Passenger removed from United Airlines flight

razorblunt · 10-04-2017 04:25PM #1

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/nation-now/2017/04/10/man-forcibly-removed-united-flight/100276054/

LOUISVILLE â€” A video posted on Facebook late Sunday evening shows a passenger on a United Airlines flight being forcibly removed from the plane before takeoff at Oâ€™Hare International Airport.

The video, posted by Audra D. Bridges at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, is taken from an aisle seat on a commercial airplane that appears to be preparing to take flight. The 31-second clip shows three men wearing radio equipment and security jackets speaking with a man seated on the plane. After a few seconds, one of the men grabs the passenger, who screams, and drags him by his arms toward the front of the plane. The video ends before anything else is shown.

A United spokesperson confirmed in an email Sunday night that a passenger had been taken off a flight in Chicago.

"Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked," said the spokesperson. "After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate.

"We apologize for the overbook situation. Further details on the removed customer should be directed to authorities."

Bridges, a Louisville resident, gave her account of the flight Sunday night.

Last thread was closed, I've made this new based on feedback from a Mod to the OP.

From all accounts of other passengers they guy refused to move out of his seat after his name was drawn from a list of people to give up seats for United staff that were required to board a flight in Dallas the following morning.

A couple, having had their names drawn earlier, left when called, this guy insisted he needed to get to Dallas "to see patients" the next morning.

It seems he somehow got back on the flight after this video ended and ran down to the back of the plane.

AudreyHepburn · 10-04-2017 04:27PM

Sorry but I find it hard to believe that the police would get involved in a simple dispute over over-booking - or that you'd even be let on to the plane in the first place.

There's more to this than meets the eye.

The_Valeyard · 10-04-2017 04:27PM

Nice lawsuit there.

Should be a nice payout.

me_irl · 10-04-2017 04:28PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Sorry but I find it hard to believe that the police would get involved in a simple dispute over over-booking - or that you'd even be let on to the plane in the first place.

There's more to this than meets the eye.

Transformers are involved!?!

razorblunt · 10-04-2017 04:28PM

Potentially, alternative versions, from those on the flight have yet to surface though.
All accounts to date indicate the heavy handedness.

everlast75 · 10-04-2017 04:29PM

me_irl wrote: »

Transformers are involved!?!

"He was acting completely out of order - he had to go"

Starscream, witness

buried · 10-04-2017 04:31PM

razorblunt · 10-04-2017 04:32PM

everlast75 wrote: »

"He was acting completely out of order - he had to go"

Starscream, witness

"I am MEGATRON" were the last words heard as he was dragged out the door.

GLaDOS · 10-04-2017 04:33PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Sorry but I find it hard to believe that the police would get involved in a simple dispute over over-booking - or that you'd even be let on to the plane in the first place.

There's more to this than meets the eye.

From what I've read, it counted as a captain's order for him to be removed. Disobeying a captain's order = police involved.

Not that that is necessarily the truth.

The_Valeyard · 10-04-2017 04:44PM

me_irl wrote: »

Transformers are involved!?!

Them crazy deceptacons at it again.

Fr_Dougal · 10-04-2017 04:45PM

Big thread on Reddit. Flight was overbooked, nobody was interested in the $800 to be bumped, so they picked people randomly.

Generally I'm against litigation, but I Hope he sues for millions.

The Backwards Man · 10-04-2017 04:50PM

In my day our whole football went to matches in a Morris Minor, subs and all. He could have sat on the Captain's knee or something

I love Sean nos · 10-04-2017 04:54PM

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Flight was overbooked

I read elsewhere that they wanted four seats for their own staff.

Sonics2k · 10-04-2017 05:24PM

Looking at some of the videos on Twitter about this, what an absolute joke of a situation.

United Airlines overbooked the flight. When no-one was willing to do so the Captain then volunteered random seats to get off the flight.

The passenger in question refused as he is a Doctor and was on his way to work essentially.

Four security guards showed up and forcibly dragged the man out of his seat, hitting his face into another seat in the process and then dragged him off the flight.

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Bridges/status/851214160042106880

https://twitter.com/JayseDavid/status/851223662976004096

He somehow managed to get back on the plane but looks to be seriously out of it, possibly a concussion judging by the behaviour.

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Bridges/status/851228695360663552

My name is URL · 10-04-2017 05:33PM

Poor man looks proper confused and traumatized in that last video.

