This is the core of it. Add to it the stress and vulnerability many people feel when traveling by air, and you have a very sympathetic victim. The idea that a Doctor and his concern for his patients could be casually dismissed by a giant corporation, which then had him beaten bloody… it’s a perfect shitstorm.
I don’t know if Oscar Munoz’s reaction is the worst-ever by a Fortune 500 CEO in response to a problem like this, but he’s in the group photo somewhere.
Same. I’ve flown two million+ air miles for work, and I’ve never seen someone involuntarily bumped after being seated. I have seen them ask for volunteers to leave the plane. In every case, they sweetened the pot until someone’s arm went up.
For a look at the opposite way to handle a crisis for a major company…
But that sort of response of taking responsibility without any BS seems to be the exception.
Well yeah, I mean, CANADA.
Canada… really?
I’m under the impression they got some flack for this and didn’t do the PR so well. Maybe they just wanted the world to know how fancy their helicopters are.
A Canadian friend shared this with me, trading UA story for a wth your cops story.
I too find the scorpion story a bit humorous, but I also think it probably came from a passenger’s carry-on, and had nothing to do with United.
I remember when I was like you. Young. Pretty. Believed airlines wouldn’t drop a scorpion on my head for no real reason. Ah, the good old days.
I’m coming back in a few days specifically to like this post.
Good lord, what a wall of stupid. Almost every claim made in that blog post is outright wrong. Shockingly, it would appear that being a pilot’s wife doesn’t actually make one in expert in… well, anything.
She also seems to forget that this industry was so bad, so bad with the treatment of their passengers and customers they had to be told it’s not okay to keep people captive in a small metal box without food, water or visits to the bathroom often in an environment with no air-conditioning or heater running while the pilot constantly threatens to do this or that if anyone disobeys… for hours.
United’s report on the investigation and recommendations for changes.
https://hub.united.com/united-review-action-report-2380196105.html
[quote]
We can never apologize enough for what occurred and for our initial response that followed. United Airlines takes full responsibility for what happened.[/quote]
[quote]
United Failures Related to United Express Flight 3411
Calling on law enforcement to assist with policy enforcement when a security or safety issue didn’t exist. United’s policies and procedures in non-safety or security situations did not adequately address instances in which customers refused to comply with requests.
Rebooking crew at the last minute. The crew was booked and arrived at flight 3411 during the boarding process. Our policies did not prohibit this.
Offering insufficient compensation and not providing transportation/destination options to entice more customers to give up their seats willingly. Agents did not have the authority to act independently and authorize higher levels of compensation or provide other modes of transportation and/or the right destination options.
Providing insufficient employee training and empowerment to handle a situation like this. United does not provide regular training to prepare its team for denied boarding situations and individual interactions with customers during these potentially difficult situations.[/quote]
[quote]
United Policy Changes Made or Forthcoming
-1. United will limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only.
United will not ask law enforcement officers to remove customers from flights unless it is a matter of safety and security. United implemented this policy on April 12.
-2. United will not require customers already seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk.
United implemented this policy on April 27.
-3. United will increase customer compensation incentives for voluntary denied boarding up to $10,000.
United’s policy will be revised to increase the compensation levels up to $10,000 for customers willing to volunteer to take a later flight. This will go into effect on April 28.
-4. United will establish a customer solutions team to provide agents with creative solutions.
United will create a team to proactively identify and provide gate agents with creative solutions such as using nearby airports, other airlines or ground transportation to get customers and crews to their final destinations. Separately, the team also will work to provide solutions to help get crews to their final destinations. United expects the team to be operational by June.
-5. United will ensure crews are booked onto a flight at least 60 minutes prior to departure.
Unless there are open seats, all crew members traveling for work on our aircraft must be booked at least 60 minutes before departure. This policy was implemented on April 14.
-6. United will provide agents with additional annual training.
United will provide annual training for frontline employees to enhance their skills on an ongoing basis that will equip them to handle the most difficult of situations. This training will begin in August.
-7. United will create an automated system for soliciting volunteers to change travel plans.
Later this year, United will introduce a new automated check-in process, both at the airport and via the United app, that will gauge a customer’s interest in giving up his or her seat on overbooked flights in exchange for compensation. If selected, that customer will receive their requested compensation and be booked on a later United flight.
-8. United will reduce its amount of overbooking.
United has evaluated its overbooking policy. As a result, adjustments have been made to reduce overbookings on flights that historically have experienced lower volunteer rates, particularly flights on smaller aircraft and the last flights of the day to a particular destination.
-9. United will empower employees to resolve customer service issues in the moment.
Rolling out later this year, United will launch a new “in the moment” app for our employees to handle customer issues. This will enable flight attendants (by July) and gate agents (later this year) to compensate customers proactively (with mileage, credit for future flights or other forms of compensation) when a disservice occurs.
-10. United will eliminate the red tape on lost bags.
United will adopt a new no-questions-asked policy on permanently lost bags. In these instances, United will pay a customer $1,500 for the value of the bag and its contents. For claims or reimbursement over $1,500, additional documentation may be required. This process is expected to be in place in June.[/quote]
Seems like a solid set of changes. I mean, sure, I’m cynical about implementation and the reasons why this is happening (e.g., PR boost) but the changes themselves seem to make sense.
$10k is a hell of a sight higher than $800.
Of course it’s nothing compared to what shit like this costs the company, which anyone should have seen.
That was fast. They’ve settled with Dr. Dao for an undisclosed sum.
United didn’t handle this well initially, but they’re doing everything right now. Take their lumps and get off the hot seat as fast as possible.
They had no chance whatsoever in a jury trial, and everyone knew it.
This thing was shut down so quickly I’m thinking Judy Smith had something to do with it.
Better, not right. Still not a lot of respect for their passengers/customers there.
How would you improve on what they’ve done today?
