United Airlines

[Tugg Speedman]

New training video from United's corporate headquarters





New official seating charts just released.

[#UnleashSean]

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

First leggings and now this. The united pr  folks are racking up a lot of overtime

[rocket surgeon]

there are veys and there are other veys.  some of zeez may not be so pleasant. 

it's no wonder airfare can be expensive...when ya gotta pay for all their PR fook-ups.  this dude won't have to see another patient in his life.  would have expected this from an airline name sopranos, not "united"

[jficke13]

Not to absolve United for creating the situation in the first place, but the folks who "re-accomodated" the passenger's face were Chicago PD (or airport PD... I've seen the agency reported a couple different ways). Either way, when there's no meaningful consequence to escalation and use of force, presto-chango, you get the indiscriminate use of force.

[Chili]

First leggings and now this. The united pr  folks are racking up a lot of overtime

The Dir. of Corp Comm at United is a MU grad.

[Tugg Speedman]

Not to absolve United for creating the situation in the first place, but the folks who "re-accomodated" the passenger's face were Chicago PD (or airport PD... I've seen the agency reported a couple different ways). Either way, when there's no meaningful consequence to escalation and use of force, presto-chango, you get the indiscriminate use of force.

This incident has the potential to be epic.  Cops are losing their jobs.  Supervisors might too.  Police procedures are going to change.

At United, Munoz awful response with infuriating corporate double-speak ("re-accommodating") and blaming the customer (calling him "belligerent") means he too might be unemployed in the coming months.  The only question (to me) is how much of his compensation package gets clawed back.

The MU grad that is the director of corporate communications is toast too.

Oh, and PRweek is a loser (nice timing!) ...

PRweek – United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz named PRweek U.S. Communicator of the Year
Munoz will be honored at the annual PRWeek U.S. Awards ceremony in New York City next week on Thursday, March 16.

http://www.prweek.com/article/1426909/united-airlines-ceo-oscar-munoz-named-prweek-us-communicator-year

Oscar Munoz, the charismatic CEO of United Airlines, is PRWeek U.S.’s Communicator of the Year for 2017 – he is the fifth recipient of this title.  Since taking on CEO duties in September 2015, Munoz has transformed the fortunes of the beleaguered airline, galvanized staff, and set the business on a smoother course – all in the context of a tremendously difficult time personally.


Finally, the overbooking rules are going to change and that means the airlines will make less money.

One more final thought ...

This is happening because "old people" (meaning over 35) just still don't get it.  ANYTHING you do in public is going to have five video angles and going onto social media in seconds.  I read yesterday that the video was on twitter before they had him off the plane.
You cannot get away with it anymore, so stop trying!!

The more shocking story at United? It mistreats us all.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170411/BLOGS10/170419981#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-morning10&utm_campaign=ccb-morning10-20170411

[Tugg Speedman]

Very funny!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QjRBuWlNLF8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/QjRBuWlNLF8</a>

[Jay Bee]

Felon passenger may have gone nutzo prior to the videos...

[Tugg Speedman]

Felon passenger may have gone nutzo prior to the videos...

Of course he did, they told him to get off so they could put an employee in his seat.  I would have too.

[Tugg Speedman]

Man filmed being dragged off United flight causes outrage in China
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/11/asia/united-passenger-dragged-off-china-reaction/

A public relations disaster for United Airlines is transforming into an international incident in one of its most important markets.

Video of a passenger being dragged off a Chicago-Louisville flight, bloodying his nose and leaving him dazed in the process, has gone viral online in China, attracting tens of thousands of outraged posts.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was overheard saying he was being profiled for being Chinese, a passenger told CNN, before police officers forcibly removed him from his seat on the overbooked flight.

[Pakuni]

The man, who has not yet been identified, was overheard saying he was being profiled for being Chinese, a passenger told CNN, before police officers forcibly removed him from his seat on the overbooked flight.

Which is odd, given that he's Vietnamese.

[GGGG]

Of course he did, they told him to get off so they could put an employee in his seat.  I would have too.

I understand that.  But you do realize that legally the airline had a right to do what it did.  That's part of the deal when it comes to air travel.

