By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
mountaindewslave on 12 April 2017
Edit Thread
Machiavellian said:
Alby_da_Wolf said:

 

He paid the ticket and United let him go on board. Everywhere else in the world, in case of overbooking it's the last arrived and not on board yet that gets shafted, never anybody that was already regularly boarded. He didn't board either sneakily or forcibly, United boarded him. United called the police, or the airport security, not to enforce a rule he violated, but THEIR violation of a deal they stroke with the passenger in the very moment they accepted to board him in exchange for his money.

It does not matter if you are on the plane or not on the plane.  Not sure why people keep thinking this is a distinction.  Federal regulations allows ALL airlines to bump passengers when overbooked even if they are on the plane.  This means that your ticket means nothing as far as you having rights to fly on any particular plane.  Usually all things get handled before boarding but it doesn't matter if you board or not board as you can still get kicked off.   

United called security after asking him to leave repeatedly.  Since United cannot enforce removal of a passenger, security was called because no matter what he was going to get bumped.  As I have stated, he played a bluff but once security came on the scene, the rules changed.  Now he was being asked to leave by security and by refusing the onus was now on him. 

 

On another issue, I am not even sure that this guy will be able to sue United.  Federal regulations allows airlines to oversale and bump passengers from planes so United was in their legal right.  Since it was security that removed the passenger which caused him to get hurt, then only airport security can be placed in the claim.  Should be interesting to see if a lawsuit gets filed and if United can be claimed. 

do a little more research. You're on here arguing about a story you don't know well (clearly). This was NOT overbooking. Overbooking does not occur with employees who don't pay for tickets. The whole reason this situation occured was because LAST MINUTE United wanted to squeeze some of their employees on the plane for a flight and screw over 4 of their customers.

Overbooking would be if there were 4 seats sold to 8 people and (obviously) in that case pre-boarding the airline would have to reallocate half of the people due to their mistake

He very likely does have a case. I also am almost certain that legally speaking there is no clause that someone can be removed from a plane without merit. This isn't overbooking, this isn't a disorderly passenger, this isn't anything- except for United last minute wanting to fly some of their own people. There certainly is NOTHING in a ticket contract stating that your seat can go to an employee for a non emergency