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4/11/2017 6:59 am  #1


Boycott United

This week United Airlines had two police officers physically drag a screaming passenger off of one of their jets because United had overbooked the flight. They needed to remove 4 paying customers, with tickets, so that united employees could fly, because THEY needed to get where they were going.

The CEO of United defended the action and placed the blame squarely on the passenger. The passenger it seems "refused to volunteer" to give up his seat, and was "re-accommodated".

If you don't know what being "re-accommodated" looks like just go to YouTube and watch the video. It was brutal

Last edited by Goose (4/11/2017 7:02 am)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

4/11/2017 7:11 am  #2


Re: Boycott United

This latest incident is emblematic of the disastrous state of commercial air travel in the United States. I don't think there's any other industry where there is such an adversarial relationship between vendor and customer. They really do everything they can to tell you that you don't matter.

A few years ago there were some episodes of "Air Rage" over the issue of reclining seats. Perhaps you remember customers were fighting with each other about reclining seats into another passengers leg space.

I remember lots of articles being written in travel magazines about who actually "owns" the space, and whether the recliner or the guy behind them was in the wrong. They totally missed the point. The point is airlines don't give customers enough space.  When you abuse people, and crowd people together like animals in cages, guess what, they start acting like animals in cages.

The time may be approaching for a new way of looking at commercial airlines and a massive disruption of the industry. Some carriers may go under. Good riddance

Last edited by Goose (4/11/2017 7:19 am)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
     Thread Starter
 

4/11/2017 7:11 am  #3


Re: Boycott United

One of the worst PR scenes I have ever seen for a company.

 

 


"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
 
 

4/11/2017 7:23 am  #4


Re: Boycott United

Just the day before this made the news, I was listening to a story about how over the weekend the Delta Hub in Atlanta was basically shut down to severe storms and it took them over 24 hours to work through the backlog of flights and connections that run through Atlanta.

Delta had to refund or compensate thousands of customers for this, and even went as far as paying a family for the loss they took on their four day spring break trip to Florida.

Which leads me to United. This is a 22 billion dollar company. If they need to get four people off the plane, then keep raising the compensation you'll give customers until you can buy four people off. 

No, I'm not going to give up my seat for $400, but I probably would for $4,000.

This whole event was 1000% preventable and a simple policy by United would have saved them and this doctor a ton of grief.


I think you're going to see a lot of different United States of America over the next three, four, or eight years. - President Donald J. Trump
 

4/11/2017 7:25 am  #5


Re: Boycott United

Just so united doesn't feel unfairly singled out I'll tell you that American Airlines is awful as well.

Friday I flew with my wife and one of my daughters from Hartford to Reagan national to spend a few days sightseeing in the capital. We bought three tickets. American had us sitting in three different rows. That used to keep families together but now it seems that they purposefully separate you. Now you can pick seats for an extra $35 a ticket. I understand not being able to sit together as a guarantee on a full flight. However the irony is I had an empty seat next to me. I think they're starting to purposefully separate people who are traveling together just to get that extra 35 bucks.

And they also charge you money to check a bag now.

I remember an old joke by Jon Stewart. He said airline travel was getting cheaper than ever. The good news is that for $100 you can get on the plane. The bad news is that it will  cost you extra $50 to get IN the plane . 

Somethings got to give .

Last edited by Goose (4/11/2017 7:29 am)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
     Thread Starter
 

4/11/2017 7:29 am  #6


Re: Boycott United

TheLagerLad wrote:

Just the day before this made the news, I was listening to a story about how over the weekend the Delta Hub in Atlanta was basically shut down to severe storms and it took them over 24 hours to work through the backlog of flights and connections that run through Atlanta.

Delta had to refund or compensate thousands of customers for this, and even went as far as paying a family for the loss they took on their four day spring break trip to Florida.

Which leads me to United. This is a 22 billion dollar company. If they need to get four people off the plane, then keep raising the compensation you'll give customers until you can buy four people off. 

No, I'm not going to give up my seat for $400, but I probably would for $4,000.

This whole event was 1000% preventable and a simple policy by United would have saved them and this doctor a ton of grief.

Exactly !!! 

And to make things even worse, the CEO has made some outrageous, tone-deaf statements about the incident. I hope they pay BIG TIME ! 

United Airlines CEO defends staff, calling ejected passenger ‘disruptive and belligerent’

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/united-airlines-ceo-calls-passenger-dragged-off-plane-disruptive-and-belligerent-2017-04-11

 

Last edited by tennyson (4/11/2017 7:30 am)


"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
 
 

4/11/2017 8:29 am  #7


Re: Boycott United

It should be noted that the federal government shares a piece of the blame here.

In the name of security, we've essentially given up all of our basic rights once we've stepped onto airport property. I believe that the Doctor was technically in violation of the law during all of this because federal statute requires someone to follow all instructions of airline personnel at all times. In fact, I guess that's the only reason United was able to get security guards to physically remove him.

There are two things that the American flying public has pretty much demanded. Cheap flights and safety. It's because of this, the airlines know that they can treat you like crap and squeeze you into tiny seats.


I think you're going to see a lot of different United States of America over the next three, four, or eight years. - President Donald J. Trump
 

4/11/2017 8:37 am  #8


Re: Boycott United

Why did this happen on the aircraft?

I've been involved in overbooking situations before. They are resolved at the gate. To let people board, get into their seats and only THEN tell them they had to get off? To accommodate their own employees?
This is beyond the pale.
Once you settle into your seat you figure at least one nightmare of air travel is behind you.

United mismanaged their business to the point where a nearly unprecedented on the plane bump was required. It's totally on them.

Instead of sending in the goons, United needed to spend as much cash as was needed to "buy" 4 volunteers.

The customer comes last

Last edited by Goose (4/11/2017 8:58 am)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
     Thread Starter
 

4/11/2017 10:56 am  #9


Re: Boycott United

Comcast, Turin Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, Time-Warner, Wells Fargo, and now United Airlines along with many other corporations that advertise about how much they value their customer base and their employees, but their actions and business practices are exactly the opposite of their empty promises.

They all have a couple things in common: they claim to have low prices, but then they fee/assess/charge extra for services that should be included; the way they actually treat their customers bears absolutely no resemblance to their solicitations; they all have corporate executives that are so far removed from customer base that they have no ability to relate to their customer's wants and needs.

Consumers do have some power and, if at all possible, they should just avoid doing business with these companies. Personally, I avoid United and Delta when it comes to flying anywhere if at all possible for these reasons.

And somebody needs to slap some sense into United's CEO for his ridiculous attempt at an apology.

Last edited by Rongone (4/11/2017 11:02 am)

 

4/11/2017 7:03 pm  #10


Re: Boycott United

They all have a couple things in common: they claim to have low prices, but then they fee/assess/charge extra for services that should be included; the way they actually treat their customers bears absolutely no resemblance to their solicitations; they all have corporate executives that are so far removed from customer base that they have no ability to relate to their customer's wants and needs. -  rongone

rongone nailed it.  I only fly 4 or 5 times per year.  Only one of those flights is to Europe.  Anyway, I suggest this to anyone flying .............. go direct if you can.  Layovers only increase the chances of a screwup somewhere on the journey.

 

 

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