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posted by on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:37PM   Printer-friendly
from the customer-relations dept.

NPR reports

Passengers on a United Express flight from Chicago to Louisville, Ky., were horrified when a man was forcibly removed--violently wrenched from his seat and physically dragged down the aisle. [...] Videos of the scene have prompted calls to boycott United Airlines.

[...] The Chicago Department of Aviation [...] says the actions of the security officers were "not condoned by the Department" and that one individual has been placed on leave pending a review.

[...] Passengers had already boarded on Sunday evening [April 10] at O'Hare International Airport when United asked for volunteers to take another flight the next day to make room for four United staff members who needed seats.

The airline offered $400 and a free hotel, passenger Audra D. Bridges told the Louisville Courier-Journal. When no one volunteered, the offer was doubled to $800. When there were still no bites, the airline selected four passengers to leave the flight--including the man in the video and his wife.

"They told him he had been selected randomly to be taken off the flight", Bridges said.

[...] The man said he was a doctor and that he "needed to work at the hospital the next day", passenger Jayse D. Anspach said.

[...] Both Bridges and Anspach posted videos of three security officers, who appear to be wearing the uniforms of Chicago aviation police, wrenching the man out of his seat, prompting wails. His face appeared to strike an armrest. Then they dragged his limp body down the aisle.

Footage shows the man was bleeding from the mouth as they dragged him away. His glasses were askew and his shirt was riding up over his belly.

"It looked like he was knocked out, because he went limp and quiet and they dragged him out of the plane like a rag doll", Anspach wrote.

Previous: Days After United Settlement, Baggage Handler Locked in Cargo Hold on NC-to-DC Flight


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:22PM (1 child)

    by edIII (791) on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:22PM (#493044)

    Almost nobody knows the actual rules. I was surprised they could offer cash as well, and even more surprised that they had to pay me at all.

    I volunteered once since I'm a big guy and they were *paying* me to get off a full flight and booked onto a not so full flight. Got rolled since they somewhat lied and it took an additional 4 hours and two flights. I did not have to fight for seats and overhead bins though, and that's what I really wanted.

    Still, I only paid $59 bucks to begin with having paid months in advance and they gave me well over $700 in transferable credits. I did the math and that was a fantastic deal for me. Since they transfer, it could help out a relative or friend, so another bonus.

    Technically, I can fly for free for years now if I just stick to the cheap tickets :)

    --
    Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @02:32PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @02:32PM (#493979)

    Seems the UA staff themselves don't really know the rules and neither do the officers.

    http://www.newsweek.com/why-united-were-legally-wrong-deplane-dr-dao-583535 [newsweek.com]
    http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/united-cites-wrong-rule-for-illegally-de-boarding-passenger/ [lawnewz.com]
    http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/04/11/united-denied-boarding-illegal/ [boardingarea.com]

    Furthermore the amount the UA staff offered was laughable and in vouchers.

    https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/250.9 [cornell.edu]