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posted by cmn32480 on Friday April 14 2017, @04:52AM   Printer-friendly
from the paging-ms-Streisand! dept.

On the heels of United's heavy-handed removal of a booked passenger comes another wonderful piece of news from United:

Fearns needed to return early so he paid about $1,000 for a full-fare, first-class ticket to Los Angeles. He boarded the aircraft at Lihue Airport on the island of Kauai, took his seat and enjoyed a complimentary glass of orange juice while awaiting takeoff.
Then, as Fearns tells it, a United employee rushed onto the aircraft and informed him that he had to get off the plane.
"I asked why," he told me. "They said the flight was overfull."

Apparently, due to technical problems, a different plane was used that had slightly fewer seats. So fewer first class seats. So why bump off a first class passenger?

"That's when they told me they needed the seat for somebody more important who came at the last minute," Fearns said.

Seriously, United?

This ended up with Fearns being bumped down to economy class. With no recompensation offered. When contacting them to demand a refund and $25k for a charity of his choice, the reply was no on both accounts. But he was offered the difference between a first class ticket and the seat he was forced to occupy - between a couple that had a fight, refused to sit next to each other and spent the 6hrs of flight fighting. Oh, and $500 in United credit.

I realise this is just one side of the story, but still: this news surfacing the next day and these two events happening in the same week?

"I understand you might bump people because a flight is full," Fearns said. "But they didn't say anything at the gate. I was already in the seat. And now they were telling me I had no choice. They said they'd put me in cuffs if they had to."

You couldn't make this up if you tried.

Indeed, I could not.

For shame, United. For shame.

takyon: United Airlines' Own Contract Denied it any Right to Remove Passenger
N.J. doctor saves woman on United flight where medical supplies were 'lacking' (a completely different story)


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  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @11:50AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @11:50AM (#493914)

    The reason they prefer to send it EFT is so they can immediately verify you received the money they refunded you.

      With a check, you might say you lost it, then they'd have to put a stop payment order on the check, send you another, etc. At the very least there is going to be a time delay before you receive the check and cash it, so they can't consider the issue closed until then.

    Paper checks are antiquated and problem prone.

    I don't think this is some scheme on the part of Verizon to defraud you, but I understand why you'd rather not give your bank info. In more advanced countries, you have a pair of bank account numbers: one allows withdrawals, another allows deposits.

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  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday April 14 2017, @12:54PM (2 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 14 2017, @12:54PM (#493935) Journal
    And fortunately, there was an alternate strategy available, keeping the balance in the account and paying future bills.
    • (Score: 2) by tibman on Friday April 14 2017, @03:35PM (1 child)

      by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 14 2017, @03:35PM (#494032)

      When i was first starting out and got a sprint cellphone i paid my bill a year in advance. They'd shut off my phone service every month or two because i "didn't pay". I had to call, wait for support, support would recognize that i didn't pay my bill but that there was sufficient credit to cover the monthly bill, have phone reactivated. So annoying.

      --
      SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @04:18PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @04:18PM (#494057)

        I send "Consumer Cellular" a check for $100 to pay for my sister's minimal cell plan (she's disabled, mostly uses her land line). This covers the cost for about 5 months, have not had any problems with their billing department in many years. No problem paying ahead, every month we get a statement that shows the remaining credit. Saves on writing checks.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:57PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:57PM (#493964)
    It's also antiquated and retarded if someone can take money from your bank account just because they have your bank account number.

    We're not even talking about credit card numbers here.
  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Friday April 14 2017, @01:58PM

    by sjames (2882) on Friday April 14 2017, @01:58PM (#493965) Journal

    The banks are also antiquated. Why is there no deposit only account number for exactly this sort of situation? Why don't EFT transfers cost $0.05 (still more than it costs the bank). Why is it even possible for a 3rd party to just reach into your account and grab some money?