Originally Posted by
c2cflyer
Pilots on long haul flights often have a sleep area with a bed. I would be happy to be proven wrong but doubt that 'crew rest' would be acceptably achieved / defined as a 5.5 hour car ride with someone else driving
Would you want your pilots to have flown in the night before and slept 6+ hours in a private hotel room or to have spent those 6 hours in the back of a car with 3 other crew members trying to nod off between bumps, bridges, snores, jolts etc.
Amen! Whether the public wants to believe it or not, this happens with every airline, every day. I had a family member subject to same. When asked to deplane, she calmly gathered her belongings and complied.
While I do not agree with crew scheduling advancing a last minute crew on board flight 3411, the chances that they were bumping passengers to get home are highly unlikely. If UA had to inconvenience four passengers to salvage a flight of 70(+) up the line, so be it. They weighed their options for what they believed was the greater good.
Last, what many believe to be their "passenger rights" is not the same as your Constitutional Rights. Air travel is NOT a right; it is a CONVENIENCE. However, you, as an individual, do have every right to buy or charter a private flight in order to meet your specific travel requirements and expectations. If you can't afford this mode of travel, other options are yet available. You may reach your destination by train, bus, or how about this... DRIVE yourself. The chances that you will be "bullied, beaten, concussed, humiliated, or booted" from your private vehicle are slim to none.
The unfortunate outcome for passenger Dao was the result of his defiance toward "law enforcement" on scene. With the representation of an attorney, this individual wants to take a stand for passenger rights; had he taken a stand on flight 3411, and deplaned without incident, handling the situation with UA personnel (as did the prior three passengers), no altercation or injury would have taken place. This entire incident has only set a negative precedence for ALL parties involved.