Video shows man forcibly removed from United flight
LOUISVILLE — A video posted on Facebook late Sunday evening shows a passenger on a United Airlines flight being forcibly removed from the plane before takeoff at O’Hare International Airport.
The video, posted by Audra D. Bridges at 7:30 p.m. Sunday , is taken from an aisle seat on a commercial airplane that appears to be preparing to take flight. The 31-second clip shows three men wearing radio equipment and security jackets speaking with a man seated on the plane. After a few seconds, one of the men grabs the passenger, who screams, and drags him by his arms toward the front of the plane. The video ends before anything else is shown.
A United spokesperson confirmed in an email Sunday night that a passenger had been taken off a flight in Chicago.
"Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked," said the spokesperson. "After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate.
Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday. Passengers were allowed to board the flight, Bridges said, and once the flight was filled those on the plane were told that four people needed to give up their seats to stand-by United employees who needed to be in Louisville on Monday for a flight. Passengers were told that the flight would not take off until the United crew had seats, Bridges said, and the offer was increased to $800, but no one volunteered.
Then, she said, a manager came aboard the plane and said a computer would select four people to be taken off the flight. One couple was selected first and left the airplane, she said, before the man in the video was confronted.
Bridges said the man became "very upset" and said that he was a doctor who needed to see patients at a hospital in the morning. The manager told him that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane.
The man was able to get back on the plane after initially being taken off — his face was bloody and he seemed disoriented, Bridges said, and he ran to the back of the plane. Passengers asked to get off the plane as a medical crew came on to deal with the passenger, she said, and passengers were then told to go back to the gate so that officials could "tidy up" the plane before taking off.
Bridges said the man shown in the video was the only person who was forcibly removed.
"Everyone was shocked and appalled," Bridges said. "There were several children on the flight as well that were very upset."
The flight was delayed about two hours before it could fly to Louisville, and it arrived in Kentucky later Sunday night. No update was given to the passengers about the condition of the man forcibly removed, Bridges said.
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I frequently see articles about people being removed from airplanes for various reasons, but never anything like this. I will never fly United after reading this. Airlines overbook flights for their purposes, and to enhance their profits by making an assumption that a certain number of people will innocently miss their flight. Look what happens when they are wrong. Disgusting.
Why did they take away that man's freedom to delay the flight?
Why did United feel it was ok to ruin people's travel plans for their own agenda?
I've been in this position before. I was part of a party of four flying to Florida for a 7 day cruise, and everyone but me made it on the plane, initially. Thankfully, someone agreed to take another flight and a voucher, and I made it on the flight. If I had missed the flight, I would have missed the cruise. That is unacceptable policy on behalf of airlines.
There was a time when the airline was required to obtained volunteers for a later flight, by offering higher and higher compensations. I guess they lobbied that out of existence...
No profit in that Bob.
The airline industry is slow to change their mindset with regard to many cost saving measures, with overbooking of flights being the most prominent violation. For many, many years, the airline industry ran at a loss, with most of us waiting to see who the next company seeking bankruptcy protection was. In the last few years, however, the industry has figured out how to be profitable, and have succeeded greatly since then, showing record profits year after year. Through all this, they have retained their spendthrift mentality, seeking to extract every last drop of profit from each and every flight.
It would go a long way towards passenger confidence to see them refrain from these scrooge-like tactics to maximize their profits. I don't know if United will suffer from this incident; IMHO if anything, it will be short-lived.
Well, to start, I would never fly United, since it is a crappy airline. The last flight I took with them, I was kissing my knees, squeezed into a kindergarten size chair, and not offered a drink, never mind even a movie. Jet Blue and Virgin America is the way to go. At least they understand that the customer comes first and you get a comfortable seat at a competitive price. That said, sometimes an airline doesn't go where you need them to.
Yes this is utter BS, but the guy should have gotten up, and then taken it to the press... or some such thing. These practices are the pits, and they shouldn't go unnoticed. Customers should come before staff that just want to go home or where ever.
Let's hope that this really harms their reputation. That usually sparks change.
The CEO made a statement in the last 15 minutes, making the usual points about this being the wrong way to handle our clientele, etc...
It's true that you can't undo this type of event, but people are hostage to certain airlines because of where they live and/or where they have to go. That's the root of the problem.
