United drags passenger off flight, PR distaster ensues

[devildeac]

And apparently Southwest now sells ringside seats on select routes...

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/us/fig...thwest-flight/

Airborne MMA/UFC? What's happening to the world? SMH.

[weezie]

In flight entertainment!

[cspan37421]

They let her use a cup? When I was on United, I WISHED I had a cup to use ...


If that had been me, when they offered me the cup to use, I would have said: "fine, just hold it right there"

So if a pro sports team flies united, might it violate the drug-testing protocol of their CBA?

[budwom]

Yesterday I began sniffing around air fares for my annual trips to Derm for Duke football, and noted that (as was reported some time ago) United
now warns me that if I want the lowest economy fare, I can't have a seat assignment, can't necessarily sit with co-travelers, can't bring a full sized
carry on onboard (there's a fee! of course!)*

This is the new Basic Economy as opposed to the old bottom of the barrel, steerage-esque Economy. Fun!

*even the size of what you can put under the seat in front of you is restricted now to 9x10x17 inches....for sure my weekend travel bag has
always fit nicely there, but it's bigger than 9x10...will they enforce this? Even more fun!

[devildeac]

Yesterday I began sniffing around air fares for my annual trips to Derm for Duke football, and noted that (as was reported some time ago) United
now warns me that if I want the lowest economy fare, I can't have a seat assignment, can't necessarily sit with co-travelers, can't bring a full sized
carry on onboard (there's a fee! of course!)*

This is the new Basic Economy as opposed to the old bottom of the barrel, steerage-esque Economy. Fun!

*even the size of what you can put under the seat in front of you is restricted now to 9x10x17 inches...for sure my weekend travel bag has
always fit nicely there, but it's bigger than 9x10...will they enforce this? Even more fun!

depositphotos_14140216-stock-photo-carcass-meat-hanging-hook.jpg

[budwom]

^LOL. I'm trying to take all of this with a sense of humor. Make a game of it. Before a recent trip to California, I tried to estimate the number of extra fees AMerican would
try to extort...it ended up being impressive. My finger got sore from clicking "No."

Do you want to upgrade your seat (from Anchovy to Sardine)?
Do you want to pay for early boarding?
Do you want some travel insurance (your pilot is a flake)
On and on...

I'm glad I live in a tiny pizzant state because nearly all our planes are commuter jets (fine with me) with 2-2 seating.
Otherwise they will also charge extra for a non middle seat. Ha ha ha.

[ncexnyc]

Yesterday I began sniffing around air fares for my annual trips to Derm for Duke football, and noted that (as was reported some time ago) United
now warns me that if I want the lowest economy fare, I can't have a seat assignment, can't necessarily sit with co-travelers, can't bring a full sized
carry on onboard (there's a fee! of course!)*

This is the new Basic Economy as opposed to the old bottom of the barrel, steerage-esque Economy. Fun!

*even the size of what you can put under the seat in front of you is restricted now to 9x10x17 inches...for sure my weekend travel bag has
always fit nicely there, but it's bigger than 9x10...will they enforce this? Even more fun!

I can definitely relate to this.

My family and I are getting ready for our month long trip to the Philippines and while I was confirming all our info and getting our seats squared away I noticed that the plane we'll be on from Dulles to Narita is an A320 Airbus. United has broken this down into roughly three segments. The first third is First Class, the second third is the Economy Plus, and we're in Economy. The first part is sold out, Our section has two lone seats left, but surprise, surprise the middle section is nearly empty. Upgrading costs "only" $200 extra. The seats are the same width, but there is more leg room. While it's very tempting for my 6'2" frame, I think I'll pass.

[DukieInKansas]

I can definitely relate to this.

My family and I are getting ready for our month long trip to the Philippines and while I was confirming all our info and getting our seats squared away I noticed that the plane we'll be on from Dulles to Narita is an A320 Airbus. United has broken this down into roughly three segments. The first third is First Class, the second third is the Economy Plus, and we're in Economy. The first part is sold out, Our section has two lone seats left, but surprise, surprise the middle section is nearly empty. Upgrading costs "only" $200 extra. The seats are the same width, but there is more leg room. While it's very tempting for my 6'2" frame, I think I'll pass.

Sometimes, on domestic flights, I can't choose a seat w/o paying extra. If I wait to pick a seat until check in time, there are more seats w/o a fee. I think they may have to release those some of those extra charge seats close to departure time as they haven't been sold. Hopefully, that will happen for you.

[weezie]

...The seats are the same width, but there is more leg room. While it's very tempting for my 6'2" frame, I think I'll pass.

Oh man, I dunno...that's one long son of a gun flight. I'd be very tempted. I made that flight to Narita a few years ago in business and at flight hour 12, I was looking for a parachute.

[ncexnyc]

Oh man, I dunno...that's one long son of a gun flight. I'd be very tempted. I made that flight to Narita a few years ago in business and at flight hour 12, I was looking for a parachute.

I know, I know, but there are 3 of us, so that's $600 and this is just for that leg of the trip.

[DukieInKansas]

Oh man, I dunno...that's one long son of a gun flight. I'd be very tempted. I made that flight to Narita a few years ago in business and at flight hour 12, I was looking for a parachute.