United Airlines fcuked themselves in how they handled this situation which was of their own making.

Not only the bad publicity, but the imminent million dollar lawsuit that's on the way. Hope the guy cleans up

Apparently he had a very important meeting with a patient the next day which is why he was so adamant about staying on the plane.

Winterlong · 10-04-2017 05:35PM

United airlines have been mighty quiet on this.
Apparently the 800 offer was upped to 1200 and when no one volunteered to leave the plane the captain then randomly selected 4 passengers.

And we criticise Ryan air!!

listermint · 10-04-2017 05:39PM

Surely united should be putting staff in a car or arranging other staff to take whatever flight is necessary or getting other staff in.

This situation is ridiculous

Shelflife · 10-04-2017 05:39PM

So someone in the airline screwed up and forgot they were supposed to keep 4 seats for staff , passengers were allowed to board and take their seats and then they realised their problem.

They try to buy their way out of the situation and get to $800 and a hotel room, no takers so they try to remove a fully paid up passenger by force just so they can get a member of staff on.

Why didnt they up their offer ?

Its going to take a whole lot more to settle this and the bad publicity backlash will be huge

LenaClaire · 10-04-2017 05:39PM

What I am curious about is - Why did they let the people on the plane if it was oversold?

DontThankMe · 10-04-2017 05:42PM

LenaClaire wrote: »

What I am curious about is - Why did they let the people on the plane if it was oversold?

Because they are idiots

Venom · 10-04-2017 05:45PM

LenaClaire wrote: »

What I am curious about is - Why did they let the people on the plane if it was oversold?

I'd say the 4 staff members must of been last to get on and then saw there were no seats left.

Shocking way to handle the situation which they couldn't of handled worse. As a previous poster said, sticking those 4 staff members on another flight would of been the correct and smart way of dealing with it.

listermint · 10-04-2017 05:45PM

LenaClaire wrote: »

What I am curious about is - Why did they let the people on the plane if it was oversold?

Because most American airlines do this all the time it's a daily occurrence of offering money back . Happens every day on hundreds of flights.

Great if you have the time or inclination to take their money but not if you need to get where you booked your flight for

darced · 10-04-2017 05:59PM

This post has been deleted.

Luggnuts · 10-04-2017 06:00PM

Airlines overbook all the time. They gamble on non-refundable cancellations.

Barry Badrinath · 10-04-2017 06:01PM

darced wrote: »

'I have to go home' video is comedy gold.

Is it a Meme yet?

What a shower of fcuktards. I hope yer man sues the bollox off United.

My name is URL · 10-04-2017 06:13PM

The fact that he managed to get back on to the plane doesn't bode well for the airline or the police that dragged him off the plane.

I mean what does that suggest? They just got him off the plane and then and left it at that. They didn't arrest the guy for anything and didn't get him any medical attention once he was taken off, even though he had his head smashed against an arm-rest and was knocked out and bleeding.

Whatever about the lawsuit, I hope the guy presses assault charges against the thugs that needlessly escalated the situation.

Jayop · 10-04-2017 06:14PM

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Is it a Meme yet?

What a shower of fcuktards. I hope yer man sues the bollox off Delta.

Bit harsh to sue Delta for a United incident

LenaClaire · 10-04-2017 06:16PM

listermint wrote: »

Because most American airlines do this all the time it's a daily occurrence of offering money back . Happens every day on hundreds of flights.

Great if you have the time or inclination to take their money but not if you need to get where you booked your flight for

I know most of them oversell, but they don't usually board people, or give boarding passes with seats to people until they have the correct number of people for the flight.

Usually all of the oversold business is handled prior to boarding. I travel a lot in the US and have never seen them ask people to deplane after they have already boarded.

10-04-2017 06:17PM

There are loads of people on twitter saying they are boycotting United over this.

How many actually will is another story. I wonder will this mean I'll get cheaper flights in July.

GhostyMcGhost · 10-04-2017 06:19PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There are loads of people on twitter saying they are boycotting United over this.

How many actually will is another story. I wonder will this mean I'll get cheaper flights in July.

Nice. That guy got turfed around, but so long as you get cheap flights, then all is good

Barry Badrinath · 10-04-2017 06:31PM

Jayop wrote: »

Bit harsh to sue Delta for a United incident

Was just seeing if the Class was paying attention.

Cos the teacher wasnt! :pac:

Passenger removed from United Airlines flight

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