When a flight is over-booked, and no one takes the bribe for a later flight, the airline ought to keep increasing the bribe until someone takes it.

No, the solution is to cease entirely the practice of overbooking, and I don't give a shit about threats of higher ticket prices. If prices were higher, there'd be less trash flying these days. That's how it used to be. Trash took the bus.

The only true solution is for the airline industry to stop this shit, immediately, completely and forever.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
No, the solution is to cease entirely the practice of overbooking, and I don't give a shit about threats of higher ticket prices. If prices were higher, there'd be less trash flying these days. That's how it used to be. Trash took the bus.

The only true solution is for the airline industry to stop this shit, immediately, completely and forever.

I could not agree more with anything ever written on the subject, as one who was once bumped.

I had an airline for a client about 8 years ago, and their policies included a 30% overbooking process. I inquired why and of course they blame customers for cancelling - but jeepers 30% oversold? Insain.

Like many others, I used to fly all the damn time for work - I'm currently on a sabbatical and not flying - don't miss it one whit.

I do have a load of miles and even a ticket in the "bank", but flying anymore is worse than a bus - at least a bus you can jump off at any time.

I haven't flown UAL sine their BK in the early 2000s. I despise them, and miss the prior decades where I was 1K which actually meant something (a linen wrapped bottle of wine upon boarding, politeness, and a little elbow room).

I hope UAL fries in both courts (Public opinion and civil, perhaps criminal) for this behavior and others take notice - sort of like Trump's airstrike in Syria - a wake up call. Gotts love HD video and the Intarwebs ...

Furthermore, almost no one just flies for shits and giggles. It is either business or vacation related, often involving other members of the family or company, and the need to connect to other flights. There is nothing casual or lighthearted about it.

a bit of understatement that they had to "re-accommodate" customers

This story is burning up the internet

Last week I was offered 2 round trip flights with Spirt Airlines if I would take the flight the next day as they overbooked. I paid $60 extra for a reserved seat in an exit row for more room. They couldn't tell me if the flight the next day would give me the same extra space. I turned down the offer. The next day, storms over Atlanta caused the same flight to be cancelled.

And the carry on bag crap has gotten way out of hand. Enforce those rules why don't you. A-holes being allowed to bring a carry on they can barely cram into an overhead bin is ridiculous.

If the passenger said no it's up to United to bribe someone else to give up their seat. They should have keep increasing the amount of vouchers or first class tickets until someone took it. Period. They created the problem because of greed, so it was up to them to fix it, but they'd rather throw someone off forcibly.

You do not fucking drag PAYING passengers off a plane when they've done NOTHING wrong!! Who the fuck can't comprehend this??? The guy is in his seat. Figure out a different way to get your employees to their destination.

Yeah, when he wakes up from being tased, you can show him the fine print on his ticket. My God!

I hope the heads of every commercial airline operating in this country pay heed to all of this. Get your shit together.

quote:

Originally posted by Ackks:
If the passenger said no it's up to United to bribe someone else to give up their seat. They should have keep increasing the amount of vouchers or first class tickets until someone took it. Period. They created the problem because of greed, so it was up to them to fix it, but they'd rather throw someone off forcibly.

Exactly. This was my question from page 2 that none of the supporters of United ever answered:

Would the United Airlines board of directors be happier today if it had cost them $5000 in incentives to free up those seats or would they rather be dealing with this today?

Obvious screw up on United's part.

The police simply are not going to back down. Once the stupid fucking airline called them, this was fated to happen. Just incredible

Drunks, loudmouths, weirdos harrassing other passengers? Hell yeah, call the police and have the problem removed. Paying passengers, acting in good faith and minding their own business? Leave them THE FUCK alone.

Screw the incentives. I want cold hard cash in my hands. I trust the airlines about as much as our politicians.

In 2 months my wife and I are taking our 2 and 4 your old to visit friends in Alaska. I am nervous enough about sticking 2 toddlers in a flying Pringles can for 2 hours. I would be horrified if they witnessed this. Where was the pilot in all of this? Its my understanding he is the boss for a flight, was he calling the shots on the phone while trying to breeze through pre-flight?

As an aside, if United would have used The Karmanator to give me a P226 Legion, I would have deplaned.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimineer:
Screw the incentives. I want cold hard cash in my hands. I trust the airlines about as much as our politicians.

I bet the board of directors would love to go back and offer $10K in cash each for 4 people to get off that flight than to have to deal with this today. Probably 10 times that.

Maybe a better way would be to deplane everyone, a mechanical problem or some sort, then reboard only the desired ones.

Of course, few things would be much worse than what actually is reported. Setting the plane on fire, maybe.

I'm not in the airline industry so I have no axe to grind for or against them.

I don't know the actual or historical percentage but if 5% of customers don't show for a flight, isn't this why standby exists and we don't bitch about that practice, so it's OK for them to fill the seats to capacity.

The fact that he was a doctor moves me absolutely not a fucking inch, just like my bowels after eating my mother-in-laws meatloaf. Everyone has a story or a compelling reason to stay on that flight otherwise, no shit, they wouln't be in the plane. Me wanting to go home to visit family, going to a funeral, leave from school or anything else is 100% more important to me than the reason that you're on your trip. Not saying it's all about me but everyone has their own personal reason for going somewhere. Since the airline couldn't get anyone to budge at $400, they bumped it to $800 and still no takers. That leaves the only conclusion to me is that it wasn't a money issue but people wanted to go where they were headed.

So UA fucked up by letting people board first and then deciding their people needed to fly too. That's fucked up since that problem should've been handled pre-boarding. Bad press and shitty customer relations for UA but now they need to remove people, if it's random then someone will draw the short straw. How else do they unfuck the problem, at that moment?

They put their people on another flight, that's how.

I'm OK with overboarding since we know some people don't show up. What's not good is letting them getting in their seats and then telling them someone has to leave.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimineer:
Screw the incentives. I want cold hard cash in my hands. I trust the airlines about as much as our politicians.

I bet the board of directors would love to go back and offer $10K in cash each for 4 people to get off that flight than to have to deal with this today. Probably 10 times that.

Well, their stock price is up almost 1% so maybe not. But I have a choice when flying. UAL won't be one of them.

United Airlines training Video

quote:

I bet the board of directors would love to go back and offer $10K in cash each for 4 people to get off that flight than to have to deal with this today. Probably 10 times that.

Bingo. Very short sighted to act the way the airline did.

Fuck UAL, I'll be scratching them off the list when looking for an airline.