I know, that was so odd. Obviously I've never seen that.

FWIW, I used to be status with UAL, and I gave up on them and went AA. That was nearly 10 years ago and so glad I made the switch.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

When I was retrieving my boarding pass the automated machine did ask if I'd consider giving up my seat for a $200 credit but I refused. For $500 credit I'd probably have taken the deal.

_________________

You must be a snappy dresser.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

Just make it a cash offer not airline credit bullshit. Many more people would volunteer if that was the case.

They should have offered a pure cash incentive and a rent a car credit. and I"m sure someone would have volunteered. It's a 4 hour drive. Or they should have just rented a car for their employees. Really stupid that this had to happen for such a short flight.

Agreed. I don't think overbooking should be illegal. It's always been a part of the business model. That said, in the event they have to bump someone, they need to pay the piper. If it was a straight credit to your bank account/credit card, that's much better.

How much is it going to cost to fix this PR disaster?

Corporate fascism on display. How do you let him on the plane if you are going to force him off?

_________________
Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

I believe that if you are bumped involuntarily you have the right to demand payment as a check.

The reason they ask for volunteers is to avoid the much larger payout if they bump someone without their consent.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

My guess is he boarded pretty early. I had a professor in undergrad for a logistic's class that knew this in and out....They use a mathematical formula which assumes "x" amount of people will miss the boarding time. If they sell 250 seats, they assume at least 5-10 will miss the boarding for whatever reason, that's when they let the standby's on, or in this case use the spots to move employees.

As I was told, allowing this is "essential" for the airlines to turn a profit, I don't think it should be outlawed, but they need to compensate people MUCH better. That I am favor of more regulations for.

Supposedly they offered $400 and had no takers, then they offered $800...when that didn't work, they told people they'd be randomly selected by a computer.

This is really bad for United. I can't imagine the board of directors is very thrilled about this event. Really bad.

_________________

If I was travelling alone, I would be out of my seat so fast for $800 dollars

_________________

No shit.

That could possibly pay for your next family vacation airfare (or at least a good chunk of it).

_________________

Yep, especially if I was travelling for work... that's completely free money.

_________________

Evidently it wasn't enough for that plane, as they had no takers. The airline should be forced to keep upping the anty till they get one. Won't someone please protect this big coorporation from the evils of capitalism.

I nearly did it a couple years ago when I was flying to Puerto Rico for work. They were offering $800 for people to wait for a flight 8 hours later. I would have done it but it was my first trip working with my new company, and I was meeting the owner of my company for the first time. I thought it would look bad if I bailed on meeting him because of an airline voucher.

_________________

_________________

Check out the tweeted video in that link of him running up and down the aisle chanting "I have to go home, I have to go home". Creepy.

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Bridges/statu ... 5360663552

_________________

How did he get back on??

That was my thought as well, but they probably figure at some point the passengers will catch on and hold out for crazy money.

_________________

That video was really disturbing. I hope he sues the shit out of all who were involved.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

_________________

A corporation using state violence to avoid being subject to market forces they don't like is a perfect illustration of capitalism in theory vs capitalism in practice.

I just finally watched the video and fuck that guy and fuck the woman with her faux outrage. If you were so outraged why didn't you stand up and volunteer to take his spot. That woman made it 100x worse for me. "Can't the pilots just rent a car???" Hey asshole, cant you take a free $800 and rent a car?

He was told he had to get off the plane and he didn't and then he screamed like a tiger was ripping him to shreds. There are other ways to throw a fit and show your displeasure. You don't own the fucking plane, if they tell you to get off, you can argue but you cant just refuse.

I'm team United on this one.

_________________

If I'm the district manager in the Chicago office, I throw my 4 employees in a nice luxury van for ~200 on a ride to Louisville and call it a day and avoid this whole mess.

Once I saw the video of that crazy running up and down the aisle, I turned pro UAL on this issue.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

I can't be pro-UAL on this one because it was their employees that caused this situation in the first place.

_________________

I feel like air travel in this country is pretty much to the point where that Onion bit about Franz Kafka International Airport now resembles accurate reporting rather than satire.

Flights are overbooked all the time. They offered people money and no one would take it. Then they did a random draw and this guy got unlucky. He can't refuse an order to leave the plane. Again that scream is so unnecessary and ridiculous. For that alone I'm OK with him getting his lip busted. We are trying to run a society here, you don't have to be happy about getting kicked off. You can make sure your displeasure is well known to the flight crew, captain and the gate agents and supervisors there. What you cant do is act like an entitled asshole and then somehow make security the bad guys for having to physically remove you. Why am I not surprised this guy is a doctor...

_________________

The most entitled party in this situation was United feeling entitled not to have to pay market price to get their employees on the plane.

The screaming like a wounded animal was funny, and memorable. Running up and down the aisle with his ass hanging out and saying, I need to get home, was fantastic. I don't think that guy is a doctor, but I am sure he needs to see a doctor.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You