On April 9, 2017, O'Hare International Airport police forcibly transferred passenger David Dao, a lung expert, from United Express Flight 3411, after Dao refused to leave the plane as the airline staff insisted. The police were summoned and dragged him away. Dao shouted as the officer pulled him out of his seat, and his face hit the arm of the chair during the struggle. The officers then dragged him, apparently unconscious, with his arms in his back along the alleys of the plane past the last line to see the passengers. He was then seen with blood around his mouth. Prior to the confrontation, managers offered travel coupons to passengers to vacate their seats to make room for four airline employees who needed to travel to destinations, Louisville International Airport, but no passengers were received. Four passengers were then selected for forced transfer from flight. The other three passengers met, and Dao was elected fourth. Republic Airline operates scheduled passenger flights on behalf of United Express, United Airlines' regional branch.
Videos of incidents recorded by passengers became viral in social media, resulting in anger over the violent incident. Politicians expressed concern and called for an official inquiry. US President Donald Trump criticized United Airlines, calling their customer care "horrible".
The following morning United CEO Oscar Munoz issued a statement that seemed to justify unwilling passenger transfers, referring to it as "recharging customers". Munoz also sent an email to United staff praising the crew's actions to follow the established procedures, and refers to the Dao as "annoying" and "aggressive".
Munoz and United were sharply criticized for their preliminary remarks. Two days after Munoz's incident issued an additional statement, apologized and promised that such an incident would not happen again on United's plane. He said, "No one should be treated badly like this." In an exclusive interview on Good Morning America, with correspondent ABC News Chief Business, Technology and Economics, Rebecca Jarvis, Munoz was asked, "Do you think [Dr. Dao] is guilty in any way?" Munoz replied, "No, he can not, he's a paying passenger sitting in our seats on our plane." Munoz was denied a pre-planned promotion to the chairman as a result of the incident. Dao reached a "peaceful" settlement with United on 27 April, whose provisions were not publicly announced.
Video United Express Flight 3411 incident
Incident
Just before 5:40 pm on April 9, 2017, after passengers seated on United Express Flight 3411 but while the plane was still at the gate, United's gateway agents announced that they needed to remove four passengers to accommodate four staff members who had to cover up unlocated flights in other locations. The crew members were originally scheduled to take Flight 4448 which departs at 2:55 pm. but the aircraft experienced significant mechanical delays and possibilities were canceled. The crew was not re-booked for Flight 3411 until 5:21, 19 minutes before flight departure scheduled 3411.
According to Tyler Bridges passengers, the situation is quickly becoming problematic due to the attitude of airline employees. Says Bridges, "An airline supervisor walks into the plane and rudely announces: 'We have United employees who have to fly to Louisville tonight... This flight will not be leaving until four people get off.'" In an interview with CNN, passenger John Klaassen made several statements that corroborate Bridges's testimony. Klaassen said, "after the first offer is made, United's employees go and rise... if they just try diplomacy, there's nothing to be done... they do not want to negotiate." Passenger Jason Powell confirms his supervisors unprofessional behavior that says, "Deviation of the situation the disgusting includes everyone from the rude ticket agency who demands that this person hand over his seat on United's flight too much... "Mary Myers passenger echoed this sentiment and blamed the gateway agent who said," I really put all this on his shoulders. can make a difference.He could have handled differently, He started everything. "
In addition, Myers indicated Dao pleading with the supervisor not to remove him from the flight and explain that as a doctor he can not miss back home. Myers further stated that the supervisor's response was incorrect. "He said, 'Well, then I have to call the police and have you escorted off the plane.' In my opinion, I think good supervisors will not let the situation escalate to that point.Bit honestly, I think I blame him for the whole incident. "
Passengers initially offered US $ 400 in vouchers for future travel at United, hotel stays, and seats on airplanes departing more than 21 hours later if they voluntarily quit. Without volunteers, the offer was raised to $ 800 in vouchers. With still no volunteers, a manager goes up and informs the flight that four people will be chosen by the computer. A spokeswoman for United has since declared that the election is based on certain factors, including the priority to stay on board for frequent flyers and those who pay higher tariffs. Three of the chosen passengers, a spouse and a woman who is considered Dao's wife, agree to leave. The fourth selected passenger, David Dao, 69, an Asian-American doctor from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, declined, saying he needed to see the patient the next day at his clinic. United Airlines staff sought help from Chicago Department of Aviation security officers, whose powers differed from that of the Chicago Police officers; they can not, for example, file a capture report.
