Customer service and satisfaction . . . . . how not to!

[Perpetua]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/10/shock-man-forcibly-removed-overbooked-flight/

[gill2009]

  Unbelievable...& totally outrageous   Perpetua

[DaveJ]

And, apparently, legal - at least in the US.


I'd be majorly pissed.

Reading on Reddit about it last night:
* Seems it's OK and, apparently, quite normal for (maybe US) airlines to overbook seats - making allowance for those who "don't show".
* Sometimes they overbook too many - in which case they normally offer "credits" and/or "inducements" to passengers in the boarding terminal (prior to boarding) to find volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight later.
* For this flight, apparently, the airline wanted the extra seat/s for airline staff - who, apparently were needed to be at the next destination to staff flights from there.
* No volunteers to give up seats were obtained, so they volunteered this fellow.

Just how it got as far as pulling a paying passenger from a seat after boarding is completely beyond me.


I've flown a fair few times from different airports in Oz. I've never ever seen anyone trying to ask for passengers to give up seats to a flight. Never.

[b1mble]

I have, on three continents. All airlines overbook.

[DaveJ]

Apr 11, 2017 8:07:47 GMT b1mble said:

I have, on three continents. All airlines overbook.

Fair enough - perhaps I've traveled at times that were less busy, or in places where it happens less frequently, or just have been lucky. Donno.


I still think it was a bastard act by the airline.

 

[b1mble]

It sure was - about the most epic fail in customer relations ever.

I imagine the lawyers are sharpening their fangs already.

[DaveJ]

Hopefully those lawyers get their chance. And win.

[sydsut]

I hope they're sued for Millions, and Munoz should be publicly humiliated for condoning the beating up of a paying Passenger.

[ghostrider1971]

Nice to see our cousins in the "free world" are as subtle as ever.

If it doesn't do what it's told - beat it up or shoot it

Edit - This was taken from the Book of Faces - "The doctor was given a standby seat, I heard, which means he is supposed to give it up upon request but apparently he refused to do so. Just to give you a untold aspect of the story."

True or not - it doesn't in anyway justify the heaviness of the removal

[lynwlt]

I may be showing my ignorance here but I don't understand how airlines lose money if people don't show up for their flights.

That's the reason given by airlines for overbooking seats, but they already have the money for the 'no shows' flights so they aren't out of pocket...

Am I missing something? (apart from my flight)

[joeten]

I found this lynwlt but for me it still does not answer why they are allowed to www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/why-do-airlines-overbook-flights/ar-BBzHGmu?li=AA54rU you need to read quite a bit further down the page for what they are supposed to do.

[pipeman01]

I'm with lynwlt on this... but the airlines are greedy... if they sell the seat again they more than double the profit as the cost base doesn't increase for the "additional" passenger.

I'ts also cheaper to fly an empty plane so if they sell all the seats (no overbooking) and a handfull of people don't show up they make more profit than with a full plane as they fuel costs / time taken to check in and board etc are reduced...

Overselling the seats is just pure greed

[Pepperty]

This happened to my daughter and her two friends last year - and that was Ryanair on a Liverpool to Majorca flight. They didn't pre-order their seats and when they arrived to check in their flight was full, even though they had paid.

The airline had to put the three of them up in a hotel overnight and pay a taxi back 7 hours later for the next flight. They did get a a free evening meal too but they were only going on a 4 day break and lost one day. The compensation wasn't much either...

Apparently they can legally book 110% for each flight but I was seething for them as my daughter and her friends were teenagers on their first break abroad without parents and this happened to them!