John Ward excess weight, forcing passengers off plane, no apology, no incentive, our own fault., United airlines

New shock as pasengers get in way of airline going about its business.

There was a quite extraordinary incident the other day, when staff administering a scheduled United Airlines flight bound for Washington from Burlington messed up its carriage weight, and so the plane exceeded its safe take-off load. Being a large corporation, UA immediately decided to inconvenience the innocent passangers by demanding that twenty of them ‘volunteer’ to get off.

When nobody volunteered (there was no incentive, by the way) a staff member announced that she’d check the manifest for the last 20 to check in, and they’d be forcibly removed. Unfotunately for the airline, an irate travel professional was on board and Twittered the whole incident. This is what the UA spin office twittered back:

‘This shouldn’t have happened. We are addressing the situation’.

The professional (a Canadian travel agent) said that there was no anger among the passengers, “only embarrassment”.

My view for some time has been that news is only important insofar as it can tell you stuff about cultures and likely futures. My take from this incident is that:

1. Most large commercial organisations have lost the plot.
2. Most people buying products and services from them will put up with anything.
3. Most governments and companies know this, which is why they carry on expecting to get away with it.

Readers of this site tend to enjoy tutting as they see yet another bunch of cowboys pulling this kind of stunt. But in truth, the ball is in our court – and has been for some time.