Very dumb question..... I get that airlines over-book, taking no-shows into account. BUT...... Say a plane has 200 seats. And 50 people don't show up. Does that matter? All 200 seats are paid for. The airlines get the $$ whether the passengers actually show up, or not. Why do the airlines consider a no-show a loss? The seat is paid for. Thank you for any answers/explanations.
When I was a hotel manager, it was a controversy on overbooking too, since if the people didn't show up we charged their card as a no show. On some nights you could actually sell your hotel at 110% of the rooms you really have, but if too many people show up and you don't have the rooms you have "walk" them to another hotel and they are PISSED! You lose a customer(s) forever. The airlines are hoping the same thing happens. They are gambling that they can actually make money on about 110% of the seats that they really have on that particular airplane. But when everyone does show up, they are screwed. Upper management doesn't care because they are not the one who have to face the angry customers. When I was a General Manager of a Holiday Inn where I got to make the rules we never, ever overbooked. Ever. I wanted return customers and thought our profit was in that line instead.
Thank you for your explanation, Randy. It does sound like a "gamble" by the airlines and hotels.
I haven't seen this year's rankings yet, but last year JD Power ranked United Airlines as dead last in customer satisfaction.
I do a lot of traveling by air. I've never taken a United flight and never will.
I used to travel by air a lot for business before 9-11 and was confronted with overbooked flights a few times. Sometimes, if I wasn't in any real hurry the extra money was nice. Once on a Delta flight from Phoenix to Houston I accepted being bumped from the oversold flight in exchange for a first class seat on a flight to Houston leaving a few hours later. The only thing I liked about United was I could put the head phones on and ignore everyone else. I also told the travel department at the company I contracted for that I would raise hell if they booked me on Southwest because I wanted a guaranteed window seat and I hated the flight attendants lame attempts at comedy. Flying for business used to be fun before 9-11 (though my wife didn't like me being gone three to six weeks at a time), afterwards not so much, so I grounded myself.
I always fly Southwest. They're cheap, and I'm easily amused. Plus we use their credit card so most of our flights are free with air miles.
I prefer Southwest also. I fly them to Baltimore each year and New Orleans when business takes me there. I wish they flew to some of the other locations I travel to.
Just saw this on FB:
I just saw this elsewhere: United. We put the Hospital in Hospitality.
"Not enough seating, prepare for a beating"
Take the greenbacks, if you like those kneecaps.
If all I save is eight hours, I'll drive. In some cases, I'll take a private charter, usually a twin engine prop....avoid the major airports. There are other work arounds.
United told the passengers before they boarded that the flight was overbooked so they were on notice that somebody is going to have to leave if everybody with a ticket shows up. Plus, united said that they needed to get a flight crew to another plane . . . I assume so that it can be properly staffed. So one person on this flight is going to have to get up so everyone on two flights can take off. In a Star Trek like moment, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. The passenger should have gotten up peacefully. When he refused to do so, then he can be expected to be dragged off the plane. He chose to be dragged off so that's on him. Anybody on that flight who didn't think he should be removed, should have stood up and offered to leave in his place but that didn't happen.
As for overbooking, some passengers absolutely love it. Depending on the route, I've seen passengers crouched at the ready (coat in hand), waiting for the airline offer to get sweet enough so they can take it before anybody else does.
United told the passengers before they boarded that the flight was overbooked so they were on notice that somebody is going to have to leave if everybody with a ticket shows up.
Not from everything I've read. It was United's incompetence in this respect that lead to this highly unusual situation, on two fronts. One, they allowed everyone to board before the four seats were clawed back. Two, they used police officers to resolve the situation. There were multiple options at their disposal - like putting their employees on a rival airline, bussing them to another airport, ground transportation to Louisville, or sweetening the deal to get a willing volunteer.
Not from everything I've read.
I got it from your own article:
Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday.
Ground transportation could have taken hours. And if seats were available on another airline, then the passenger should have availed himself of that option through negotiation with the airline rather than opt to be dragged off the plane. However bad the airlines policy may be, simply refusing to leave is not a viable option and I guess the passenger learned that the hard way.
I read a couple different articles this morning that claimed yesterday's statements were incorrect. My guess is that the beating and humiliation will pay off in the courtroom.
This should get some attention:
Down 3.1 percent, a $700 Million loss so far and no sign of the loss slowing down. Stockholders aren't going to be very happy with this......