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United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

nakedcapitalism.com

21–30 of 178 posts

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#21

I've been saying for years that the only thing holding back massive disruption in the airline industry is the FAA. American and United are two of the most poorly run mega-corps in the US. Customers hate them, but need to fly. Warren Buffet thinks they're notoriously bad investments. Why?

Isn't Berkshire Hathaway UAL's largest shareholder?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/warren-buffetts-big-bet-on-...

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if that is the case, there are much better methods of dealing with a situation like this than calling a police officer. It seems, like usual for American police, officers are insensitive to anything but violence; no logic, just apply force. The man is lucky they didn't taze him. The crew should have known that. It's good that this policy is about to change, but it is too little too late.

I assume you meant "taze", as in incapacitated him with a Taser electroshock weapon. It's an unfortunate typo, because he seemed quite thorougly distressed, disheveled and without composure - fazed.

Yes, thank you for the correction!

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#23
post #2

Even if it wasn't a passenger overbooking, it was overbooking in that they failed to properly account for the likelihood of having to ship crews around their network. If their occupancy ratio was lower, then there wouldn't have been a problem, they could have fit the crew in. If they reserved 4 seats for crew on every flight, again there wouldn't have been a problem. If they had even reserved 2 seats and run sufficie…

If they had recognized that they needed 4 seats for crew before the passengers scanned their tickets and walked down the jetway as is usually done they wouldn't have had a problem.

They could have started the process before the flight booked, asking for volunteers before they got seated and attached to the idea of being on that flight. If they had no volunteers, they could probably have randomly selected passengers to deny boarding, and rejected them at the gate. While I am offended by them violently dragging the man out of his seat and off the plane, if the ticket scanner doesn't blink green the passenger likely won't force his way onto the plane, and if he was injured by security while doing so, public opinion would not be so united against the airline.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#24
post #2

Even if it wasn't a passenger overbooking, it was overbooking in that they failed to properly account for the likelihood of having to ship crews around their network. If their occupancy ratio was lower, then there wouldn't have been a problem, they could have fit the crew in. If they reserved 4 seats for crew on every flight, again there wouldn't have been a problem. If they had even reserved 2 seats and run sufficie…

Even if that is the case, there are much better methods of dealing with a situation like this than calling a police officer. It seems, like usual for American police, officers are insensitive to anything but violence; no logic, just apply force. The man is lucky they didn't taze him. The crew should have known that. It's good that this policy is about to change, but it is too little too late.

Those weren't even police officers. I wonder why this can't be considered "assault", accordinly.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#25
No, the real failure (and the source of this and many other issues in the airline industry) is the lack of competition in the US domestic market.

Pure and simple.

The huge, 350-million US domestic market is served by 4-5 major airlines, while the EU with 500 million people is served by tens of airlines. I recently flew from Barcelona to Nice for 30 euros, round-trip (with seat assignment).

Where are the (potentially Mexican or Canadian-based) low cost airlines? That's right, none to be seen.

Let's hope this bust-up brings some legislative measures to introduce more competitive practices in the airline industry.

Otherwise we will soon be paying for the right to pee in-flight really soon.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#26
Why didn't they just keep doubling the offer for volunteers? Surely by $1600 or $3200 someone would bite. Then everyone is happy, it all gets finished quickly, and there's no chance of this sort of PR disaster (even docile removees can end up in the news if they then, say, miss the death of a hospitalized family member due to the delay).

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if that is the case, there are much better methods of dealing with a situation like this than calling a police officer. It seems, like usual for American police, officers are insensitive to anything but violence; no logic, just apply force. The man is lucky they didn't taze him. The crew should have known that. It's good that this policy is about to change, but it is too little too late.

Those weren't even police officers. I wonder why this can't be considered "assault", accordinly.

It will be.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#28

I've been saying for years that the only thing holding back massive disruption in the airline industry is the FAA. American and United are two of the most poorly run mega-corps in the US. Customers hate them, but need to fly. Warren Buffet thinks they're notoriously bad investments. Why?

There are a lot of regulations for airlines like American, but considering, for example, that there's nothing you can do at 35,000 feet in a giant metal machine if there's a mechanical failure, I'm much happier that there are a lot of regulations than not enough, in this case. There are a lot of things that suck about air travel in the states, but the FAA isn't one of them.

As far as the companies being bad investments, it's most likely due to their extremely low margins and ROI.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if that is the case, there are much better methods of dealing with a situation like this than calling a police officer. It seems, like usual for American police, officers are insensitive to anything but violence; no logic, just apply force. The man is lucky they didn't taze him. The crew should have known that. It's good that this policy is about to change, but it is too little too late.

It seems, like usual for American police, officers are insensitive to anything but violence; no logic, just apply force My understanding is that there was a lengthy conversation that took place before the outrage-inducing video starts. They did attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. At some point there is an impasse. Police are making a request and he's ignoring it. There are two ways that can go: 1) Police shr…

I expect the police to police, as in, maintain law and order. As I understand it, neither were broken at said impasse.

Again, I have come to expect very little of American police. The crew should have known better than calling the police. I blame more the crew and probably their textbook for unleashing the dogs, rather than the dogs biting.

Re: United Passenger “Removal”: A Reporting and Management Failure

#30
post #14

This is a new kind of UI/UX dark pattern. The United app lets customers pay for seats, and any reasonable person thinks that's the whole of it. But the fine print says that's not true, and says you can be forcibly removed if the flight is oversold. https://darkpatterns.org/ "When you use the web, you don’t read every word on every page - you skim read and make assumptions. If a company wants to trick you into doing s…

No. The fine print does not say that. The fine print says they can deny you boarding, not remove you once already boarded. Your point about the dark pattern is all too true, but United still behaved entirely illegally here.
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