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Man pulled off of overbooked flight UA3411 (ORD-SDF) 9 Apr 2017 {Settlement reached}

Old Apr 10, 2017, 8:42 pm
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Statement from United Airlines Regarding Resolution with Dr. David Dao - released 27 April 2017
CHICAGO, April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- We are pleased to report that United and Dr. Dao have reached an amicable resolution of the unfortunate incident that occurred aboard flight 3411. We look forward to implementing the improvements we have announced, which will put our customers at the center of everything we do.
DOT findings related to the UA3411 9 April 2017 IDB incident 12 May 2017

What facts do we know?
  • UA3411, operated by Republic Airways, ORD-SDF on Sunday, April 9, 2017. UA3411 was the second to last flight to SDF for United. AA3509 and UA4771 were the two remaining departures for the day. Also, AA and DL had connecting options providing for same-day arrival in SDF.
  • After the flight was fully boarded, United determined four seats were needed to accommodate crew to SDF for a flight on Monday.
  • United solicited volunteers for VDB. (BUT stopped at $800 in UA$s, not cash). Chose not to go to the levels such as 1350 that airlines have been known to go even in case of weather impacted disruption)
  • After receiving no volunteers for $800 vouchers, a passenger volunteered for $1,600 and was "laughed at" and refused, United determined four passengers to be removed from the flight.
  • One passenger refused and Chicago Aviation Security Officers were called to forcibly remove the passenger.
  • The passenger hit the armrest in the aisle and received a concussion, a broken nose, a bloodied lip, and the loss of two teeth.
  • After being removed from the plane, the passenger re-boarded saying "I need to go home" repeatedly, before being removed again.
  • United spokesman Jonathan Guerin said the flight was sold out but not oversold. Instead, United and regional affiliate Republic Airlines the unit that operated Flight 3411 decided they had to remove four passengers from the flight to accommodate crewmembers who were needed in Louisville the next day for a downline connection.

United Express Flight 3411 Review and Action Report - released 27 April 2017

Videos

Internal Communication by Oscar Munoz
Oscar Munoz sent an internal communication to UA employees (sources: View From The Wing, Chicago Tribune):
Dear Team,

Like you, I was upset to see and hear about what happened last night aboard United Express Flight 3411 headed from Chicago to Louisville. While the facts and circumstances are still evolving, especially with respect to why this customer defied Chicago Aviation Security Officers the way he did, to give you a clearer picture of what transpired, I've included below a recap from the preliminary reports filed by our employees.

As you will read, this situation was unfortunately compounded when one of the passengers we politely asked to deplane refused and it became necessary to contact Chicago Aviation Security Officers to help. Our employees followed established procedures for dealing with situations like this. While I deeply regret this situation arose, I also emphatically stand behind all of you, and I want to commend you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure we fly right.

I do, however, believe there are lessons we can learn from this experience, and we are taking a close look at the circumstances surrounding this incident. Treating our customers and each other with respect and dignity is at the core of who we are, and we must always remember this no matter how challenging the situation.

Oscar

Summary of Flight 3411
  • On Sunday, April 9, after United Express Flight 3411 was fully boarded, United's gate agents were approached by crewmembers that were told they needed to board the flight.
  • We sought volunteers and then followed our involuntary denial of boarding process (including offering up to $1,000 in compensation) and when we approached one of these passengers to explain apologetically that he was being denied boarding, he raised his voice and refused to comply with crew member instructions.
  • He was approached a few more times after that in order to gain his compliance to come off the aircraft, and each time he refused and became more and more disruptive and belligerent.
  • Our agents were left with no choice but to call Chicago Aviation Security Officers to assist in removing the customer from the flight. He repeatedly declined to leave.
  • Chicago Aviation Security Officers were unable to gain his cooperation and physically removed him from the flight as he continued to resist - running back onto the aircraft in defiance of both our crew and security officials.
Email sent to all employees at 2:08PM on Tuesday, April 11.
Dear Team,

The truly horrific event that occurred on this flight has elicited many responses from all of us: outrage, anger, disappointment. I share all of those sentiments, and one above all: my deepest apologies for what happened. Like you, I continue to be disturbed by what happened on this flight and I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard. No one should ever be mistreated this way.

I want you to know that we take full responsibility and we will work to make it right.

Its never too late to do the right thing. I have committed to our customers and our employees that we are going to fix whats broken so this never happens again. This will include a thorough review of crew movement, our policies for incentivizing volunteers in these situations, how we handle oversold situations and an examination of how we partner with airport authorities and local law enforcement. Well communicate the results of our review by April 30th.

I promise you we will do better.

Sincerely,

Oscar
Statement to customers - 27 April 2017
Each flight you take with us represents an important promise we make to you, our customer. It's not simply that we make sure you reach your destination safely and on time, but also that you will be treated with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we broke that trust when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words.

For the past several weeks, we have been urgently working to answer two questions: How did this happen, and how can we do our best to ensure this never happens again?

It happened because our corporate policies were placed ahead of our shared values. Our procedures got in the way of our employees doing what they know is right.

