United Airlines pledges new protections for fliers in wake of passenger-dragging incident
United Airlines is pledging a sweeping series of changes that it says will give passengers new protections.
The move comes as the carrier has been beleaguered by a wave of negative press since a passenger was bloodied and dragged off one its flights on April 9. The incident on United Express Flight 3411 was captured on cellphone video and quickly went viral.
On Thursday, United is set to announce 10 new or updated customer service polices meant to prevent episodes like the one that occurred on Flight 3411.
"That breach of public trust is something we have to rework," United CEO Oscar Munoz said in an interview with USA TODAY, calling the service changes part of an effort "to ensure this never happens again."
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TODAY IN THE SKY: United Airlines is making these 10 customer-service policy changes
Among the 10 specific changes announced by the airline, United said that starting Friday (April 28), employees will be able to offer up $10,000 to try to entice overbooked passengers to take different flights. United also said it would reduce overbooking. The airline did not give a specific number, but said in its formal Flight 3411 "Review and Action Report" that it intended to limit the practice "on flights that historically have experienced lower volunteer rates, particularly flights on smaller aircraft and the last flight of the day to a particular destination."
United also said that effective Thursday , it will no longer attempt to involuntarily remove passengers who’ve already boarded their flights “unless safety or security is at risk.” And the carrier is making permanent a policy it adopted April 12 that it will no longer call law enforcement officers to remove passengers except for in cases of "safety and security."
The changes are being announced as part of a “thorough review” of the incident that Munoz said the airline would make and share publicly by the end of the month.
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Munoz made that pledge during his second apology about the incident on April 11. It came after his initial, more-qualified apology fell flat and did little to quell the building uproar about the passenger-dragging incident.
Driven largely by outrage on social media, the story quickly gained legs across the globe. Overseas, it was a trending topic in China. In The U.S., the story provided days of fodder for late-night comedy shows.
"I got caught up in facts and circumstances where I should have just gone with my instinct. My human values, my humanity," Munoz said about the airline's initial statement about Flight 3411. "It was an awful, awful thing that happened. And we should have responded in kind and immediately."
The publicity from Flight 3411 has continued to put United in the news for other perceived service missteps since then.
Just this week, United has drawn headlines for the death of a giant rabbit – perhaps the world’s biggest – that was being transported on one of its flights and for allegedly damaging the clubs of Australian pro golfer Matt Goggin.
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Goggin tweeted a picture of his broken clubs, adding: “I was going to complain but I must admit I'm a little intimidated by @united” – an apparent reference to the April 9 passenger dragging incident.
"It is what it is," Munoz said about extra attention now being paid to United's customer service. "We put ourselves in the spotlight. So, we have to manage it as best as possible."
When asked if a quick response might have blunted the growing fervor about the story, Munoz said that's "probably not an entirely relevant question because it did happen. I messed up. I own that, and that’s really where it stops."
For now, Munoz says United will double down on trying to improve the way it treats its customers. If the airline and its employees follow through, he believes the tarnish to United's reputation will fade.
"The event will linger for a long time," Munoz said. "In some camps, the negative perception will persist. Our challenge is just to fly the way we’ve always done, which is friendly, and prove to folks that there’s nothing for them to worry about. And I think our new policies will be a plus."