Dao refused to leave his seat, and in the ensuing fight, he suffered head and mouth injuries when, according to another passenger, a security officer threw him on the armrest before dragging him to the waist by his arm, apparently unconscious. During the fight, a number of passengers were distressed by the incident voluntarily leaving the plane. Four Airline Republican staff then sat in empty chairs. Soon after, Dao managed to board the plane, repeatedly saying, "I must go home." and "Just kill me." Finally he collapsed in a chair and was ejected from the plane on a stretcher. The remaining passengers then landed while the blood of the fight was cleared.
Dao is seen with a bloody face after he is removed from a chair. Other passengers on the flight record the show on video using smart phone cameras, which are widely circulated on social media. Other passengers also reported hearing Dao saying that he was chosen because of his ethnicity. Dao was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries including a broken nose, missing two front teeth, a sinus wound, and a "significant concussion" requiring reconstructive surgery according to Dao's lawyer.
Flight departs at 7:21 Ã, p.m CDT., Two hours and two minutes longer than scheduled. Arrives in Louisville at 9:01 Ã, pmT, two hours behind schedule.
Maps United Express Flight 3411 incident
Aftermath
11 April 2017, statements from Golan Christie Taglia and Corboy & amp; Demetrio, who says they represent Dao, indicates that their client's family "wants the world to know that they value the outpouring of prayer, attention and support".
The three officers who responded to the incident were James Long, Mauricio Rodriguez Jr. and Steven Smith. Their supervisor is Sergeant John Moore. Long has just returned to work after being postponed due to insubordination. Length is placed on administrative leave immediately after the incident; Rodriguez and Smith were placed on administrative leave on 12 April. Their superintendent, Sergeant John Moore, was then subject to administrative leave on April 19. The Chicago Aviation Department said that "The incident at United Flight 3411 does not comply with our standards, the operating procedures and actions of the aviation security officers are clearly unforgivable by the Department..." The aviation police received more training and better payouts than private security guards, but less training and less pay than officers from the Chicago Police Department.
City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson launched an investigation shortly after the incident.
Airport security change
On June 29, 2017, the Illinois Law Enforcement and Standard Council decreed the Chicago Department of Aviation Police Department, stating that the agency "never" became a police institution. They are regarded as security, and forward, the Chicago Police Department will be the primary respondent for all airport disruption calls. The union representing 300 officers' departments, the local SEIU 73, challenged the downgrades of the police to security in a grievance of unfair employment practices.
Following the review requested by this incident, in July 2017, the Chicago Aviation Department reported that their unarmed and unarmed airport security personnel were not police officers under Illinois law. Their uniforms, badges, and vehicles are "inappropriate" labeled "police" for historical reasons. It promises that the wrong emblem will be removed in a few months.
Social media
The video footage of passengers who remained on the plane during the incident was widely shared, and subsequently retrieved by major media agencies. One of the videos was shared 87,000 times and viewed 6.8 million times in less than a day.
The victim was initially considered a Chinese American as one of the witnesses told The Washington Post, "more or less," I was chosen because I am Chinese. "His daughter, Crystal Dao Pepper, later told a press conference that her father was Chinese, causing anger at mainland Chinese and Vietnamese social media, and becoming the number one trendy topic on China's micro-blogging site, Weibo, more than 480 million users The incident also angered the Yelp user and the low star rating given to United Airlines in Chicago and other cities including San Francisco An article in Foreign Policy noted the racial and politics for wide-spread video across mainland China, where there is a heated debate about the nature of the American political system and its relationship with China, and insists that the video will serve the ends of o American critics and critics in challenging the influence of American culture in China. Ire in Vietnam grew after it was reported to be the origin of Dao in the country. There are also negative reactions to allegations of Dao's past reported in the United States, which are seen as irrelevant and possibly racist. The Dao accounts that report on racially profiled feelings are instigated elsewhere in Asia.
