Man pulled off of United plane in Chicago set for Louisville

Looks like United's PR and legal department's will have more damage control to contend with..I swear United places their mouths and bodies in motion before their brains go into drive!

Apparently United decided, after boarding had already taken place, that they needed four more seats for deadheading crew. What they should have done was keep upping the ante until they finally got some volunteers, or put the crew on a 135 charter (they used to do that back in the day). Disgusting. Assault and battery.

Ok that article has been edited...looks like United's PR has been busy...an original article sighted that United needed some employees in Louisville immediately, and that is why all the hoopla onboard...any other time, over bookings are handled at the boarding area...heck United couldnt even get it's PR correct..the police werent called just to the gate, they were called on board...now even the local constables are looking like chumps!..congrats United...3rd blunder in less than a month...looks like it's time their "Fly The Friendly Skies" slogan got tossed!

So, this is the service that United provides it's customers. I will never make a reservation with United and will discourage anyone from doing so. Dragging a passenger from his seat to make way for someone else. This is appalling.

UA is absolutely held accountable for the severe injuries caused to the doctor, and should also be held under scrutiny for whether human right violation and racial discrimination played in the role in this incident. I sincerely hope justice can be brought out from this incident, and laws be passed out to protect the right of passengers in overbook flight. UA should receive high penalties in this incident as a warning to other airlines mistreating passengers. UA is deserved to be removed from Star Alliance service standard, and aviation magazine award ratings, as current standard does match up.

And in other news, United will be retiring their "Fly the friendly skies" slogan in favor of the perennial favorite, "The beatings will continue until morale improves." This classic is already being accepted and enforced, as you see here in this initial rollout report.

At least he wasn't wearing leggings.

An airline I worked for had a better solution. The airline had the captain ask over the PA if any passengers were willing to disembark in return for a business seat on the next flight and a free ticket to use in the future.

I'm no cop or lawyer, but this looks like a criminal offense against this man.

I wonder what would have happened if ONE - just ONE - passenger had stood up, blocked the aisle and said, "You thug bastards; you're not taking him anywhere."

It's awfully hard to carry on a fistfight in a confined space like that. My bet is that, as soon as they went after him, about half the airplane would be on THEM.

Maybe not. It's a good fantasy, though. I despise bullies, uniformed or not.

The only deadheads are in corporate headquarters of UAL.

Simple solution, last ones to check in at the gate just don't get on. Once all the seats are full with revenue paying customers, close the flight, push back and go. Deal with the oversolds in the terminal not on the aircraft! The gate agents are there to assist with the overbookings and at worst, they will send you to the customer service desk where you will be reimbursed, rebooked and fed.....so to speak. Yes, the airlines overbook, but only because the idiot passengers who don't show up for their flights either don't call, don't care or a combination of both! More to the question is Why this guy.....low yield seat maybe?

If anyone is brave enough to fly United in the future, at least they won't have to worry about being bumped - they'll likely never have an overbooked flight again.

I'll probably get jumped on for this but, SOC should have known well in advance about the DH crew unless it was a last minute show at the gate. This is the problem when DH crew just show up and expect to be boarded under the guise that they have to go because the are an operating crew for a future flight, it places the board agents in a bind. Many of these DH are going to work but live elsewhere, well too bad. There is a big difference between going to work using standby passes and an immediate requirement by the airline to get a crew somewhere to rectify an issue downline. The customer should never be inconvenienced once boarded. Personally, United should have just offered an explanation and given substancial compensation for anyone giving up 4 seats..........if the crew were just going to work on their own time using their airline as transportation, well the airline isn't going to pay anyone for that.

I guess United will not reuse "fly the friendly skies" as their ad slogan.