Fixing that problem starts now with changing how we fly, serve and respect our customers. This is a turning point for all of us here at United and as CEO, it's my responsibility to make sure that we learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to put our customers at the center of everything we do.

Thats why we announced that we will no longer ask law enforcement to remove customers from a flight and customers will not be required to give up their seat once on board except in matters of safety or security.

We also know that despite our best efforts, when things dont go the way they should, we need to be there for you to make things right. There are several new ways were going to do just that.

We will increase incentives for voluntary rebooking up to $10,000 and will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy. We will also be rolling out a new app for our employees that will enable them to provide on-the-spot goodwill gestures in the form of miles, travel credit and other amenities when your experience with us misses the mark. You can learn more about these commitments and many other changes at hub.united.com.

While these actions are important, I have found myself reflecting more broadly on the role we play and the responsibilities we have to you and the communities we serve.

I believe we must go further in redefining what United's corporate citizenship looks like in our society. If our chief good as a company is only getting you to and from your destination, that would show a lack of moral imagination on our part. You can and ought to expect more from us, and we intend to live up to those higher expectations in the way we embody social responsibility and civic leadership everywhere we operate. I hope you will see that pledge express itself in our actions going forward, of which these initial, though important, changes are merely a first step.

Our goal should be nothing less than to make you truly proud to say, "I fly United."

Ultimately, the measure of our success is your satisfaction and the past several weeks have moved us to go further than ever before in elevating your experience with us. I know our 87,000 employees have taken this message to heart, and they are as energized as ever to fulfill our promise to serve you better with each flight and earn the trust youve given us.

We are working harder than ever for the privilege to serve you and I know we will be stronger, better and the customer-focused airline you expect and deserve.

With Great Gratitude,

Oscar Munoz
CEO
United Airlines
Aftermath
Poll: Your Opinion of United Airlines Reference Material

UA's Customer Commitment says:
Occasionally we may not be able to provide you with a seat on a specific flight, even if you hold a ticket, have checked in, are present to board on time, and comply with other requirements. This is called an oversale, and occurs when restrictions apply to operating a particular flight safely (such as aircraft weight limits); when we have to substitute a smaller aircraft in place of a larger aircraft that was originally scheduled; or if more customers have checked in and are prepared to board than we have available seats.

If your flight is in an oversale situation, you will not be denied a seat until we first ask for volunteers willing to give up their confirmed seats. If there are not enough volunteers, we will deny boarding to passengers in accordance with our written policy on boarding priority. If you are involuntarily denied boarding and have complied with our check-in and other applicable rules, we will give you a written statement that describes your rights and explains how we determine boarding priority for an oversold flight. You will generally be entitled to compensation and transportation on an alternate flight.

We make complete rules for the payment of compensation, as well as our policy about boarding priorities, available at airports we serve. We will follow these rules to ensure you are treated fairly. Please be aware that you may be denied boarding without compensation if you do not check in on time or do not meet certain other requirements, or if we offer you alternative transportation that is planned to arrive at your destination or first stopover no later than one hour after the planned arrival time of your original flight.
CoC is here: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...-carriage.aspx
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Man pulled off of overbooked flight UA3411 (ORD-SDF) 9 Apr 2017 {Settlement reached}

Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:07 pm
  #3406  
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Originally Posted by George Purcell
Rushing cops with guns in an airplane is a bit beyond what I would expect even the most courageous civilian defender to do.
Perhaps they could all have stood up and blocked the aisles? Just a thought. But wait, let's get on the internet with faux outrage.

The binary response of US LEO/Security to any situation makes rushing them lunacy in the extreme.
Silver Fox is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:08 pm
  #3407  
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Originally Posted by Klimo
Yes, been covered everywhere.

What other side are you referring to? That is seems he is probably not a very good person in his past and also a felon?

There's quite a lot of video evidence to draw some lite conclusions from.
I'm just suggesting that perhaps he played a role in escalating what eventually happened. I'm not condoning what the Chicago airport police did, but not sure how this is turned into a UA problem so quickly. All this talk of felony this-and-that is just silly.
LondonElite is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:09 pm
  #3408  
 
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Originally Posted by BearX220
Dr. Dao now has lawyers who have issued a statement on his behalf... asking for privacy as he recuperates.

https://twitter.com/S1PPi/status/851903354678759426

I hope the customer's attorneys take UA for every penny. Too bad our legal system shields the individuals in the corporation and the police agency from any personal liability, even though that would be well-deserved here.
sincx is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:09 pm
  #3409  
 
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Originally Posted by GadgetFreak
And you're proof it wasn't the head injury is....
I guess it was head injuries that caused his criminal activities and erratic personal conduct, too?

You guys are choosing your heroes poorly. He's still just a nice old guy to you even as it becomes painfully obvious the guy is a crook.
Ber2dca is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:10 pm
  #3410  
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Originally Posted by muishkin
There is no other side to the story. The old man didn't assault or verbally abuse anyone. The worst thing he did was accusing the cabin crew of picking him based on his ethnicity. Anyhow Daily Mail is a disgusting rag that I wouldn't use to wipe my .... Of course they would go with an ad hominem.

