody deserves to be assaulted, PERIOD. It's the governments job to maintain law and order, yes, but also protect it's citizens first and foremost, they failed to do that.

 

18 hours ago, nekrosoft13 said:

i hope he sues those ######ers for everything they got.

Everybody is freaky sue-happy anymore.

16 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

NO ONE deserves to be treated like that. Period.  Even less so when they've committed no crime at all.  This entire incident was down to United overbooking the flight, so I hope he sues them into the poor house, they deserve it.

Exactly! :yes:

Also someone else stated about what patients he had to see the next morning, while I'd say it's more likely he's a hospitalist he maybe a surgeon, a transplant surgeon. If so and as a result that patient doesn't get the medical care required, so that they suffer in any medical or real painful way (not imagined) then United Airlines should be help culpable and should settle or take it to court if anyone's life is altered/terminated because of their actions.

  • Like 1
8 minutes ago, Brys said:

This. Having tried to get my due a few times after being mistreated by various international companies of the sort (airlines, car rental, etc), I can bet in most cases you don't get refunded everything. Your flight has a huge delay or you're put on another flight, you miss a time-critical appointment, or whatever perishable stuff you're carrying with you gets spoiled, they'll just pay you the other flight, and if you're lucky the ugliest motel room near the airport. And if you accept whatever payment they give you you give up the rights to anything else.

Well for one overbooking is actually legal and recommended due to no shows, but yeah I see a lot of people saying the guy got what he deserved. This isn't like the police situations we see day to day. They guy wasn't being rude, he wasn't doing anything sketchy. He was a paid passenger already on the flight and randomly asked to get up and get off. United may have offered him compensations, but again just about every airline first puts any addtional flight employees on standby and secondly asks if any customer would come forward and would like to be put on a different flight for compensation. Usually this is done before boarding, not after. This guy had every right to be upset. And yes did he resist , sure, but If he hadn't this would have all be swept under the rug

  • Like 2
2 minutes ago, wv@gt said:

Well for one overbooking is actually legal and recommended due to no shows

It may be legal, it doesn't make it right. It's just a trick to sell more tickets and make more money. Why is it recommended, except to maximize profit ?

