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United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

latimes.com

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Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#31

Post by kevinthew »

mirimir wrote: post #20
Belphemur wrote: post #6

What a lack of professionalism. The customer even paid premium price to be in first class and instead of being notified at the gate, like any respectable airline would do, he's asked to give his seat to somebody "more important" than him when already seated. It doesn't make any sense, if that "more important person" came later, he should be the one getting compensated by the airline especially when the problem occurr…

Also, we know now that it's illegal to remove customers after boarding, unless they do something illegal. Saying no isn't illegal.

qsaAssadseesacasqdqsadwaqsss

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#32

Post by JustSomeNobody »

olodus wrote: post #24

> Instead, the service rep offered to refund Fearns the difference between his first-class ticket and an economy ticket So he paid the cost of first class but flied economy and when they get called out on it they think all they need to do is compensate for the difference? With the way he was treated?! How can you call yourself "Customer care specialist" and think that is a way to treat customers?

He contacted the CEO and got the CCS instead, so I imagine what happened was the CEO handed this off to Customer Care and said give them the difference in price and be done with it.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#33

Post by rbcgerard »

mirimir wrote: post #20
Belphemur wrote: post #6

What a lack of professionalism. The customer even paid premium price to be in first class and instead of being notified at the gate, like any respectable airline would do, he's asked to give his seat to somebody "more important" than him when already seated. It doesn't make any sense, if that "more important person" came later, he should be the one getting compensated by the airline especially when the problem occurr…

Also, we know now that it's illegal to remove customers after boarding, unless they do something illegal. Saying no isn't illegal.

Apparently united position is that you haven't "boarded" until the door has closed and plane has left the gate

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#34

Post by koolba »

mirimir wrote: post #20
Belphemur wrote: post #6

What a lack of professionalism. The customer even paid premium price to be in first class and instead of being notified at the gate, like any respectable airline would do, he's asked to give his seat to somebody "more important" than him when already seated. It doesn't make any sense, if that "more important person" came later, he should be the one getting compensated by the airline especially when the problem occurr…

Also, we know now that it's illegal to remove customers after boarding, unless they do something illegal. Saying no isn't illegal.

I'm sure they could create a Soviet style no win situation if they want to.

"Sir please deplane we need your seat"

"No- I haven't done anything illegal and am in my seat already"

"Looks like he's not following crew instructions! Get em' boys!"

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#35

Post by pyre »

jacquesm wrote: post #23
adekok wrote: post #8

Can someone read this: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract-of-carriag... and explain where it allows them to refuse transport to a well-behaved passenger after boarding ? Rule 21 seems to apply, but nothing there looks like "United can refuse to transport you 'just cause'". I've seen lots of people claim this behavior is legal, all without a shred of evidence to back them up.

Even if it would be legal that does not make it right.

I don't think that this was being alluded to, just a question of how this is supposedly legal, since lots of people are stating that it is without anything to back it up.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#36

Post by pavel_lishin »

hueving wrote: post #10
jsemrau wrote: post #7

Time for regulating the oligopoly of the airline industry. Obviously the safety of passengers can not be ensured anymore. https://medium.com/@thisTenqyuLife/united-airlines-should-go...

>Obviously the safety of passengers can not be ensured anymore. Let's not be dramatic. Actual airline safety issues that lead to horrific deaths are not being discussed here. This is just piss poor customer service that could be encountered on any property (e.g. hotels that have overbooked, etc).

Dr. Dao didn't look like he had a particularly safe experience in the photographs.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#38

Post by rbcgerard »

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #25

If I paid full-fare and I'm already seated, who could possibly be more important than me?

$1,000 does not sound like true full fare first (I.e. F class http://www.cwsi.net/m/united.htm), but my real guess is they had a global services customer they needed to get on the plane and this had paid less or had lower Frequent flyer status than the rest of the cabin

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#39

Post by Zigurd »

While this might or might not be technically legal, what shocks me is the response you'll see on online fora, that passengers should just shut up and comply, and that failure to do so is childish.

These posts are often at great length, and laden with appeals to authority. Some might be trolls. But others appear to be by people who genuinely value an environment where the lowliest airline employee, no matter how poor their judgement, no matter how absent their discretion, is more right than any customer. Munoz's email to employees, of which I've not seen a retraction, takes this line wholeheartedly. It's a trait that suffuses the industry. Who the hell ARE these people?

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#40

Post by shimon_e »

tici_88 wrote: post #17

Travelling in the US or with US airlines is not looking very good right now. Not just the United incident(s) but also TSA, Trump travel restrictions, flights constantly overbooked, massively late etc. I wonder if it will start impacting traveller and tourism numbers at some point. I think anyone who doesn't really need to be in the US and/or is planning travelling with kids is likely to have some second thoughts at t…

This is actually a really good thing if numbers are greatly hit. It'll hopefully lead to the entire US travel industry to focus on becoming the most travel friendly place it can be. But the hit needs to be big enough for shareholders to care.
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