The incident came shortly after another controversy in which United refused to board two teenage girls wearing leggings. There are calls from social media users around the world, especially in the United States, China, and Vietnam, to boycott United Airlines. Airline customers send a picture of United's loyalty or credit card dismembered. Another petition calls on the US federal government to launch an investigation into the incident, applying for the Black Lives Matter movement using the "#ChineseLivesMatters" hashtag.
Stock market
Shares of United Continental Holdings (UAL), parent of United Airlines, closed at $ 70.88 on April 7. On April 10, the first trading day after the incident, they rose 0.9% to close at $ 71.52. Although UAL shares fell 1.1% on April 11, they closed at $ 70.71, just $ 0.17, or 0.2% lower than the April 7 closing price. Furthermore, they are trading above their April 7 closing price during the trading session of April 12.
The research analyst, S3 Partners, commented on the impact of the incident on UAL's financial performance in the future, saying that "consumers may have little choice but to fly UAL because of airline consolidation, which has reduced competition over most routes. fewer choices today when it comes to operators, UAL revenue may not suffer as much as unless passengers opt for longer and more expensive flights. "Analysts Wolfe Research and Cowen & Co also believes in future performance.
Investor Warren Buffett, a major investor in airline stocks, said that United made a "big mistake," and public perception was affected by the CEO's initial reaction. Buffett said that although airlines could be "like cattle cars," reflecting public preferences for cheap flights, which have resulted in high load factors. The result of a high load factor is "quite a lot of discomfort."
Consumer preferences
A poll of 1,900 people was conducted three days after the incident indicated that all others were equal, 79% of prospective leaflets who had heard of the incident would choose a non-United Airlines flight. 44% will opt for non-United Airlines flights even though they cost $ 66 more and take an additional three hours.
Despite calls for a boycott, United Airlines reported a 39% greater profit than a year earlier in the second quarter of 2017, as well as an increase in sales. Economist John Kwoka Jr. linking this to the high level of consolidation of American airlines, with the majority of flights controlled by four companies - America, Delta, America and the Southwest - made the boycott impractical. In addition, for many travelers, ticket prices are the main determinant when booking flights, surpassing other considerations such as customer service.
Industry behavior
In August 2017, data from the US Department of Transport showed that passenger levels stumbled to the lowest point since 1995. The rate "severely decreased" from April 2017 (the same month this incident occurred) from 0.62 per 10,000 passengers, to 0 , 44 per 10,000 in the second quarter of 2017.
Responses
United Airlines
On April 9th, United issued a statement: "Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville has been booked over." After our team searched for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the plane voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate We apologize for the excess order. The company also tweeted "Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville has been booked over." After our team searched for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the plane on a voluntary basis and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. " On April 11, United clarified that the flight was not excessive, but sold out, and four employees in need of the seat were considered "uphill" passengers who had to travel to another city to work as crew.
United CEO Oscar Munoz said on April 10: "This is a disappointing event for all of us here at United I apologize for having to recommit this customer Our team moves with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and do our own detailed reviews about what happened.We also reach these passengers to speak directly to him and discuss further and resolve this situation. "The use of the word" accommodating back "by Munoz received special attention and ridicule from social media and commentators.
Then on April 10, in an email to employees, Munoz praised and defended the crew's actions, while claiming the passengers were "annoying and belligerent". He stated that this was not a mistake, but "Our employees follow the established procedures for handling such situations." This led to an online petition calling for his resignation.
