Second United Airlines passenger threatened with handcuffs to give seat up for 'more important' flyer

[letsrewindit]

The gigantic headache currently suffered by United Airline's PR team doesn't look like it will go away any time soon as more stories about their mistreatment of passengers start to emerge.

 

Geoff Fearns, 59, president of Tripacific Capital Advisors, has told of an incident a week before the infamous moment seen across the world where David Dao was forcibly dragged screaming from an overbooked flight. Fearns was threatened to be put in handcuffs if he didn't vacate his first-class seat to Los Angeles for "somebody more important".

 

Speaking to the LA Times, Fearns said a United employee came over to him to tell him that he had to get off the plane as the flight was overbooked.

 

Fearns said: "That's when they told me they needed the seat for somebody more important who came at the last minute. They said they have a priority list and this other person was higher on the list than me."

 

The flight was said to have become overbooked as the original aircraft scheduled to make the flight had some mechanical issues, so was replaced with a smaller plane with fewer first class seats. The LA Times said the other passenger deemed to be a "higher priority" than Fearns may have travelled more miles than him.

 

"I understand you might bump people because a flight is full," Fearns added. "But they didn't say anything at the gate. I was already in the seat. And now they were telling me I had no choice. They said they'd put me in cuffs if they had to."

 

Fearns and the airline then compromised and moved the 59-year-year down to economy class. Fearns demanded a full refund for his flight and that United make a $25,000 (£20,000) donation to charity. Both requests were rejected by the airline and instead offered a refund for the difference between a first class and economy ticket as well as a $500 credit for a future trip on the airline.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-passenger-threatened-handcuffs-073030438.html

[The Real Ahjussi]

mess

[Solfa]

A lot of people have had bad experiences with United, and it looks like this has been very common. It's good that more people are coming out. There is at least one good thing coming from that video going viral. With more people coming out like this, it will become harder for United.

 

Side note: this new guy sounded so classy by thinking of charity even in that horrible moment.

[loonatrash]

Get wrekt United

[gayness]

It is common, and it's common hat their airplane always needs maintenance. So fucking shitty.

[spicey babe]

United ain't shit, and I hope this makes people more vocal about their experiences, i guess if there's a lot of them they wouldn't have the time to drag anyone name by the mud.

[cloverz]

wow i didn't know united can make riding an airplane be so scary like that. you won't have a guaranteed seat, possibly threatened & violently pulled out of your seat 

[m_allegretti]

United is trash: