CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines is changing a company policy and will no longer allow crew members to displace customers already onboard an airplane.
The change comes after a passenger, Dr. David Dao, was dragged from a fully-booked United Express flight in Chicago because he refused to give up his seat to make room for crew members. Cellphone video of the incident sparked widespread outrage and created a public-relations nightmare for United.
Under the change outlined in an internal April 14 email, a crew member must make must-ride bookings at least 60 minutes prior to departure. Crews could previously be booked until the time of departure.
United spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said in an email Sunday that the change is an initial step in a review of policies and it’s meant to ensure that situations like Dao’s never happen again.
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It’s mind-boggling that any airline would have ever allowed crew members to displace paying customers in the first place. It’s a goddamn airline, for fuck’s sake—customers should always come first. It’s ludicrous to act as though it’s impossible to get employees from Point A to Point B without booting paying passengers.
‘no longer allowed’
“Absolutely goddamn right,” ás Captain Willard wisely put it, in Apocalypse
Now!
Their new policy doesn’t address the problem of prioritizing crew over paying passengers, it simply moves the point of conflict from the plane to the boarding gate. Not sure why UAL would want this farce to play out in front of a larger audience.
Very weak. Never give an inch. “All options are on the table”.
And “Fly the friendly skies!”
Because the dynamics of getting ticketed customers to give up a seat when they’re at the gate are different than once they’re seated i.e. more likely to find takers for the “give up your seat and we’ll give you a free room, free flight, etc.” offer at the gate.