[Cloud-9]

UA CEO discusses empathy, good communication and accommodation/reaccommodation (in the case of overbooking) with his customers….

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-ceo-oscar-munoz-interview-2017-2

…Just a few weeks before he was named Communicator of the Year 😉 !

http://newsroom.united.com/2017-03-17-United-Airlines-CEO-Oscar-Munoz-Named-PRWeeks-Communicator-of-the-Year

[PhilipHart]

My cousin who lives in the US, and who utterly eschews travelling with United, sent me this 🙂

[drflight]

I find it odd the second, more softer, apology by the CEO of United, Oscar Munoz, is only an internal carefully worded corporate apology to and for the company although it has been leaked to the media, of course. It’s not really a ‘public’ apology as such in my opinion.

Unless I have missed it, Mr Munoz has yet to appear in the media making a full and frank apology not only to the passenger concerned, but to the horrified other passengers on the flight and also to assure all current and future booked United ticket holders such a thing will never happen again, ever on United.

[travelworld]

It’s now clearly reached a stage where this is one of the greatest PR disasters of recent time. The damage caused to United will cost way more than an inability to operate the flight for which the crew needed the passengers’ seats on the flight in question. And all so predictable. Wonder if it will cost the CEO his job?

[Swissdiver]

Say his job is at stake. It now all depend on his ability to recover from this situation, as clearly his lack of quick appropriate reaction was a huge mistake.

[CathayLoyalist2]

As with many situations when we face a crisis/issue/threat we generally resort to/go to our ‘default’ position. Munoz’s default position is to avoid taking responsibility however this disaster is spun. This incident will make it into the 2017 edition pf “What were they thinking”. If I was the Chairman of United I would be having a conversation about his judgment overall.

[duck_ling]

Oh dear..the dirty digging on the passenger has begun.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html

[travelworld]

And the doctor’s past is, of course, of no relevance whatsoever to the incident on the aircraft. Reminds me of the Virgin Atlantic pilot who landed his A340 at Heathrow with one undercarriage set failing to lower and called
a hero for what was undoubtedly a highly skilled piece of flying and the following day was branded a love rat by a tabloid as he was having an affair with another crew member…

[Tom Otley]

Useful information
Can Airlines Really Do That? Bumping and the Law: QuickTake Q&A

[rferguson]

The UA CEO gave an interview to Good Morning America this morning. Interesting stuff.

Main take aways – he says a ‘system error’ caused the incident. Expanding on that he said the system in place is basically cumbersome and inflexible and does not allow senior supervisors to ‘use common sense’ which I guess he means use discretion in amounts offered for compensation.

Says that the denied boarding system they have in place generally works well ‘outside the gate’.

Has ‘reached out’ to the passenger concerned but has so far had no contact.

Promises law enforcement will never be called to a UA aircraft again to remove a passenger in the same situation.

[Tim2soza]

Seems to me the solution to all of this is easy. Create a lower cost Y ticket option which trades $x off the ticket price in return for first off if people need to be bumped with no argument. Or if BA call it a service enhancement to Club Europe to go with the 29 inch seat!

[AMcWhirter]

Just announced …

United will refund passengers’ fares.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/04/12/united-refund-fares-all-flight-3411-passengers/100384450/

[MartynSinclair]

I am sure a lawyer will confirm, but United will probably refund the fares “in full and final” in order to close the door on a passenger suing.

[Ahmad]

[quote quote=802024]I am sure a lawyer will confirm, but United will probably refund the fares “in full and final” in order to close the door on a passenger suing.

[/quote]

As I have said before, I am no expert on aviation law. Nor am I an expert on the law(s) governing the various jurisdictions in which the contract for tickets bought by passengers of this flight would be justiciable. But, in the given circumstances, in most jurisdictions refunding the ticket price will have no impact on passengers’ ability to sue and/or obtain compensation.

[Ahmad]

Thank you for posting the article Tom. Very interesting and useful insight.

[Author]

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