Just to let you know it very hard to take a full-fare passenger off the airplane..along with passenger all ck in bag have to off load it take time to look for bag and it take time to locate ..passenger and bag travel together FAA/TSA/DOT rule ...Who ever make this ----decision costly mistake :( I think it bad that Republic Airway are not get the bad publicity at all AND they are the one that caused all this bad matter pls remember remove the revenue passenger are caused a delayed plus a report must be written..So sad for UNITED who have well over 82,000 workers

United has no love for their customers in my experience. Years ago, I, along with about 20 other people missed a United flight when it left the gate 25 minutes EARLY!. (one poor guy who had boarded disembarked to use bathroom in the terminal and got left behind) I wasn't too upset until the ticket agent snickered at us when rebooking us on the next flight. It had to do with a current Union strike. Farewell United!

US 3411 is an EMB 170 with 2 cockpit jump seats and 3 FA seats.
Were all the crew seats occupied? If not, 3 of 4 DH crew could have been "accommodated" leaving 1 PAX volunteer. Have to wonder if this was an "operational emergency" DH crew or not. Discuss.

United employees should be responsible for getting to the job on their own...not on the backs of passengers... I hope that doc owns a good portion of United when the dust settles....we are retired now and ready to travel... you can bet it won't be on United the outrageous airline....

Muñoz's response gives new meaning to the verb "reaccommodate," as in "Don't reaccommodate me bro!" Probably not safe to use a taser in the cabin.

.......and somewhere today, Ed Bastian & Gary Kelly lit a big cigar. Computer outages are one thing....having some goons knock a pax unconscious and drag him off is another.

Check out what Delta did today: Quite a few perks, including up to $2,000 in tickets.

The hits just keep coming. Now there's another story coming out of Kali, about a man rousted in F class. Should be an interesting week at UAL's Chicago base.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-passenger-threatened-handcuffs-073030438.html

The airline chose the wrong approach - up the ante and not have CPD beat up paying customers. When you buy a ticket you are entering into a contract. No matter who you purchased the tickets from, UAL set the price. Supposedly they guarantee you a seat. If bumped you are supposed to receive immediate cash payment or a check and a seat on the next available flight within two hours. That's the key wording - two hours. As Mary Schiavo spoke of yesterday - there is a passengers bill of rightshttps://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights

It would seem that someone has finally done SOME homework. The caption on the photo uses the word 'overbook', but the rest of the article seems to have connected the dots that many on this board have already connected.
https://www.inc.com/cynthia-than/the-controversial-united-airlines-flight-was-not-overbooked-and-why-that-matters.html

All the major airlines in their zeal to get rid of ALPA and other senior pilots signed deals with every contractor/code share outfit they could find. The Skywest, ASA, Republic et.al. they may fly the colors of the majors but their training of ground personnel is just above a big box store or fast food employee. There is zero accountability from bottom up.

Oscar needs to work on COMMUNICATING with his employee's, what is and is not acceptable behaviour in managing difficult customer situations. shame shame shame

Maybe they'll show the incident on video as an attachment to the safety video stating "this is what happens at United when you don't comply with my request". Imagine how the "Doc" really felt after taking off his shoes, being groped by TSA and then told to get out of his seat.

Thought of a good slogan or ad for Southwest or Delta (or Jetblue or Alaska) that would say "We beat our competition, not our customers!"

This is just the latest in a long string of airline abuses where their customers are concerned. I made the decision 5 years ago to never fly domestically again after an awkward and easily avoidable incident involving Southwest. I just got tired of paying a lot of money only to be treated like a head of cattle by the airlines and having to tolerate many passengers who were just plain inconsiderate or downright rude.

Oh this is really good how Oscar Munoz, United CEO, defends United's approach to the situation.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/united-airlines-ceo-passenger-removed-from-flight-was-disruptive-and-belligerent/ar-BBzIbtW?li=AAggFp5&ocid=mailsignout
The man was disruptive and belligerent??..why is it the other passengers painted a completely different story?...and you forgot to mention 1 small detail of the flight Oscar...it was operated by Republic Airlines on behalf of United.

