So, How Does United Airlines Recover from This PR Disaster?

[MineralMan]

By now, just about everyone has watched the video of United Airlines security dragging an Asian doctor off their plane for not giving up his seat so four United employees could fly to the plane's destination.

Not a good image for the airline, to say the least. So, how will they fix this gaffe in public relations. There are meetings that have been going on for hours, now, I'm sure. The airline's CEO made some lame comment about being sorry about "re-accommodating" the passenger in question, but that's not going to get it, I'm sure.

Who's going to get fired over this one? Will the good doctor end up with a lifetime pass on United? What WILL United Airlines do?

Fly United? I don't think so...

[Foamfollower]

1. That's job one for their new head of Customer Service

[MineralMan]

3. LOL!

[jeanmarc]

10. Funny! NT

[BannonsLiver]

2. Start with firing the "security" guards

At the end of the day they're the ones who brought the brutality.

[MineralMan]

7. That won't be enough, I'm sure.

Someone bigger is going to be looking for work.

[BannonsLiver]

8. That's why I said start

[chia]

4. Whose decision was it to ask for police intervention?

That would be my first question.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Fire off a few missiles at an empty Syrian airbase.

Seems to work.

[dchill]

35. Just be sure to call ahead!

[TeamPooka]

6. CEO needs to apologize for actual mistakes made, not lame "re-accommodation" then redo policies

for bumping people so this never happens again.
Also that guy pulled from plane should fly for free for the rest of his life.

[PsychoBabble]

9. Problem is, we are getting to so few airlines ...

.... that voting with pocketbook is getting harder to do on a practical basis ...

I routinely have to book flights, both for myself and groups, and sometimes the options are VERY limited/expensive.

Nonetheless, they need a locked door session with the Walking Dead bat guy ....

[RedWedge]

11. Illustrating nonconsent through a sexual situation is passe and tasteless.

[MineralMan]

12. Yes, well, that image dates back to the 70s.

It's been a joke for a very, very long time.

I'm sorry it offended you, but it's a classic dig at United Airlines.

[RedWedge]

15. Can you walk me through it? What makes it classic or funny?

[MineralMan]

19. I could, but I won't.

There used to even be a black-light poster of that image that hung on many, many walls. Late 60s or early 70s. I can't remember the exact time frame. The reference is clearly regarding being screwed by United Airlines. It's fairly self-explanatory, I think.

[snooper2]

43. How do you know the bottom bird didn't consent?

[RedWedge]

46. Becaused then it wouldn't be used as an illustration of United's customer service.

I mean, I guess I could be completely missing the point and it's actually an illustration of how amazing flying United is.

[geek tragedy]

13. 1) admit that they actually, truly f@cked up big time by not putting the customer first

2) change their overbooking policies to be the most customer-friendly in the industry (e.g. have a policy of only cash compensation, not vouchers, adopt some version of Delta's reverse silent auction technology to make things go much quicker, have more explicit disclosure on fare classes in terms of "guaranteed seat" vs "first in line to get bumped.&quot

[Jim Beard]

14. I used to kinds enjoy flying and I usually fly Southwest but they are getting to be just as bad as

the others. If it is less than 500 miles, I am going to drive. If you want the cheap southwest tickets, get them 3 months ahead.

[SummerSnow]

16. I hope he sues them for $30,000,000

[Cattledog]

57. $100,000,000!

[Demsrule86]

17. Perhaps they could begin by not overbooking.

[Orrex]

40. That's a necessary evil, given the way the business is structured.

If the plane seats 20 and they book 20, then they're stuck transporting 4 empty seats when two couples cancel.

If the plane seats 20 and they book 24, then they've lost nothing when those 2 couples cancel. And if no one cancels, the extras can be shoehorned into the next flight.


United isn't the only airline that does this AFAIK.

[Rorey]

55. I used to fly a lot

And in my experience, the overbooking always seemed to be worse on United. Also, their flight attendants were rude. I haven't used that airline for at least a decade because now my flying is only for pleasure and I can be more picky.

In this case I don't know how United is going to come out of this any less than horribly. The guy's butt was already in the seat. It's ridiculous to eject someone like that.

[pangaia]

62. If you think United FAs are rude, try Delta sometime..

[Demsrule86]

63. Since most tickets these days are nonrefundable...they have lost nothing...except

their double dipping when they keep the money for the person who isn't flying and the person who actually takes the seat .

