Flying Somewhere? Maybe Not

A few days ago, a paying passenger who was waiting in his seat for the plane to take off, was forcefully removed from the plane by police. His crime? He had been "selected" by the airline to get bumped so that they could use the seats to transport airline employees. Admittedly, the airline first sought volunteers. Veteran airline travelers know they can get paid well, with sometimes hotel and meals added in, if they give up their seat and take a later flight. Many are willing to accept the offer.

This particular passenger, though, wanted to get where he was going without being delayed (understandable) and refused to give up his seat. The police were called, things escalated to using force, and the passenger was dragged off of the plane, being filmed by fellow passengers.

Unfortunately for you and me, what the airline did (bumping the passenger to give the seat to someone else) is perfectly legal. The law, as well as the "Terms and Conditions" under which they sell you a ticket, allow them to do this. As a result, it is a common practice to sell more tickets than the plane has seats.

Why is this tolerated? Times have changed. Many airlines have gone bankrupt, and the remaining ones run fewer flights. With fewer seats available, the planes are generally full. When you buy a ticket, it is with the understanding that "if you want to fly with us, this is the way it is". The Federal government also appears to be disinclined to prohibit this practice. Have you ever heard of a member of Congress getting bumped? I doubt that would ever happen. Members of Congress get to fly for free anytime they want (the Department of the Treasury pays for their travel, no questions asked). It is more likely that you would get bumped to free up a seat for a member of Congress than one of them get bumped for you.

Call me old fashioned, but I have a problem with this. If I purchase a service, such as an airline ticket, I expect the service to be delivered. Granted, the service is delivered the vast majority of the time, but the fact that you can get screwed over and it's OK is not OK.

In social media regarding this incident, some people are advocating boycotting United Airlines. While this would be easy for me (I have not flown in over 20 years and have no plans to do so), some people (business travelers, for instance) do not have another viable option.

My question to the airlines is: Is there any need for the practice of bumping to continue? If the airline sells a ticket, they are paid up front. If the ticket holder does not show, the seat is empty but also paid for. Does the airline refund the fare to someone who does not show up for the flight? I doubt it. They charge fees if you want to change to a different flight, but they also already have your money.

To me, buying an airline ticket is a gamble. Granted, you are more likely to fly than not, but not all of us are willing to accept getting bumped. To get me to be willing to fly again, it would have to be a REALLY extraordinary circumstance, and I don't see that on the horizon. As long as the current policies and practices continue, I will be boycotting United Airlines and everyone else.