In the next public statement released by United on the afternoon of April 11, 2017, Munoz is more sensitive to public opinion. His record describes the Dao incident as "absolutely terrible" and expresses an understanding of "anger, anger, disappointment" that many feel. He takes full responsibility and apologizes, adding that "No one should be treated badly in this way". He promised to conduct a thorough review and release a report on April 30. The public statement ends with this comment: "I promise we will do better."
During a television interview on April 12, Munoz announced that effective immediately, United Airlines would no longer use the police in situations that forcibly collide: "We will not place law enforcement officers... [to United's plane] to remove booked, paid, passengers who is sitting. "He apologizes to Dao and his family and says," It's not who our family is at United You see us at a bad time this can and never happen again on United Airlines flights. Asked if Dao was guilty in any way, he said, "No, he can not... no one should be treated like that, period."
In response to the signed petition, Munoz said he did not intend to resign.
Three days after the incident, United Airlines chose to provide all passengers on United Express Flight 3411 aircraft compensated equal to the cost of their tickets. An email obtained by the CNN news agency stated that the compensation was a $ 500 voucher for future travel on United Airlines. On April 13, 2017, United internally announced a policy change to ensure that the flight crew was booked "at least 60 minutes before departure." On April 18, Munoz reported that no one would be fired as a result of the incident.
On April 21, it was reported that Munoz would not be the airline's chief, as had been planned, because of the incident. Munoz's employment agreement was changed after the incident to reflect that he would not be appointed chairman. In government archiving, United said that the airline developed the program for 2017 so the compensation was "directly and meaningfully related to progress in improving the customer experience."
United and Dao reached a secret settlement on 27 April. Although the financial requirements of this settlement remain confidential, one of the provisions of the settlement is that of Dr. Dao can not sue the City of Chicago. At the same time, the airline announced ten policy changes in response to the incident. This includes raising the maximum number of travel vouchers for "bounced" passengers from flights up to $ 10,000 and $ 1,500 "without question" charges for lost luggage on a permanent basis, and the company promises to reduce excessive bookings. On December 14, 2017 revised of the Freight Contract Agreement, United Airlines has not raised the amount for passengers who bounced from the previous $ 1350 maximum.
Professional public relations
The handling of the incident by Munoz is described as an "unsettling response" by Bloomberg News, part of a "public relations disaster" for United. Munoz was named "Communicator of the Year for 2017" by PRWeek in March 2017. Steve Barrett, Chief Editor of PRWeek US , then noted: "It's fair to say that if < i> PRWeek is choosing Communicator of the Year now, we will not give it to Oscar Munoz... In time, the next episode and response will be quoted in textbooks as an example of how not respond in crisis. "Public relations expert Rupert Younger, director of the Oxford University Center for Corporate Reputation, called the handling of the" big disappointment "situation. In Younger's view, Munoz should move faster and apologize more from the beginning. Former Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley said: "It is difficult to think of a very wrong case study so quickly."
Master United Executive Board
On April 13, 2017, the Executive Council of the United Masters, the United Airlines bargaining unit of the Air Line Pilots Association trade union, issued a statement to divert errors from United to the Airline Republic, one of the operators under contract to operate United Express flights, Chicago flights. The statement was partially read: "This violent incident should never happen and is the result of excessive force by the Chicago Department of Aviation personnel."
Other airlines
Emirates launched an advertising campaign parodying the slogan "Fly the Friendly Skies" from United Airline and Munoz's statements about airlines in the Middle East. Royal Jordanian posted a no-smoking sign on his Twitter account with the message, "We want to remind you that dragging on flights is strictly prohibited by passengers and crew," and "We're here to keep you together.". Dragging is strictly prohibited. "
Delta Air Lines increased the number of compensation watchdogs that can be offered to passengers transferred from $ 1,350 to $ 9,950 with a gateway agent capable of offering $ 2,000, up from $ 800. American Airlines also enforces a new policy: rising passengers will never be moved for placing others. Southwest Airlines announced that they will no longer book excess flights.
