Blink, Blink, Blink, What?

[Northwestcoug]

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[Uncle Ted]

Yeah... I am guessing that United is wishing they would have offered the $1350 in cash to the passengers right about now:

United Airlines shares drop after man dragged screaming off flight

Shares in United Airlines slipped by more than 3% in the first few minutes of trading Tuesday as the company scrambled to address a video showing a passenger being forcibly dragged off an overbooked flight.
[...]
Anger was not limited to the U.S. The incident was the number one trending topic Tuesday on Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, attracting more than 100 million views.


China is one of United's most important growth markets.
[...]

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/11/inve...-flight-video/

They could easily be out a cool billion in market capitalization.

[CJF]

Yeah... I am guessing that United is wishing they would have offered the $1350 in cash to the passengers right about now:


http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/11/inve...-flight-video/

They could easily be out a cool billion in market capitalization.

Luckily for United and their China expansion plans, it was a white guy that they bloodied and dragged off the plane.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Tge United situation is why I basically take nothing seriously in life anymore. It is this huge story, all over the interwebs, hashtags and roasting twitter accounts set up to blast how awful United is. Yet today their planes are full and nothing changed. In a month their planes will still be full and prices high for summer. Soon they'll offer some halfassed apology and everyone will move on. The rest of the airlines will realize they can treat people worse than they already do because nothing really happens.

We live in a time of a great ability to be offended and outraged, but not so much ability to do anything about it. The following through part is hard, rather than get involved civically because I disagree with Trump I'll just throw a few snarky #notmypresident tweets out. Rather than cancel my flight on United and not go or pay more to a different airline I'll retweet a funny meme about how bad their service is. If I inconvenience myself by really getting involved I won't have time for Netflix binging and exploring my favorite subreddits. What a time to be alive!

[Uncle Ted]

Tge United situation is why I basically take nothing seriously in life anymore. It is this huge story, all over the interwebs, hashtags and roasting twitter accounts set up to blast how awful United is. Yet today their planes are full and nothing changed. In a month their planes will still be full and prices high for summer. Soon they'll offer some halfassed apology and everyone will move on. The rest of the airlines will realize they can treat people worse than they already do because nothing really happens.

We live in a time of a great ability to be offended and outraged, but not so much ability to do anything about it. The following through part is hard, rather than get involved civically because I disagree with Trump I'll just throw a few snarky #notmypresident tweets out. Rather than cancel my flight on United and not go or pay more to a different airline I'll retweet a funny meme about how bad their service is. If I inconvenience myself by really getting involved I won't have time for Netflix binging and exploring my favorite subreddits. What a time to be alive!

I think United and the airlines will take notice and maybe they will change their ways. I like how Delta handles overbooking. When you check in they will tell you the flight is overbooked and ask how much you are willing to take to give up your seat. Airlines could take this a step further and add a bidding option to their apps. In short, get passengers to start a bidding war for giving up their seats. Then when the plane starts boarding they can call out the X number of people with the lowest bids. Maybe this would add some excitement to the whole process and achieve a better result than giving people concussions and dragging them off the plane. Airlines need to take advantage of the fact that most of their customers have smartphones.

Edit: Delta overbooking... http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-s...oking-flights/

[Northwestcoug]

So now United is claiming that the Fight Club flight was not overbooked, but still had to get 4 crew members to Louisville that day for a flight the next day.

I'm not sure if I should be more or less outraged.

[creekster]

So now United is claiming that the Fight Club flight was not overbooked, but still had to get 4 crew members to Louisville that day for a flight the next day.

I'm not sure if I should be more or less outraged.

Your outrage level should remain unchanged. that was the story from the get go.

[Northwestcoug]

Your outrage level should remain unchanged. that was the story from the get go.

Are you sure? I thought the initial response from United was that it was overbooked:

United’s brief initial response to the incident — that Flight 3411 was “overbooked” and police were called after a man “refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily” — has now given way to a more detailed story told by witnesses, police, the Chicago Department of Aviation and Munoz himself.

[creekster]

Are you sure? I thought the initial response from United was that it was overbooked:

yes, overbooked becasue they needed four seats for crew. Displacing seated passengers for crew was always the explanation provided. But I am too lazy to prove it so if you would liek to elevate your rage level, go right ahead.

[Uncle Ted]

Are you sure? I thought the initial response from United was that it was overbooked:

#NeverUnited

Where are my cheap tickets!

[Northwestcoug]

yes, overbooked becasue they needed four seats for crew. Displacing seated passengers for crew was always the explanation provided. But I am too lazy to prove it so if you would liek to elevate your rage level, go right ahead.

That makes sense. I think most people (me included) focused on the inhumanity of airline overbooking, and didn't factor in the crew part.

Still, overbooking blows and it shouldn't happen.

[Uncle Ted]

Still, overbooking blows and it shouldn't happen.

Sure overbooking should happen... That is how airlines make money and keep my tickets cheap. Airlines should just compensate better when it does happen and they have to. Even if they have to pay more than the 400% that is mandated by the DOT.

Some representative of the airline should have came on the plane and said, "We need four seats on this fight." While holding up the cash said, "Do we have any takers at $900 each?" and kept adding a Benjamin until four hands go up. Cash talks. Knocking an Asian dude out and dragging him off the plane is an image that a lot of folks are going to remember for some time.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Sure overbooking should happen... That is how airlines make money and keep my tickets cheap. Airlines should just compensate better when it does happen and they have to. Even if they have to pay more than the 400% that is mandated by the DOT.

Some representative of the airline should have came on the plane and said, "We need four seats on this fight." While holding up the cash said, "Do we have any takers at $900 each?" and kept adding a Benjamin until four hands go up. Cash talks. Knocking an Asian dude out and dragging him off the plane is an image that a lot of folks are going to remember for some time.

Yeah, that is crazy talk. There is nothing at all wrong with overbooking. The only mistake UAL made was to stop upping the price. I guaran-damn-tee that there is a price at which another seat gets volunteered and it wouldn't be that high. Certainly a ton cheaper than the settlement they will inevitably make with this guy.

[Moliere]

I love the irony in a doctor saying that overbooking is inhumane


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[Northwestcoug]

Sure overbooking should happen... That is how airlines make money and keep my tickets cheap. Airlines should just compensate better when it does happen and they have to. Even if they have to pay more than the 400% that is mandated by the DOT.

Some representative of the airline should have came on the plane and said, "We need four seats on this fight." While holding up the cash said, "Do we have any takers at $900 each?" and kept adding a Benjamin until four hands go up. Cash talks. Knocking an Asian dude out and dragging him off the plane is an image that a lot of folks are going to remember for some time.

My outrage was TIC. If overbooking suppresses prices, is relatively rare, and airlines truly make it worthwhile for the overbooked, I'm OK with it. But make it straight cash and no vouchers, like the article you posted earlier today.

I love the irony in a doctor saying that overbooking is inhumane


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Ha ha. Right now my desk is overbooked with pieces of patients. I blame the other docs for seeing too many live patients!