Quote Originally Posted by Mtneer View Post
Bad day for that customer. According to a friend who is a pilot, that guy committed a felony by refusing to obey air crew instructions. It was Chicago PD that hauled him off.

In this case, it wasn't the usual overbooking that is SOP. It's a result of the storms on the East Coast last week that created chaos for all the airlines with flight cancellations. They all have to deadhead crews around the country because many crews hit the time limits or are in the wrong place. Also rescheduled flights often end up on different planes so even a confirmed seat doesn't mean anything after a severe weather event. Many passengers were on standby tickets, which gives them even less rights.

Wasn't even a United crew but subcontractors. Still a PR nightmare for United. But pretty much all airlines suck these days if you don't have Business Class or better.
yeah, fuck your pilot friend. it's that b.s. attitude of "if you cross me it's a felony" that escalates the idiotic tension on planes. If i never set foot on another commercial airliner it'd be fine with me--listening to some a-hole glorified bus driver telling me what the wind direction is. Who, in the history of being a passenger on a plane, gives a crap about the wind speed and wind direction? "oh shit, it's blowing 19 miles from the east in denver--i guess i'd better not eat that second bag of peanuts!"

and as for over booking, i understand how these flying bus lines want to hedge their bets. but have you been on a flight since 9/11 that has had an empty seat? maybe it's just that i'm going places that people want to go, but i can't remember a vacant seat on any flight in the last 15 years.