I discovered that I'm good for an 8 hour flight - remnants from childhood when the flight across the Pacific was usually around 8 hours. The extra hour it took to get to Venice made me understand the people that try to open the doors mid-flight. I even lucked out on that flight and had the 4 seats in the middle of the plane to myself and I took advantage of them, sleeping most of the way.

[JasonEvans]

In news that should have come out months ago... the airport security cops who dragged the guy off the United flight have been fired.

an officer and an Aviation Security sergeant were fired, a third officer resigned and another received a five-day suspension — which was shorted to two days on appeal — for their involvement in the “violent forcible removal” of Dr. David Dao.

Ferguson’s report says that the use of “excessive force” caused Dao to break his nose, lose two teeth and sustain a concussion, and noted that the security officer who pulled Dao from the flight broke department policy when he “escalated a nonthreatening situation into a physically violent one.”

-Jason "Dao settled with United back in the spring... no word on the amount though there was a rumor in China that he got $140 million... I seriously doubt that" Evans

[duke79]

In news that should have come out months ago... the airport security cops who dragged the guy off the United flight have been fired.



-Jason "Dao settled with United back in the spring... no word on the amount though there was a rumor in China that he got $140 million... I seriously doubt that" Evans

I would guess more like $1.4 million, but who knows?

[JasonEvans]

I would guess more like $1.4 million, but who knows?

I would guess more like $14 mil. There was tremendous value in United keeping this story out of the news and a full trial would ensure the case was in the headlines for a while. Plus, United did not want employees testifying under oath about any memos or other policies about how United treats it's passengers. Now, if it had gone to a trial with a jury, I'm betting the guy would get much less than $14 mil, but the value of it not going to trial was well worth United overpaying, I suspect.

-Jason "the settlement came fairly quickly after the incident. I'm betting a United lawyer showed up with a big check and a NDA and took care of things fast!" Evans

[duke79]

I would guess more like $14 mil. There was tremendous value in United keeping this story out of the news and a full trial would ensure the case was in the headlines for a while. Plus, United did not want employees testifying under oath about any memos or other policies about how United treats it's passengers. Now, if it had gone to a trial with a jury, I'm betting the guy would get much less than $14 mil, but the value of it not going to trial was well worth United overpaying, I suspect.

-Jason "the settlement came fairly quickly after the incident. I'm betting a United lawyer showed up with a big check and a NDA and took care of things fast!" Evans

LOL, you may be closer to the truth...I don't have a clue and obviously not privy to the settlement details. It WAS quite an egregious incident and certainly something United wanted to bury as quickly as possible. $5 or $10 or $15 million is pocket change to United. Other than the broken teeth, they can drag me off of a plane for $5 million.

[BD80]

LOL, you may be closer to the truth...I don't have a clue and obviously not privy to the settlement details. It WAS quite an egregious incident and certainly something United wanted to bury as quickly as possible. $5 or $10 or $15 million is pocket change to United. Other than the broken teeth, they can drag me off of a plane for $5 million.

$5 million? Hell, I'd do it for free drinks!


Oh wait, free drinks are what got me dragged off a flight that last time. Never mind.

[JasonEvans]

For $5 mil, they can break my teeth too.

[budwom]

having flown to Durham three times this Fall for football games (12 segments), and another trip this weekend, I feel a case can be made that at times being beaten up and dragged off the plane is a better outcome than staying on the plane.

[duke79]

I can definitely relate to this.

My family and I are getting ready for our month long trip to the Philippines and while I was confirming all our info and getting our seats squared away I noticed that the plane we'll be on from Dulles to Narita is an A320 Airbus. United has broken this down into roughly three segments. The first third is First Class, the second third is the Economy Plus, and we're in Economy. The first part is sold out, Our section has two lone seats left, but surprise, surprise the middle section is nearly empty. Upgrading costs "only" $200 extra. The seats are the same width, but there is more leg room. While it's very tempting for my 6'2" frame, I think I'll pass.

Oh man, I dunno...that's one long son of a gun flight. I'd be very tempted. I made that flight to Narita a few years ago in business and at flight hour 12, I was looking for a parachute.

I'm with Weezie on this one. Unless money is a huge issue (and $600 is not pocket change to most people, I know), I'd spring for the extra leg room on that long of a trip. I'm 6'2" myself and I find it almost pure torture to sit in economy for any length of time. We went to California for a wedding a few years ago, and we upgraded to the economy seats with the extra leg room on Jet Blue from NYC to LA and it made a world of difference for the comfort of the flight. I actually enjoyed it, for once. But it was not $200 extra, admittedly.

[budwom]

I'm with Weezie on this one. Unless money is a huge issue (and $600 is not pocket change to most people, I know), I'd spring for the extra leg room on that long of a trip. I'm 6'2" myself and I find it almost pure torture to sit in economy for any length of time. We went to California for a wedding a few years ago, and we upgraded to the economy seats with the extra leg room on Jet Blue from NYC to LA and it made a world of difference for the comfort of the flight. I actually enjoyed it, for once. But it was not $200 extra, admittedly.

The hideous irony, of course is that as time goes on, the airlines reduce the pitch between seats, so you may be paying extra today for legroom which was standard two years ago. Fun!