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Dude, im talking about simply disable it from settings app. Because of the eu regulation, you could disable it here for years.
    • One big question about Mars was answered thanks to Einstein's 100 year old theory by Sayan Sen Image via DepositPhotos Scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have calculated how time passes on Mars compared with Earth, adding detail to how timekeeping would need to work beyond Earth’s orbit. The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, found that clocks on Mars run an average of 477 microseconds, or millionths of a second, faster per day than clocks on Earth. A microsecond is one millionth of a second, a very small unit used in precise scientific timing systems such as atomic clocks, which measure time using consistent atomic behavior. This difference is not constant. Because Mars moves around the Sun in a non-circular path (an eccentric orbit, meaning its distance from the Sun changes over time instead of staying fixed) and is affected by gravity from other bodies, the daily difference can vary by as much as 226 microseconds over a Martian year. The study also identifies smaller repeating changes of about 40 microseconds per day linked to synodic cycles (repeating periods that describe how planets line up with each other as they orbit the Sun from different positions). These longer patterns affect how time differences slowly rise and fall. To make these estimates, researchers compared Mars with Earth and the Moon. The work looks at relativistic proper time (the time actually measured by a clock depending on its speed and the strength of gravity where it is located, as described in Einstein’s relativity). This shows that each world has its own slightly different “rate” of time. This becomes more important as space missions expand into cislunar space (the region between Earth and the Moon) and toward Mars. On Earth, time systems rely on atomic clocks and satellites, which stay closely synchronized for navigation and communication. The study is based on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which shows that time is affected by gravity and motion. Stronger gravity makes clocks run slower, while weaker gravity makes them run faster. “The time is just right for the Moon and Mars,” said NIST physicist Bijunath Patla. “This is the closest we have been to realizing the science fiction vision of expanding across the solar system.” A day on Mars is about 40 minutes longer than on Earth, and a Martian year lasts 687 Earth days. But the main question is not just about days and years, but how fast time itself passes. An atomic clock placed on Mars would function normally, but compared with one on Earth, the two would slowly drift apart due to differences in gravity and motion. This requires careful calculation of what is similar to a time-zone difference across planets. Researchers modeled Mars using a reference surface and included gravitational effects from the Sun, Earth, the Moon, and other planets. This includes a multi-body gravitational system (often described as a three-body or four-body problem, where predicting motion becomes difficult because multiple large objects all pull on each other at the same time through gravity). Mars also follows a Keplerian orbit (an idealized elliptical orbit based on simple gravitational laws that assume smooth motion, before adding real-world disturbances from other bodies). In addition, the researchers accounted for solar tides (small changes in gravitational force caused by the Sun that slightly distort planetary motion and timing, especially in systems involving Earth and the Moon). These combined effects are described as relativistic proper-time offsets (small but measurable differences in elapsed time between locations caused by gravity and motion), which must be included when comparing clocks across planets. “But for Mars, that’s not the case. Its distance from the Sun and its eccentric orbit make the variations in time larger. A three-body problem is extremely complicated. Now we’re dealing with four: the Sun, Earth, the Moon and Mars,” Patla explained. “The heavy lifting was more challenging than I initially thought.” Although the differences are extremely small, they matter for navigation and communication systems that depend on precise timing. Even modern networks on Earth, such as mobile systems, rely on timing accuracy at very small fractions of a second. Communication between Earth and Mars currently takes about four to 24 minutes or more depending on planetary positions, meaning signals are not real-time. A shared and accurate time system could help future missions reduce confusion in navigation and data exchange. “If you get synchronization, it will be almost like real-time communication without any loss of information. You don’t have to wait to see what happens,” Patla said. Researchers note that fully developed interplanetary communication networks are still far in the future. However, understanding how time behaves across planets helps prepare for those systems. “It may be decades before the surface of Mars is covered by the tracks of wandering rovers, but it is useful now to study the issues involved in establishing navigation systems on other planets and moons,” said Neil Ashby. “Like current global navigation systems like GPS, these systems will depend on accurate clocks, and the effects on clock rates can be analyzed with the help of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.” Patla added that the results also help improve understanding of time itself under relativity. “It's good to know for the first time what is happening on Mars timewise. Nobody knew that before. It improves our knowledge of the theory itself, the theory of how clocks tick and relativity,” he said. Source: NIST, IOPscience This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, this material is used for the purpose of news reporting. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
    • TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 changelog: Added support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. Improved exception handling and automated bug report upload. Fixed several minor bugs and small memory leaks. Build 26 (June 24) Fixed a rare exception when a transfer completed. Features added since version 3.17: Enhanced speed graph. New multi-threaded copy engine. Support for copying to multiple targets. Queue system for managing multiple copy operations. Support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. TeraCopy entry in the modern Windows Explorer context menu. Integrated toolbar in the title bar. Why receive LocalSend transfers with TeraCopy? Handle file conflicts: Skip, overwrite, or rename files when a file with the same name already exists. LocalSend always creates another copy, which can waste time and disk space, especially when resuming an interrupted transfer. Filter unwanted files: Apply ignore lists or remove files manually before accepting a transfer, so unnecessary files are not downloaded. Better performance on fast networks: In tests over a 10 Gbps connection, TeraCopy received files several times faster than the standard LocalSend app on Windows. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 | 14.5 MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Briefly used Turbo Pascal (and Turbo C++) in 97 and soon after that I bought PC magazine that included a full version of Delphi 2. I still use Delphi today, some 29 years later.
    • Age of Empires Mobile comes to PC, here's how to carry over progress from your phone by Ivan Jenic Image: YouTube/Microsoft Microsoft just released Age of Empires Mobile for PC. The game, officially called Age of Empires Mobile: PC Edition, is available for free on Steam and Microsoft Store, almost two years after its initial release for handheld devices. Age of Empires is one of those franchises that entire generations grew up with. The original came out in 1997, and immediately got people hooked to building civilizations and crushing their enemies on the battlefield. However, the franchise today is a far cry from its roots, as Age of Empires Mobile is, well, a game optimized for handheld devices, and not a classic RTS title we’ve all loved for years. And, of course, it includes in-game purchases. The PC version is still a mobile game at its core, but it’s been optimized for desktop play. There’s mouse control, full keyboard compatibility, and a refined UI. Microsoft also refreshed the visuals with some 4k textures, so the game should look better on larger screens. The game supports Crossplay, so you can switch between your phone, tablet, and PC without losing anything. But linked progress doesn’t come out of the box, as you have to enable it first. Here’s how to link your progress: On your mobile device, open Age of Empires Mobile. Go to Settings (Gear icon) > Account. Select Bind Account and choose a sign-in option. Once you enable account binding, sign in on PC using the same method, and your progress will be accessible across all your devices. Xbox Game Pass subscribers also get a bonus reward pack on PC, which includes: 1 Monthly Pass Token 1 Custom Resource Chest 10 Universal 60-Minute Speed-Ups 1,000 Empire Coins Exclusive Player Portrait Frame You can find more info about Age of Empires Mobile: PC Edition, as well as download links, on the Age of Empires official website.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      Tom Schmidt earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      D0nn13 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Rookie
      +ChiefOfNeo went up a rank
      Rookie
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      458
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      177
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      124
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      79
    5. 5
      Xenon
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!