That being said, I don't have a problem with the practice of overselling.  They should just have to up the offer until someone bites on it.  Not forcibly remove someone.

[RJax55]

United shouldn't have allowed the passengers to board the plane until the over-seating issue was figured out. Much easier to handle an irate customer at the gate, then on the plane.

While the passenger should have complied with instructions, I have very little sympathy for United. Their customer service has been terrible for years and their completely tone-deaf corporate speak response to the situation was embarrassingly awful.

If this sinks them, so be it.

[jsglow]

I'm glad that I fly out of Midway on SWA.

[Dr. Blackheart]

A billion in market cap flittered away today due to the poor pr response. This touched on a bigger consumer nerve that has been festering that will be industry-wide.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/11/investing/united-airlines-stock-passenger-flight-video/index.html

[MerrittsMustache]

[GooooMarquette]

That being said, I don't have a problem with the practice of overselling.  They should just have to up the offer until someone bites on it.  Not forcibly remove someone.

Bingo!  The airlines oversell so they can make as much $$ off each flight as they can - and they regularly change the price of tix based on supply and demand.  If a flight is oversold, they should have to "buy back" the seat at a price determined by supply and demand as well.  Keep upping the price, and eventually someone would have volunteered.

[Tugg Speedman]

I understand that.  But you do realize that legally the airline had a right to do what it did.  That's part of the deal when it comes to air travel.

That being said, I don't have a problem with the practice of overselling.  They should just have to up the offer until someone bites on it.  Not forcibly remove someone.

Yes, they have the legal right to assault passengers and drag them off as we saw yesterday.

But do not confuse that with it "being right" and on what planet is this legal right is actually a good idea?

Bottom line, it is not a customer's problem that United has to get a deadhead employee to Lousiville.  And if United wants to defend this practice, they are going to be a former airline.

[Tugg Speedman]

Bingo!  The airlines oversell so they can make as much $$ off each flight as they can - and they regularly change the price of tix based on supply and demand.  If a flight is oversold, they should have to "buy back" the seat at a price determined by supply and demand as well.  Keep upping the price, and eventually someone would have volunteered.

Let me second this.  Flying is a terrible and miserable experience.  It is for the employees and the customers.  We tolerate the airport and the flight because it is more important to be somewhere than to complain about the awful service they provide.

So yes, it has touched a nerve, a big one.  the country wants "payback" for being treated badly by all airlines and will not stop until Munoz loses his job and their is wholesale changes in the industry.

His terrible PR response is what ruined his career, and many others at United.

Here what he should have said ...

"Like you, I woke up shocked and horrified by what happened on our flight to Louisville.  This is unacceptable!  Today I'm personally meeting with the agents, supervisors and aviation police out how this happened with the goal to make sure it never happens again."

[Jay Bee]

Is the guy still trading drugs for gay sex?

[GooooMarquette]

Is the guy still trading drugs for gay sex?

Well, he got off with the Chicago cop yesterday....

[Tugg Speedman]

Is the guy still trading drugs for gay sex?

Doesn't matter and this insinuation actually makes it worse.  Becuase it suggests he was indeed profiled by United ... "find the biggest loser on the plane and tell him to get off.  If he does not. Call in the storm troopers from aviation police to drag his arse off the plane."

If he paid for the ticket and you seat him, sorry United you cannot make your problem his problem.

[GooooMarquette]

Doesn't matter and this insinuation actually makes it worse.  Becuase it suggests he was indeed profiled by United ... "find the biggest loser on the plane and tell him to get off.  If he does not. Call in the storm troopers from aviation police to drag his arse off the plane."

If he paid for the ticket and you seat him, sorry United you cannot make your problem his problem.

You are right that it doesn't matter...but I suspect Jay Bee was just havin' fun

[Jay Bee]

Doesn't matter and this insinuation actually makes it worse.  Becuase it suggests he was indeed profiled by United ... "find the biggest loser on the plane and tell him to get off.  If he does not. Call in the storm troopers from aviation police to drag his arse off the plane."

If he paid for the ticket and you seat him, sorry United you cannot make your problem his problem.

Yes, they can. Maybe the felon's response contributed to what we've seen on video.