Your rights if you are involuntarily bumped.

[pnwmom]

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights

Involuntary Bumping

DOT requires each airline to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn't. Those travelers who don't get to fly are frequently entitled to denied boarding compensation in the form of a check or cash. The amount depends on the price of their ticket and the length of the delay:

SNIP

Airlines may offer free tickets or dollar-amount vouchers for future flights in place of a check for denied boarding compensation. However, if you are bumped involuntarily you have the right to insist on a check if that is your preference. Once you cash the check (or accept the free flight), you will probably lose the ability to pursue more money from the airline later on. However, if being bumped costs you more money than the airline will pay you at the airport, you can try to negotiate a higher settlement with their complaint department. If this doesn't work, you usually have 30 days from the date on the check to decide if you want to accept the amount of the check. You are always free to decline the check (e.g., not cash it) and take the airline to court to try to obtain more compensation. DOT's denied boarding regulation spells out the airlines' minimum obligation to people they bump involuntarily. Finally, don't be a "no-show." If you are holding confirmed reservations you don't plan to use, notify the airline. If you don't, they will cancel all onward or return reservations on your trip.

[NCTraveler]

1. Scanned thru it.

Looks like a must read for frequent travelers and the way they have it set up at can be a quick research tool for the occasional passenger.

K&R

[PsychoBabble]

2. But where's the piece about ...

... having the crap beaten out of you?

Ohhhhhh! Dao was involuntarily ... "bumped." THAT is what United is calling it now.

Anywho, thanks for the info.

[jaysunb]

3. I've tried to get this info across to this crowd here at DU, but the outrage

about the abuse won't let it filter through.

It's doubtful Dr. Dao would prevail in court if he sought damages for the eviction. The physical part is another story. But even that may be problematic for him as the cops were not the first ones to ask him to leave the plane. They didn't just show up without the Captain and crew making an effort to resolve the situation. Too bad nobody recorded the 20 minutes leading up to the violence, but a jury will surely hear about it.

[pnwmom]

4. The "physical part" will be key to the damage issue. n/t

[Denzil_DC]

9. Last we heard, their clumsy OTT attempt at extrication broke his jaw and evidently freaked him out,

along with the passengers who witnessed it and may even have been wondering whether one of them was next

That's your "another story" right there.

Nothing - nothing, NOTHING - excuses the behavior that appears on the contemporaneous videos. NOTHING. Give it up. Just quit grasping for prior video that excuses this.

I can understand being outraged by the factual information emerging (and at some of the half-stories and misinformation I've stayed away from commenting on over the last 24 hours or so), that's just human.

I can't understand what value or point there is in opining gravely that "It's doubtful Dr. Dao would prevail in court" and saying something he may have done (which miraculously doesn't appear on any video that's so far come to light) justifies the treatment. Leave that to the legal eagles, and agree that it was a very ugly scene that should never, ever have happened and shouldn't happen again.

I can assure you now, somebody will be finding things pretty damn "problematic" till this is sorted out, and it won't be Dr. Dao.

[MontanaMama]

5. The flight wasn't "oversold".

United had a staffing issue that they were attempting to fix.

[pnwmom]

6. They should have fixed it by offering enough money to induce another passenger to

voluntarily leave. Everyone has their price point.

[MontanaMama]

8. Cheap Bastards. n/t

[jackssonjack]

7. Overbooking shouldn't be legal.

It's like stealing from a customer. The seat was purchased and whether the purchaser decides to fly is up to them, the airline did not lose any honest profits. They are selling seats twice. The customer loses all money paid for any vacation plans or prepaid hotel accommodations.
If the problem is that the airline needs to transport a crew, then they need to pay the market price of those seats or find an alternative solution to their problem.