This is NOT United's fault. The security company and the city of Chicago are at fault here.

watch for united's pr and legal team to begin the smearing process, making the doctor the bad guy, not their own internal polices and lack of institutional control. The Ceo of united is on shaky ground here.

We all know the facts now and this is just so wrong on so many levels.
United "needed" four seats for supposed crew members which are essentially "free" seats and actually write-offs.
So to take revenue generating passengers and treat them thus leaves us to wonder what else has United done to the paying passengers in their own self-interest.
Just wrong on so many levels.

scandaleux

que fait le commandant de bord????

When one considers the complete loss of dignity that is required to fly commercially these days, it's understandable why a man refuses to give up his seat, once he's already seated, having gone through the gauntlet and the hours that burden air travelers today.

Shortly after 9/11, GW Bush said something to the effect that 'we must not change the lives we live, otherwise the terrorists win'.

Frankly, the TSA goons concern me more than some terrorist. They have become a certainty; our 4th Amendment rights - stolen from us. Pray that our society can come to its senses.

@ first, .I thought it was just another holier than thou Doctor not wanting to fly w/the unwashed masses. Then I I found out the rest of the story. Remember this gem & followup from a few years ago?

1. https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo. 2. https://youtu.be/h-UoERHaSQg

Also, United has a bad rep for killing otherwise healthy pets while in their possession during transit.

As in most organizations, the leadership is (should be) responsible for the culture of its organization. In this case I believe the culture of the airline is not one of the customer comes first, but rather, the company profits come first. That said, I think that in order to change the culture, the management needs to change... i.e. The CEO should resign. I flew Continental for many years and can say from personal experience that United doesn't have a clue as to the level of service that Continental provided. United seem to have disposed of all the great things about Contiental and kept the worst of United... No disrespect to the employees of either, they are just a refelection of the culture of the leadership. If we as a traveling public let things like this continue without letting the airlines know how completely incensed we are, we'll just get more of the same in the future.

# 1, No-one should be removed of an airplane once it has loaded.
# 2 If an airline employee has to be somewhere then put the employee on the next flight with any airline
# 3, If a client has to be removed, next time do it from the front of the airplane, in other words, do it from the first class and see the reaction then.

this action against the passenger is assault, a felony, and I am waiting for the "security guy dressed in blue jeans" to be arrested, identified and put in jail.

Back in 1986 (As a Pilot) I intervened between a Gate Agent and a Customer on a totally different Airline, then I worked for. The Gate Agent was TRYING to force a LARGE MAN to buy two seats on an Aircraft that DID NOT HAVE FOLDING ARM RESTS! When I injected that FACT to the Gate Agent she said she was going to CHECK, and never came back. In fact a different Gate Agent showed up and gave the man a FREE FLIGHT Voucher. And he apologized profusely to the Customer. You guessed it, United Airlines! They are the INDUSTRY LEADER in HATRED OF THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS! JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION!

Solution; Have the flight attendants deplane. The 4 pilots could then take on their duties, work the cabin and arrive where they are needed. No drama in the cabin. The attendants can be sent on a later flight or just kick back until the plane comes back. Simple.

Why was the "security guy" (who knows what this stormtrooper's exact title is) wearing jeans? Are jeans now an official part of his uniform?

Here is an interesting article about "the ripple affect" this may have cost...not only United but other airlines and their Star Alliance partners..sorry it is a subscription site but it's the free section and I find a some of the articles interesting reads...I also find their URL almost as long as a novel.

http://atwonline.com/blog/united-bumped-passenger-video-damages-all-airlines?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20170411_AW-05_573&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_3&utm_rid=CPEN1000003191950&utm_campaign=9508&utm_medium=email&elq2=736a62f7854143a19fe771eb50594491

This just in from CEO Munoz, "I wish I was back on the railroad."

All I gotta say is, if United offers you $800 to change plane. DO IT! Cause those fools are about to open up some whoop ass.