Government of the United States
Executive branch
The White House's "We the People" webpage received 100,000 signatures in a single day - exceeding the threshold required for official review - demanding a government inquiry into the incident. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer commented that "It was an unfortunate incident" and added "when you watch the video, it's annoying to see how it's handled."
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) said it was reviewing the incident. "Although it is legal for airlines to [accidentally] crash passengers off oversold flights when there are not enough volunteers, it is the airline's responsibility to set its own boarding priorities," the agency said in a statement. On April 12, the USDOT stated that "reviewing passengers who were rejected voluntarily from United Express 3411 aircraft to determine whether airlines" abide by oversales rules. "
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called on US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to delay allowing airlines to book excess passengers.
US President Donald Trump criticized United Airlines' response to Dao in an interview with The Wall Street Journal . He said their airline's customer care was "appalling" and that airlines should further increase the financial offer to customers to voluntarily leave the plane, rather than choosing to use force. Trump told The Wall Street Journal : "You know, there's a point where I got off the plane... seriously.. They should have climbed higher, but just randomly say, 'You' Get off the plane , 'it's horrible.'
Congress
The bipartisan senatorial group at the Senate of Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee described the incident as "annoying," and wrote to Munoz and the Chicago Aviation Department. The group is looking for information on mixing crew-scheduling that requires passengers to hand over their seats, and asks whether United considers crashing passengers to accommodate employees to be similar to "oversold" situations. They asked the Chicago Aviation Department about their security protocol and whether the Dao had been passive or threatening during the incident. Both parties are given until April 20, 2017, to respond. United Airlines sent their response on April 26, 2017.
Separately, twenty-one US Senate Democrats wrote a letter to Munoz to express their deep concern, and raised questions about the incident, requesting a response on April 24, 2017.
Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) requested hearings from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T & amp; I). And Lipinski (D-IL), a member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation Committee, asked Congress to amend the law to grant passengers more rights and prevent other similar incidents. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said the incident annoyed and criticized Munoz's "blank apology".
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is drawing up a "Customer Not Cargo Act", which will ban airlines from passengers who crash into passengers on planes and sit by accident. He had previously said United should do more than "apologize", and called for a full investigation. Separately, congressman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) stated that he intends to introduce legislation to end passengers accidentally crashing, which requires airlines to increase their offerings until customers voluntarily hand over their seats. On April 26, 2017, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced a bill that would change the way airlines handle their ups and downs policies.
Illinois General Assembly
Illinois state representative, Peter Breen, has introduced the Airline Passenger Protection Act at Illinois Representative Council. The law prohibits state or local government governments from removing non-hazardous passengers or causing disruption in non-emergency situations. It also prohibits the state of Illinois from doing business with airlines whose policies allow the elimination of paid passengers to make room for employees traveling on non-revenue tickets.
Chicago City Council
The Chicago Municipal Council Flight Committee held a hearing beginning April 13 to investigate the incident. Committee chairman Mike Zalewski said the incident had damaged the reputation of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. Zalewski wants a response from United, Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans and from a union representing the aviation police, SEIU Local 73.
A statement on April 12 by the Chicago Department of Aviation offered commentaries on their security staff: "Although they have limited authority to make arrests, Sunday incidents are not in standard operating procedures or we will tolerate such actions. flight security officer on leave while awaiting a thorough review of the situation The actions we've taken so far reflect what we know today, and as our review continues, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate additional measures. "
Chicago Police Department
Chicago Aviation Security was ordered to remove the word "police" from their uniforms in January 2017, but they did not comply with these instructions. As a result, there was confusion over who responded to the event with some thought that the Chicago Police Department responded. The Chicago Police Department's Communication Office stated that Dr. Dao falls - a statement contrary to what is seen in the two videos. When asked about this, Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, "The CPD has not issued an official statement about it, we are not involved, the Aviation Department has everything you need." When pressed further about why the CPD issued a response about an incident in which they were not involved, Guglielmi said this, "A takeaway for me is to ensure the department press office is more consistent in referring to the appropriate outside agency for an incident in which the CPD is not an agent act or get involved. "
Litigation
Personal injury lawyer Dao asked Cook County Circuit Court for an order requiring United and the city of Chicago to retain all videos, cockpit recordings, and other reports of flight, including personnel files from the Department of Flight officers who withdrew Dao from the plane. United and the city of Chicago agreed, not to attend the trial.