[LisaM]

18. Overbooking is bad enough, trimming their flight crews to the minimum isn't helping.

I don't fly United anymore unless necessary, since they've screwed me up so often, getting me on a plane the next day in more than one circumstance. Too bad, they used to be really good.

But most of the problems I've had recently with delays - that are the airlines' fault - are because the flight crew isn't there. It's aggravating. They need more crew, or more standby crew. They don't seem to mind making 200 people wait because they aren't adequately staffed.

[tblue37]

28. United breaks everything, it seems:

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[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. Their merger with Continental was a huge clusterfuck

and they are probably still working out the mess.

[tblue37]

30. One of my flights was cancelled at the last minute a couple of years ago because

for one reason or another they were unable to fully assemble their crew for that flight. That cancellation was a major problem for me.

[DefenseLawyer]

20. There is no real competition among the airlines

Fewer airlines, fewer flights. Most of the time, if you need to get somewhere on a specific timeline you probably have one choice for a nonstop flight. Obviously, given how we are all treated when we fly, the airlines all know that all too well.

[MineralMan]

22. These days, about the only flying I do

is from MSP to LAX. My parents live near Los Angeles and my wife and I live in St. Paul. Both of my parents are 92 years old. I fly back at least twice a year.

We ALWAYS fly on Sun Country Airlines. They have two round trips on that route daily. It's the same plane. It goes to LAX from MSP twice a day, with just a crew change between round trips. Ticket prices are fixed, although they vary according to the season. Even if I have to fly the same day, it costs the same as if I had booked the flight ahead of time. I've had to fly out on the same day a number of times. I don't remember them being overbooked, ever, so they must not deliberately do that. Flights are always packed, though. Still, I've never failed to get a seat, even on the same day, as long as I'm willing to take either flight that day.

Friendly folks. They're in the less busy Terminal 2 at MSP, with short security lines, usually, especially if you're willing to walk to the other end of the terminal, where a second screening station is located.

You can buy hot food on the plane, although I usually don't.

It's a small airline, based at MSP. The only drawback is that its gate at LAX is in Terminal 2, which has been undergoing remodeling for some time and is not the nicest of the terminals there. However, the rental car buses still stop there, so it doesn't really matter all that much.

[Lucinda]

32. Sounds like a well run company! Glad to hear they exist.

[Jim Beard]

48. My sister had a trip with Sun and liked it.

[LisaM]

50. Friendly, well-run, regional. I'm sure they're on someone's acquisition list.

I used to be able to go AirTran to Milwaukee, non-stop, good fares, and could almost always upgrade to first for under $100. Got bought by Southwest. No more non-stops, not to mention first class.

Same with Frontier. I took it to Denver maybe 10 years ago, it was a uniformly pleasant experience. It got bought by Spirit and when I took it about a year and a half ago, it was awful. And everyone I know who's flown it since the takeover has hated it.

[Rorey]

59. Years ago....

They used to have very reasonably priced flights from Denver to MSP.

And, aha, I just checked and it's $164 RT, which I think is an excellent price. I'll try them again if I ever need that flight. Thanks.

[exboyfil]

21. United stock is up slightly today

An analyst stated that it is because being treated like crap is already priced into the stock.

People flying are already desperate, and their time is more valuable than the $800 in vouchers offered.

I have a bunch of airline miles that I have been encouraging my daughter and her new husband use to take a nice trip. They don't have the money for the other requirements for a trip (can't afford to miss the income, hotels, etc).

[gratuitous]

23. "Disaster"? What do you mean?

From now on, you fuckers are going to be running for the plane doors next time they're looking for "volunteers" to be bumped. No more of this cash-for-your-seat bullshit. If a United employee wants a seat on your flight, you're going to jump out of it like it was electrified.

You know what the consequences are now, and just what United is willing to do to get your ass out of their seat.

[MineralMan]

24. No, I don't think so. They'll be backing away from

this shortly, I guarantee.

Very bad press for an airline. Very bad, indeed.

[geek tragedy]

25. That assumes people will be booking on United.

Lots of people are booking flights every day. How many are going to opt for United once Expedia or Kayak offer that as an option?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

26. Rename themselves US Airways. NT

Last edited Tue Apr 11, 2017, 09:05 AM - Edit history (1)

[C_U_L8R]

27. Rebrand as Trump Airlines

Trumpsuckers will fall for anything.