Too many fools. Unfortunately a fool from United called security and got more fools involved. It's like Algebra you keep adding minus's things go backward instead of ahead. If the guy was a 300 lb. Bears' Linebacker instead of a short Oriental I am sure these pseudo tough security guys would have moved on to easier picking. In the old days you would never take someone's seat away from them, much less someone smaller and older. We're lucky this wasn't some "Little Old Lady.

There is no excuse for this, United sold all their seats, then 4 employees came with urgent, sorry: buy tickets in other airline, not ever attempt to take away a seat from someone who already paid for it! I'll never used United in my life!

Well, the United shills seem to have arrived, trying to spin this any way they can to make Dr. Dao look bad and the crew and cops look like patient angels. They're a little late arriving though, and all their efforts are doing is making United look even worse for the smear campaign. All I can say is that someone high up at United really, really must be a contortionist, because I can't even picture how they could have both feet in their mouth while their head is so far up their ass.

When I heard the news I knew it had to be United. I fly 150,000 miles per year and I always avoid United. My experiences with the airline have been uniformly bad and all centered around the employee attitudes. But here is a suggestion for the future, when you need a seat or two on a flight try making this announcement "Hey we need an extra seat or two is anyone here willing to give up their seat for $500 voucher and a seat on the next flight?" I am not making this up - many other airlines use this and it works. I have taken the voucher a few time too. It is simple, no mess, no fuss, no misuse of law enforcement to settle what is a commercial contract dispute.

I have just received footage of the most disturbing act of violence that the police use to have their way with the public and it's the fault of us air for over booking in the first place as a pilot iam appalled by this action

Why was this person selected over all of the other people on board?

Maybe it's just the way the do things in Chicago? Overbook & drag-off?

Can't continue to repeat the obvious but what I do see that is obvious that everytime I see a video of the so call authorities struggle and hurt the passenger while pulling them out of the seat getting caught up on the aisle arm rest. You'd think they would raise it. Yes it can. The seat rest isn't built to be raised by the passenger's leisure but nevertheless it can. There is a latching lever underneath toward the hinged portion. Just raise it. It makes it a straight clean path to allow the passenger to be vacated. Less injury. I hope someone can be smart enough to put this in training and the protocol for the police et.

Saddly events,I am sure that now they will review those ancient policies that have left a bitter taste to UA.

My initial reaction (and I confess to being reactionary) was: Why doesn't the governor of Kentucky or the Mayor of Louisville order a stop to all United passenger service to their state? Do they have authority; or does the FAA have to enter into this? Plenty of other airlines can fill in, and the justification would be to protect citizens of Kentucky from being roughly treated and injured by this airline, United or Republic, whoever it is. Possibly the above mentioned politicians are not REAL people.

I was a dispatcher for one of United' express operators so let me just share some info as it sounds like a lot of commentators aren't airline people.

1. Reserve crews get called to dead-head at the last minute all the time. Usually crew scheduling knows about it in advance but sometimes it's a last minute thing. To put the crew on the flight scheduling has to either reserve a seat for them in United's ticketing system (usually how it's done) or get them added to the dispatch release. If they get a ticket the flight is now oversold and if they get added to the dispatch release it's now an operational requirement.

2. Dead heading crews get a seat. They don't get forced to sit in the jump seat but they can choose to do so if they feel like being nice. Flight attendants can't ride in the jump seat.

3. When a crew is deadheading they are working. We don't deadhead crews with other airlines (even code-shares). If the flight hasn't left yet, we'll tell the gate personal these guys are getting on. We have sent crews on 6 hour cab rides before but only after the flight has left.

4. I don't know how Republic does it, but my company had a priority boot list if there were no volunteers. I don't remember the order for everything but the lowest on the list were those who get their tickets at the ticking counter and next are the ones who print their boarding passes from an airport kiosk (hint hint, don't do that).