Through his lawyers, Dao described his ordeal as "more terrible" than his experience of the Fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War.
On April 24, Dao's lawyer announced that Dao intends to file a lawsuit against United. Three days later, United and Dao reached a secret settlement.
In April 2018, one of the Department of Aviation officers, James Long, filed a lawsuit against United Airlines and the Chicago Aviation Department on the charge that he was not properly trained to deal with wrongdoers, he was unjustly fired and slandered.
Third-party legal comments
Initial reports and United Airlines initially marked the incident as a consequence of overbooking, leading some experts to question whether that was the case. John Banzhaf, a law professor at George Washington University Law School, stated that United "cited false federal rules to justify illegal demands to force passengers who had already climbed and sat down," because the rule only mentions refusal of riding, passenger after boarding.
Another observed that while United have asserted the right to remove passengers after the ascend, there is no reason to do so specified in the airline contracts applied in this situation. A lawyer firmly stated that United "had absolutely no right to remove the person from the plane" and described the incident as "an attack and a battery."
Chicago City Councilor Michael Zalewski questioned whether the Chicago Airport Police even had the legal authority to enter the plane.
Partners in Kreindler & amp; Kreindler, a law firm specializing in air disaster litigation, concluded, "Unite, if they are smart, will quickly and quietly settle the case."
Cultural impact
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel criticized United Airlines and handled it in a five-minute segment of Jimmy Kimmel Live! which aired on April 10, 2017, and includes videos of the actual incident. Kimmel, referring to the word "accommodating back" used by Munoz, said, "It's like being sanitized, no words, irresponsible, BS company talking."
This incident has been covered in many other comedy shows, including Conan , Ellen and Saturday Night Live . In the sketch of the SNL , Jimmy Fallon's character, Doug proposed a marriage to Jen Cecily Strong after admitting he made "one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make". Jen replied, "No, Doug! You dragged a man off the plane this week!"
The cover of the May 22nd edition of the New Yorker edition illustrates former FBI director James Comey, who has just been fired, dragged down the aisle by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
American actor Will Ferrell mentioned the incident in a speech beginning of May 2017 for the University of Southern California graduation class. Referring to the honorable Doctor of Humane Letters awarded on the same day, he insinuated:
Next time I fly and they ask if there is a doctor on board, now I can jump confidently into my feet and shout, 'I'm a doctor, what can I do? Yeah, no problem, I really can have the baby. 'Hopefully it will be on United Airlines, where I will soon be subdued and dragged off the plane, which we all know will be recorded on someone's iPhone and put on YouTube.
Similar incident
A passenger on a United Airlines flight purchasing a first class ticket from Lihue (Hawaii) to Los Angeles was told to get off the plane because "they need a chair for someone more important." According to the passenger, the gateway agent rudely stated, "We have a priority list, and you are under it." The gate agent then threatened him by saying he would be arrested and handcuffed. He is now considering legal action against United.
A family with Delta Airlines flight was discharged from the plane and threatened with jail time and lost custody of their children by Delta Airlines staff for not giving up the seat they had purchased for their non-flighting teenage son. Delta refused to provide compensation or lodging for the family.
See also
- List of incidents of air rage
- "United Breaks Guitars", a song about the singer's struggle with airlines to get compensation for broken instruments while transiting on United flights
References
External links
- United Express Flight 3411 Review and Action Report
- "Why United Airlines Abuses Subscribers: Operational Excellence Risks" Forbes
- Travel business recently: When capacity management went awry ("Comparison with the turn of the 20th century Atlantic")
- "Do not Fly Without Copy of Rule 240", Consumerist.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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