[News] "You and your wife will be in jail and your kids will be taken away from you."

[beorhthelm]

This is the bit I don't understand - pay sensible compensation (which will cost way, way less than the value of the adverse publicity, the likes of United have cost themselves) and they'll get takers every time.

this, the US airlines seem to be taking a heavy handed approach to what could be dealt with perfectly civil manner. i mean in this case you could even see technically Delta have a point, going by Bozza's follow up post. rather than an inducement, they threaten incarceration.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Exactly.

I flew with United to the states in February to Boston. At the departure lounge they announced the flight was overbooked, and offered people £600 to get another flight (likely to be later that day).

I was overseeing a group so couldn't change flights, but both myself and 4 other staff members agreed we would've been very tempted had we not had the responsibility of 50 kids.

I thought this was the standard practice. Then if no one takes the offer, they keep upping it until someone does. Had one of these on an Easy jet flight a couple of years back - we didn't take it but someone else did. Funny thing was, it turned out to be the last flight before that Icelandic volcano went off - whoever took the offer would've been stuck for a week.

 

[Gwylan]

I was overseeing a group so couldn't change flights, but both myself and 4 other staff members agreed we would've been very tempted had we not had the responsibility of 50 kids.

What would have been interesting is if the airline had done what United had done and drawn lots to chuck someone off. If it had been you or one of your colleagues, you would have to have travelled one short (and aren't there regulations about that?)

 

[The Clamp]

I was appalled reading this. I hope they sue them out of business.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I can see the airlines point but as others have said, how did he get through security and ticket check? And the threats to take his kids away etc were so out of order. Delta certainly need lessons in customer service.

I'm not a security expert, but it may have been the infant not actually having a seat so therefore the security assumed he would not have a boarding card?

Airline was wrong in how they approached it, but as soon as the 18 year old didn't check in the seat would have been released.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It really needs some kind of generic caution for such occasions that customers can read out to over-officious jobsworths abusing their power. Something along the lines of: “You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in a civil court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence on social media.”

 

[Megazone]

Personally, I'd have just complied to save all the added stress. I'm sure this is just water off a ducks back for Delta. I feel sorry for the parents as they were treated like crap, but that's what you expect these days from any money rich company/ airliner.

 

[sant andreu]

Personally, I'd have just complied to save all the added stress. I'm sure this is just water off a ducks back for Delta. I feel sorry for the parents as they were treated like crap, but that's what you expect these days from any money rich company/ airliner.

The thing is, he did say he'd comply, towards the end he says "okay so what if we just have the infant on our lap", but the barstrd airline says he and his family are getting kicked off whatever happens.

 

[ROSM]

I see that delta are now saying they have reached out to the family. Didn't United reach out just after they'd forcibly dragged off?

 

[Hiney]

I see that delta are now saying they have reached out to the family. Didn't United reach out just after they'd forcibly dragged off?

They should be heavily fined.

For using the phrase 'Reached out to'

Ridiculous.

 

[coagulantwolf]

They should be heavily fined.

For using the phrase 'Reached out to'

Ridiculous.

The family were 'looking to touch base' in reply.

 

[Badger]

They should be heavily fined.

For using the phrase 'Reached out to'

Ridiculous.

That's by FAR their most serious offence.

I've used many different airlines around the World, and the ones in the US are the worst by MILES. The staff are always rude, and they really couldn't care less about customers. I think they just consider them as buses in the air, and provide the appropriate customer service. Delta* are the only airline I've known to fail to put my luggage on a plane (I had a 5 hour layover in Atlanta, they had plenty of time to get it there). I'm sure they try and make their planes look as depressing as possible inside too.

Don't get me started on US airports...




*DELTA = Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive

 

[Westdene Seagull]

They should be heavily fined.

For using the phrase 'Reached out to'

Ridiculous.

Try working for a Cisco partner as I did until recently - wanted to punch every sales person in the face because they used it constantly !!!! What's wrong with the word contacted / contact ??

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

They should be heavily fined.

For using the phrase 'Reached out to'

Ridiculous.

Spot on, my good man. Anyone 'reaching out' to me will know what the meaty bit of a cricket bat feels like on skull bone.

 

[Badger]

Spot on, my good man. Anyone 'reaching out' to me will know what the meaty bit of a cricket bat feels like on skull bone.

Can we touch base on this later?

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Can we touch base on this later?

Ha ha, no worries. I'll just touch (the) base (of my bat) and you stay very still!

 

[PeterOut]

Maybe there is a bit more to this?
If husband, wife and two kids originally book 3 seats (youngest to sit on lap) - then oldest kid flies ahead on a different plane - then from the airline perspective, the oldest kid is a no-show and there is a spare seat that they can put a fare-paying passenger into?
Parents now decide that they want to place youngest child in older child's seat. Airline says that seat is for a no-show, we want to use it for another passenger.
Not for one moment do I support the way in which the airline staff dealt with the situation - quite the opposite - but maybe this is how / why the situation started. Just two entirely different perspectives on exactly the same situation.
Not that my missus and I have ever had different perspectives on the same situation, you understand

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Maybe there is a bit more to this?
If husband, wife and two kids originally book 3 seats (youngest to sit on lap) - then oldest kid flies ahead on a different plane - then from the airline perspective, the oldest kid is a no-show and there is a spare seat that they can put a fare-paying passenger into?
Parents now decide that they want to place youngest child in older child's seat. Airline says that seat is for a no-show, we want to use it for another passenger.
Not for one moment do I support the way in which the airline staff dealt with the situation - quite the opposite - but maybe this is how / why the situation started. Just two entirely different perspectives on exactly the same situation.
Not that my missus and I have ever had different perspectives on the same situation, you understand

That's how I see it, the airline has done nothing wrong from that side of things - the seat would have been released for resale.

Not an issue if no one else buys the seat/standby staff.

It's not over selling as that seat would have been free.

 

[NooBHA]

Everything smacks to me as though the customer is in the right on this one but here's where ''legal eagle'' in me comes into play. The mobile phone is strategically placed so that the guy is clearly filmed throughout the verbal altercation. It sort of smacks to me as PFL (Prepared For Litigation).

Something makes me think he knew he would be in the right but maybe he expected there to be an issue. Either way, he is now in for a winfall through the American Courts where everybody sues everybody.

I hate that culture and the UK is fast following suit in similar matters.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Maybe there is a bit more to this?
If husband, wife and two kids originally book 3 seats (youngest to sit on lap) - then oldest kid flies ahead on a different plane - then from the airline perspective, the oldest kid is a no-show and there is a spare seat that they can put a fare-paying passenger into?
Parents now decide that they want to place youngest child in older child's seat. Airline says that seat is for a no-show, we want to use it for another passenger.
Not for one moment do I support the way in which the airline staff dealt with the situation - quite the opposite - but maybe this is how / why the situation started. Just two entirely different perspectives on exactly the same situation.
Not that my missus and I have ever had different perspectives on the same situation, you understand

That's how I see it, the airline has done nothing wrong from that side of things - the seat would have been released for resale.

Not an issue if no one else buys the seat/standby staff.

It's not over selling as that seat would have been free.

But the toddler would have been checked in for that seat, with the ticket and a boarding pass issued. I can understand it if the airline said the seat couldn't be used before boarding.