5. No one likes crew-schedulers, it's the most thank-less job on the planet.

6. Not one of the employees involved actually worked for United Airlines.

So my thoughts. Everyone is mad at United Airlines, but this very easily could have been another carrier (such as SkyWest flying for American). Also I thought that actual city police get called out for unruly passengers? The Airport Authority needs to have a talk with their guys to not bash people's faces on arm rests. What's wrong with the classic zip tie and carry them out?

Last thought. The good doctor may be smart but doesn't have a lot of common sense.

I am done posting in this particular squawk...we are now getting "employees" who condone the actions of the cabin crew and "security cops" and love bringing up this doctor's past...GET OVER IT...The Dr's past is the past, the flight crew and "security cops" messed up and so did United in their handling of the situation...Republic Airlines is also at fault!
To my fellow aviation enthusiast who don't condone it and couldm't care what happened in the distant past of a fellow human, keep going forward.

(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

The moment a screaming 'doctor' was KNOCKED OUT by cops and dragged off an overbooked United flight

United probably will not use the footage from other passengers for their commercials...hard to believe an airline can be this tone deaf in an era when every passenger has a telephone with video capability.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4396986/Passengers-film-moment-police-drag-man-United-plane.html

UA definitely had a PR problem, but by the same token, surely people realize the person besting up the passenger wasn't an employee of theirs? The airline personnel mishandled the sitstion, but they called airport security to remove the passenger, rightly or wrongly. I would really doubt they said hey y'all come beat this man up and drag him off the plane for us. Their liability in a court of law upon appeal will probably get substantially reduced and the onus will end up on the security which I assume is the City of Chicago? It would be no different if a homeowner called the local police to remove a trespasser who the friendly blue uniforms then decided to teach a lesson. The homeowner wouldn't be the transgressor.

Thug Air. Never like United (Thug Air) Its been off my no fly list for years.

It shows the chaotic US Airlines Management situation. This airline should be fined millions by the FAA but with the corruption as lively as it is in that country who the hell cares.

http://flyersrights.org

Before being quick to crucify United keep in mind that they always call for airport security to do the actual removals. I'm sure they had good reason. Too many people are obnoxious and believe themselves immune from any discipline for failure to follow flight personnel's instructions. Little do they know.

As a Crew member it is hard to accept the fact that a Passenger is in charge of my flight. If he is asked very nicely to get off an airplane, he must follow orders. Now, I know , that in the past days of lessees faire politics everyone got emboldened with Civil Rights, the idea of someone, like The Captain or his delegates Might be in Charge of a flight, is something out of the Bad Old Days, and is up for Discussion is the way to go, Well those days are over. Obey the rules, or suffer the cosequences. After all isn't the Captain In Charge?

Another Political decision, Degrading the Captain's authority. The crew is an extenuation of the Captain, after all.
WHO IS IN CHARGE ANYWAY!!!!

As a Captain, we do our best to get you to your destination. All we ask is that you be civil and treat us with normal servility, as you would expect us to treat you in everyday life. Nothing more and nothing less. The Crew has a job to do just as you do in your job. Give us the respect that you would give to everyone else you deal with, and the arrival at your destination will be a non event. We, as your servants, guarantee that our training and continuous Check rides and Exams, will get YOU to your destination without any discomfort. People like this so called Doctor, who lost his license due to some reported so called unathical behavior involving minors, can by a singular event, Degrade the Captain's authority, is a really big deal in my view. If the Girls asks you to get off our flight or, in the air, to sit down and behave, she is representing the Captain, and anyone disobeying her wishes, is acting against the Captain of the flight. A very dangerous Event!!!
I respectfully, Rest My Case!!!!

Seems bad behavior is being rewarded these days. Either you follow orders to the T or expect exactly what you get. Doesn't matter if it's law enforcement or airport cops. This guy shouldn't be allowed to fly for a year and barred from any compensation other than his ticket. NO doctor with any morals or integrity acts like that. If your asked to leave do it.
Why all the rant of United, really is it any different than any other airline, I say no.

