Originally Posted by
s0ssos
Corrected: "it is abusive to put a 94 year old on United even in business class"
Given how rude and unaccommodating airport employees can be, UA is not an airline for a non-frequent-flyer. Much of the flying public has little knowledge of his/her rights and how to maneuver out of a mess.
What happens if it's an 80-year-old grandmother instead of Dr. Dao? She's confused, she (reasonably) expects she was entitled to her seat, she slowly fishes the boarding pass out of her bag...what? Are ORD rent-a-thug cops going to drag her down the aisle?
But some other FTers here have a point: if the 94-year-old is weak to the point of not being able to recline her seat, she really needs a companion near her. Family should've bought another J ticket.