OK, well, I just listened to the footage. First Bethune said that the airline reaction was immature, then later he said "you should not have that sort of immature reaction when you're asked to leave the plane", but I think he may have been referring to the airline/law enforcement response, because that's where he was going in the interview. But it's not clear to me.
we shall see, but that behavior by law enforcement is inconceivable on so many levels, even in the worst case if the passenger caused a disturbance to others or flight safety.
Yes, agreed. He had every right to be extremely upset. Had I been on the flight with him, and known the circumstances of his removal, I'd be kicking and screaming also
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/10/unit...rmer-continental-ceo-gordon-bethune-says.html No the FORMER Continental dingbat said the passenger's reaction was "immature." And then he further qualified for the statement saying "When you are being asked to leave a seat, you should handle it in a different way". Really? He PAID for the seat and NEEDED to get to the destination fast and he is the one who needed to handle it "in a different way"? So CNBC did have the correct title for the article.
And MORE "interesting" unfolding of this event. Apparently UA CEO told its employees in the emails that the passenger was to blame for the debacle. The passenger was "disruptive and belligerent". LOL http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/10/united-ceo-passenger-disruptive-belligerent.html I guess this is what he meant when he said "this was an upsetting event for all of us in United Airlines". OMG! United Airlines is worse than North Korea. America is supposed to be the land that upholds human rights and yet a paying airline passenger cannot even enjoy his flight??!!
It still does not answer the question how an airline can remove passengers ALREADY IN THEIR SEAT ON THE PLANE upon realizing they overbooked. Not that its not a horrible practice to overbook and even worse, to be stupid enough to not realize it when passengers attempt to check in (their real-time computer systems should clearly show how many passengers already checked in and how many more seats are available). No, the airline attempted to remove passengers from an airplane just in order to seat another passenger in the same seat. OMG.
Perhaps. To me it's ambiguous. I believe when he said "you should handle it in a different way", he was referring to the airline/law enforcement reaction.
No he said "when you are BEING asked to leave a seat, you should handle it in a different way" so he obviously meant the passenger. You know, when you've paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to fly on a plane, and then at the last minute, somebody comes up to you and says "I am sorry but you can't fly today and you need to leave the plane right now" you are supposed to reply, with a smile and reply "Oh what a shame. I was looking forward to the flight experience with the cheapest United Airline that has seats barely wide enough to cover my butt and just enough leg room for me to put my knee in and when I need to go to the bathroom, a whole row of passengers have to get up to let me pass" but I understand. I don't mind at all waiting another several hours for another flight. And if that flight is also overbooked, I will happily leave that flight too and I will keep on getting flights and possibly getting bumped off until I catch a flight that has just the space for me. My life and my career does not matter as long as United Airlines makes more money." and then promptly stands and gathers your belonging and walks off the plane in a cheerful brisk walk of happiness. Anything short of that is "immature".
Yes, OMG. Selecting who to remove randomly ? Seems fair enough at first sight. But look closer, and maybe there are other factors at work, as other posters have noted. Maybe you randomly selected someone who is dealing with a life or death situation.