Airline's fault here is that they did not say to their employees, "sorry, you didn't arrive early enough to cause us to bump passengers. maybe your union can help you get to Louisville". Why do airline employees feel like they can break all the rules? Those 4 airline employees DID NOT CHECK IN EARLY ENOUGH, screw them and their union.

The "reasons why" or "why didn't they just____FILL IN THE BLANK______"
will be debated here long after. The simple fact is, the Captain in Command and crew made a request/demand that he deplane.
He refused to comply..that is a felony. Your #1, #2 , #3 don't have any basis in law and most of the comments here are "Monday morning Quarterbacking".
I guess the courts will decide and I'm good with that.

Actions like this are why it is of growing importance for police to have things like body cameras. Body cameras help to defend the officer from 1) the person they are dealing with 2) the bystanders, and 3) themselves. In a tense situation where a person is not complying, you are likely to second guess your use of excessive force because you know you have a camera strapped to your chest. In a smartphone heavy world, this reminder is great because even if you do not have a camera, there are going to be bystanders around with cameras, and they will end up controlling the narrative. i.e. the bystanders did not get their phones out until after the situation was escalating, therefore, we have little knowledge of what led up to the use of force, but that is what is shown on the media.

I heavily support police officers and I have witnessed numerous officers use the correct amount of force or negotiation in many situations. Handling a situation like this in a bystander heavy situation, the onus falls heavily on the officer, police force, and United to prove that they acted appropriately.

Once the passenger was told his ticket was revoked, and he no longer had the consent of the airline to fly, would he not be a stowaway?

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2199

"Whoever, without the consent of the owner, charterer, master, or person in command of any vessel, or aircraft, with intent to obtain transportation, boards, enters or secretes himself aboard such vessel or aircraft and is thereon at the time of departure of said vessel or aircraft from a port, harbor, wharf, airport or other place within the jurisdiction of the United States"

Guy should of deplaned. Everyone whining but not volunteering to take his place. It's right in the ticket contract you might get booted for unforeseen reasons. Even seen cheaptickets selling guarantee your flight for a cost and that's not the insurance. If I were running security that boots people I'd have them in classes where they learn to go to the vocal objectors and videoing persons to crosscheck if they could be deplaned to take the original persons place. I just wonder since the courts and AMA took his doctors license away for opioid prescription abuse then returned it after around a decade if he is now a travelling cannabis prescriber. Guy was just too freaky from the get go. On the note of legal action against Untied. Go ahead and set a president that it's acceptable to flee security and jump on a flight saying kill me multiple times. Something seriously wrong with that guy.

The fight was operated by RPA. The only UA employee if they have not 3rd pary them out in ord whuld have been the ticket counter and gate agent that he would have been in contact with before he got on the airplane. And it is SOP at every airline to call in a unruly customer. (In MKE it would be Airport Sheriff's Department.) And I don't understand why people don't get that is just like not complying with an officer at a traffic stop if you don't get out of your car they will forcibly pull you out.

"YOU JUST CAN'T FIX STUPID", Yep, when a police officer asks you to do something, we still suggest you do it and solve the situation somewhere else, not on a fully loaded commercial airliner!
The way the airlines (all of them) book every flight to the max is making flying commercial more of a hassle than ever before! I hate the way they board you also. I have a frequent flyer priority boarding ticket and by the time all the mothers with children, military (which I agree with) and first class plus airline employees board, the plane is half full already! Whats the point?
When they learn how to "load" a tube full of people, it will be faster. Should be window seats first, then middle seats and then aisle seats, etc: Would be much faster and the poor aisle seats flyers won't have to stand-up, sit down, stand-up sit down BS any longer. Plus the time it would save with the overhead storage. Whatever that is now days!
Just saying people, please have some respect. It's disappeared the last 8 years so maybe the future "protesting" college kids will figure a better way!
Sorry the man got hurt, however, I would never have to be drag down the aisle like he was! Respect the law STUPID!

