Passengers Kicked off Overweight American Airlines Flight
Jeff Edwards March 01, 2016
Despite the available seats, passengers were removed from the aircraft when an American Airlines flight reached its maximum weight limit.
For passengers with less-than-flexible travel plans, checking in early at the airport can be critical to lessening the chances of being involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight. Not many travelers, however, expect to be bumped from a flight once they have already buckled their seat belts, but that’s just what happened to two unlucky flyers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) when the maximum weight limit forced the airline to start kicking passengers off the plane.
According to Chicago ABC affiliate WLS-TV, moments before the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)-bound American Airlines flight operated by Envoy Air was due to depart, the crew told two passengers they would need to deplane because the plane was overweight. Because no other passengers were willing to volunteer to take a later flight in exchange for a travel voucher, gate agents decided that the last two passengers to check in would have to get off the plane.
Dan Nykaza says he was one of two passengers forced off the flight. “I was in shock, I didn’t sleep that night, I was kinda numb all first day or two,” Nykaza told ABC News. “[…] there was probably a total of 300 pounds taken off the plane between me and the other gentleman who was a little smaller than me.”
Nykaza, a Chicago-area dentist says his AAdvantage Platinum status didn’t help his plight at all. “I’m sitting on the plane 20-30 minutes and the flight attendants came up to me and said ‘You have to get off. You have to get off. You’re out of the plane,'” he recounted. Nykaza said he was so frustrated with the situation that he stormed away without claiming the travel voucher he was offered.
While there is very little an airline can do about a flight’s max weight limit, especially on smaller aircraft flown by Envoy, American Airlines officials said that rather than bumping the last passengers to check in, gate agents should have removed the last two passengers to book their tickets per AA policy. The airline also said that a $200 travel voucher was insufficient compensation for a passenger who was involuntarily bumped from a flight and have reached out to Nykaza to reimburse him properly.
[Screengrab: ABC7 I-Team]
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It's news because AA violated the LAW by failing to follow their IDB policy. This is a DOT requirement. AA is now open to both a lawsuit by the passenger and enforcement action by the DOT. I fly frequently on DL, and I've learned their policy by heart because I know some agents skip letting the computer do the work. Instead they guess who to deny. At DL elite level members can't be denied boarding, regardless of if an award or revenue ticket. After that it goes by a set system.
How is this news? Regional jets are often overweight.
AA clearly is at fault if it's their policies that weren't followed. Their computer system should automatically identify the correct individuals to deplane and the correct travel voucher amount. Why leave stated policy to the correct recollection of a gate agent who is likely an Envoy Air employee?
LVS before you call me ignorant address my arguments. You did not do that. Rather you made a personal attack in an attempt to discount my argument and to try to prove that your SFA is correct, without adding anything to the discourse.
ZYXLSY --- I absolutely agree with you - I am shocked. I currently have Platinum status on AA and I must admit I would be totally shocked to get bumped. Last minute expensive ticket price too - I though these were the passengers airlines wanted to attract. I know ess aitch (one) tea happens but good grief.