This whole thing reminds me of:

Anger Management Plane Scene - YouTube
I'm just amazed how many first hand witnesses to this incident are FT posters as well!
LondonElite is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:10 pm
  #3411  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
I guess it was head injuries that caused his criminal activities and erratic personal conduct, too?

You guys are choosing your heroes poorly. He's still just a nice old guy to you even as it becomes painfully obvious the guy is a crook.
United Airlines didn't have any head injuries and it didn't stop UA from engaging in criminal conduct.
sincx is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:11 pm
  #3412  
 
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Originally Posted by sincx
Let's have UA's keystone kops bash your head on an armrest and see how coherent you are afterwards.
Well, they are actually Chicago Department of Aviation police, not UA's henchmen. So blame should be squarely placed on the city administration, no?
Chicago is a completely corrupt city though, so maybe you're correct-UA has them paid off to rough-up unruly passengers, yes?
zombietooth is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:11 pm
  #3413  
 
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Originally Posted by Silver Fox
Perhaps they could all have stood up and blocked the aisles? Just a thought. But wait, let's get on the internet with faux outrage.

The binary response of US LEO/Security to any situation makes rushing them lunacy in the extreme.
Ever hear of the Milgram experiment?
iMedic is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:12 pm
  #3414  
 
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
I guess it was head injuries that caused his criminal activities and erratic personal conduct, too?

You guys are choosing your heroes poorly. He's still just a nice old guy to you even as it becomes painfully obvious the guy is a crook.
Let's say he is guilty of his past charges. Whatevers. Does that mean it's acceptable to assault him and drag him off the plane like that? All excused just because he has history, because he was guilty of charges in the past that it's fine to mistreat him?
nightkhan is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:12 pm
  #3415  
 
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"United spokesman Jonathan Guerin said Tuesday that all 70 seats on United Express Flight 3411 were filled, but the plane was not overbooked as the airline previously reported. Instead, United and regional affiliate Republic Airlines, which operated the flight, selected four passengers to be removed to accommodate crew members needed in Louisville the next day. The passengers were selected based on a combination of criteria spelled out in United’s contract of carriage, including frequent-flier status, fare type, check-in time and connecting flight implications, among others, according to United."

lets set aside the question of if the removal was legal in the first place.

I think it is clear from the passenger statements that United did not follow its own procedures. Usatoday just said the wife recorded the audio of what they said to her husband on her phone. The doctor was shooting video as well. You can see the phone shooting video as he is dragged down the aisle

There is no record that the passenger struck anyone. The big problem United is whoever said in the PNR he hit LEO. It doesn't matter if it was a GA in fear of losing her job. Every entry into a PNR is recorded and tracked. She was acting as an agent of United.

Whatever the truth United is going to be paying alot to settle. I think Oscat will be gone by Friday
sdiamond85 is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:13 pm
  #3416  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
I guess it was head injuries that caused his criminal activities and erratic personal conduct, too?

You guys are choosing your heroes poorly. He's still just a nice old guy to you even as it becomes painfully obvious the guy is a crook.
A crook????
Tisbutascratch is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:14 pm
  #3417  
 
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Originally Posted by Tisbutascratch
A crook????
A crook like United Airlines and its former CEO Jeff Smisek, who bribed a government official for private gain?
sincx is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:15 pm
  #3418  
 
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
You're in absolutely no position to make that call. [Unduly personalized text edited by Moderator per FT Rule 12.]
Seems to me that if the pax was truly belligerent and disruptive, witnesses would have said so. There was no shortage of witnesses here. I'm really trying to keep to what has been publicly printed in mainstream press, based on actual quotes from actual witnesses. The cop's report says one thing, the witnesses say another. But the simple fact is that the man was 69 (and this was in the original call), slight of muscle and pudgy around the middle. He was behind airport security and therefore assuredly unarmed. He was surrounded by three much younger and tougher men. I doubt they could make the case that they were threatened.

I see a cop trying to establish probable cause. We'll see if it works. It just might, but it won't help United.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:16 pm
  #3419  
 
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
I guess it was head injuries that caused his criminal activities and erratic personal conduct, too?

You guys are choosing your heroes poorly. He's still just a nice old guy to you even as it becomes painfully obvious the guy is a crook.
He's a crook and was also forcefully dragged off an airplane under incredibly suspiscious circumstances. The two are not mutually exclusive.

There was no arrest, the LEO has been suspended and investigated, and the DoT has opened an investigation into United.

In the end, you might be right that he completely provoked the attack. It seems, with the available information, that is not at all accurate.
Klimo is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:16 pm
  #3420  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
My wife arranged travel for three from china to sfo for a meeting. Just got an e-mail asking them to be rebooked off Ua. Three j fares down the tube for Ua....
I wonder what agencies like CWT, HRG and Amex are seeing. Someone here must know a friend of a friend who can share sentiment on how the corporate travel market as a whole is responding
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