Really AMAZING;however, also amazing is the rareity. In four years of 'Service' travel and a HUNDRED personal & business flights since; I may have been asked to de-plane ONCE. WE ALL COMPLIED.

I don't get it

(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

A Man Was Dragged Off A United Plane After The Airline Overbooked The Flight

Videos posted to Twitter and Facebook show a man being pulled out of his seat and down the aisle of the plane by three security officers.

The incident occurred on Flight 3411, which was waiting to take off at Chicago O'Hare Airport for Louisville, Kentucky.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/aliciamelvillesmith/a-man-was-dragged-off-united-plane-after-the-airline?bftw&utm_term=.am90QoqQz

From what I read and hear, after all the videos and FACTS came out, this guy only has himself to blame. The other 3 PAX deplaned when asked. This guy refused an order by the Captain and crew to leave the A/C..sounds like grounds for felony charges to me. From one of the videos: the "victim can be heard to say: "you'll have to DRAG ME. After all the pleading and coaxing by crew and police..he STILL refused so at that point. REQUEST GRANTED.. dragging begins..$$$ bottomfeeder lawyers can file what they may in Civil court. This guy needs to be charged with a felony or are we going to head down the slippery slope of the tail wagging the dog..I don't think so.

Where was the outrage over this? Woman "dragged" off Delta flight.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/woman-dragged-off-delta-flight_us_585193fde4b0e411bfd4f928

since when did united own embraers? The flight was rebublic airways not united. Just because it said united express the media and every otherperson thinks united is to blame. United like the other big airlines contract out the regional routes to these smaller airlines. Delta and american also use republic airlines by the way. Republic has its own crew and company policy so exactly how is this all uniteds fault when it was also the police that dragged the guy. Did those cops work for united? No they did not.

I don't think the whole story was told. There's something missing. Dr. Dau was no "Peach" of a guy. He had previously been given a suspended jail sentence for illegally obtaining and trafficking controlled substances by fraud and deceit. His license was suspended in 2003 and partially reinstated in 2015. We don't know if he was a danger to fellow passengers and or Crew Members. He was belligerent and unruly. Not appropriate on an airplane. Check your FAR's for passenger.conduct. As far as "Overbooking"...it happens all the time because passengers double book. As far as the Crew Members deadheading...they needed to get to the destination to work a trip. I don't agree with the behavior of the airport security but if Dr. Dau would have complied...this never would have happened. Everyone on the plane will
Be compensated, very well I might add and Dr. Dau will be compensated very well for his unruly behavior. The reporting of this incident was not thorough. The press looks at the passenger, being a non-threat but I'm looking at WHY he was removed. There had to be a major reason that's not being reported. If you look at other Airlines, United is not the only one that gets criticism. There are several Airlines around the world that instances like this happen everyday. Again, there is something missing in this article.

A question for this august group. David Dao could have walked off the plane on his own accord at any time and this would been a non-event. Why do you think he chose to be dragged down the aisle instead? It was his choice. If you watch the TMZ video (which I encourage everyone to do) taken from the seat behind him he tells the police officer he would prefer be hauled off to jail against his will, including being dragged down the aisle, and sue United rather than give up his seat. All three parties in this sad affair are at fault. The passenger, the airline and the police. The reality is it turned into a perfect storm of shared stupidity and poor decision making. The potential good news is that United Airlines will never be the same again, hopefully in a positive passenger-centric way. Let us hope all the other airlines in the world take note. Oh, let's not disparage an entire company of 86,000 mostly great, competent and professional people because of poor decisions by three policemen and a couple of gate agents.

hmm...


http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/all-that-and-a-bag-of-mail-united-airlines-blame-rankings-041417

United aren't the only operators to have pax beaten unconscious and dragged off their a/c: Air Viet Nam did this at Tan Son Nhut in 1975 and Lufthansa did the same at Stalingrad in 1943. However in both these cases the pax probably did not have tickets or seat assignments.