[duncang]

34. That's the winner

Just like dipshit donnie's promises. A ticket to nowhere.

[Pachamama]

31. I'm a United 1K and I plan to contact them and complain

This made me sick

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. The CEO should personally offer a groveling and sincere apology to the passenger,

instead of the corporatese bullcrap non-apology apology in his statement, and the passenger gets free passes for life - none of this on the condition that the passenger waives his right to sue the airline. The company implements a policy where security will never forcibly remove a passenger just because he doesn't want to give up his seat.

[steve2470]

37. you nailed it

Even better if the sincere and groveling apology is filmed and broadcast later with NO edits.

[C_U_L8R]

41. This CEO ought to hop in his f'n limo right now

and go to that passengers house
and plea for forgiveness... check in hand
with as many zeros as it will fit.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

42. Yes, he should.

[duncang]

36. Fly United

If you really don't care to get there.

[still_one]

38. Apology, compensation, and stop the practice of over-booking

[Hugin]

39. They don't need to... Once Trumpengroper's cuts to anything socialized kick in the airlines have a

Monopoly on transport.

This has the added benefit of if they don't want you moving about... You can't.

[kydo]

44. Can start by not over booking in the first place

If the rich ceo's weren't so damn greedy for mega profits, then we wouldn't have had this problem in the first place. Security wouldn't have been called and no one would have randomly or otherwise been volunteered to leave. But money makes us nuts. So I will opt to not give my money to these sleaze bags as often as I can.

[Jim__]

45. The same way Ford recovered from the Pinto.

Just keep on selling to the American public. They have an extremely short memory.

[PufPuf23]

47. Didn't realize until just now that the "volunteer" incident was

to provide seats for United employees.

That makes the incident all the worse.

United deserves heaps of negative PR and financial fall out.

[Jim Beard]

49. I had my suspicions about the young United Employees girls being denied boarding

a while back because it seems like someone should have been allowed common sense to alleviate a problem. Apparently they didn't which made me think there is some kind of labor/management issues.

After this last deal with the doctor, I firmly believe it is labor poking their finger in the eye of management which they should do.

[ReformedGOPer]

51. He is 69 years old ffs

[cwydro]

52. Good question.

The CEO seems to be tone deaf.

[riverbendviewgal]

53. Remember the GUITAR incident

My fellow Canadian had his guitar broken...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breaks_Guitars

United Breaks Guitars" is a trio of protest songs by Canadian musician Dave Carroll and his band, Sons of Maxwell. It chronicles a real-life experience of how his guitar was broken during a trip on United Airlines in 2008, and the subsequent reaction from the airline. The song became an immediate YouTube and iTunes hit upon its release in July 2009 and a public relations embarrassment for the airline.

[Warpy]

54. Maybe they should tell the truth about why someone was hauled out of his seat

after the plane was filled. The whole story stinks out loud.

When a flight is overbooked, they look for volunteers,

[uppityperson]

60. And when not enough volunteers, they chose randomly. Before boarding.

[Warpy]

61. Exactly. And it they're telling the truth about needing maintenance guys

at the destination, why the hell couldn't they have flown those guys on a later flight instead of kicking people who had already boarded and had been seated off that plane?

None of this makes any sense unless Trump bought the airline and is running it like his other businesses.

[uppityperson]

64. Maintenance guys? Is that who the employees were?

[Warpy]

65. I only know what the rumor mill tells me at this point

Instead of sending in out of control cops to brutalize a passenger, why the hell didn't they fly those guys out on a different airline or maybe just a different flight?

None of this makes any sense, at all. I think it's going to cost United a lot more than the lawsuit will.

This is the second time the corporation has completely screwed up in a month. Did Trump buy them and start to manage them?

[greenlife1]

56. They're still not as bad as Delta...

so they have that going for them.

[NurseJackie]

58. In Other News: One Family Earned $11,000 By Not Flying Delta During Delay-Filled Weekend

Now that this loophole (?) has made headline, they'll probably rewriting their TOS so that a person is not eligible for that type of compensation more often that 2 times a year.

One Family Earned $11,000 By Not Flying Delta During Delay-Filled Weekend

https://consumerist.com/2017/04/10/one-family-earned-11000-by-not-flying-delta-during-delay-filled-weekend/