Should United lose business after dragging a paying customer off its plane?

United Airlines has operated since 1926 carries out the mission “to hold ourselves to the highest standards in safety and reliability. We earn trust by doing things the right way and delivering on our commitments every day.” 

On April 9, 2017 an overbooked flight on United caused the airline to randomly select a passenger to leave the flight to make room for crew members. After saying no to the airlines “re-accommodation,” the airline called police, and the 69 year old man proceeded to be yanked out of his seat while screaming. Mr. Dao continued to be dragged by his arms down the aisle and off of the plane. 

What does United have to say about this horrific scene? 

Charlie Hobart, a United spokesman justified the airlines actions by stating that they asked the man several times, politely but Mr. Dao still refused to give up his seat. 

So as long as we ask politely we can drag people out of their seat, right?

Furthermore the spokesman tries to explain that they had to do it because other customers on board needed to get to where they were going “on time and safely.”

I'm sorry, but wasn’t the very man being dragged down the aisle by his arms one of the customers on flight trying to get to where he was going- “on time and SAFELY?”

This is absolute nonsense.

If you’re trying to calm down the media that’s one thing, but claiming that you’re trying to please all your customers while one of them is unwillingly yanked out of his seat is a disgustingly false response.

The airline continued to justify their actions by explaining that Mr. Dao was offered a fair amount of compensation.

This is where United messed up. The best way to solve an overbooking problem like this is to offer the right price. Brian Doherty, Senior Editor of Reason, said it best- the airline should “offer a price to get people to voluntarily give up their seat. But it only works really well if they keep raising the price until they get the volunteer.” Since Mr. Dao and all others on board declined, it was not the right price.

Even if the customer had been offered $1 million in cash prizes or airline rewards, Mr. Dao still has the right to decline and keep his seat.

In addition, United is just one of millions of business in the United States that is expected to uphold certain customer-treatment values. If they do not, customers leave and stop doing business with them.

It’s as simple as that. 

This is no different from the food industry, clothing industry, etc.

If there is a roach in our coffee, that coffee shop will most likely be shut down. If our newly brought 100% Egyptian sheets arrive and we find they are actually made of an imitation fabric, we have the freedom to return it and leave furious comments in customer reviews to warn off future customers.

United is a business, and shouldn’t be treated in any other way. If they make a certain promise to us, we have the liberty to turn their business away, and take other people with us.

That is the beauty of a market.

This is the one thing, we as paying customers to United Airline, could have done better. If we were disgraced by poor customer treatment, then we should have all gotten up and marched off the plane. We shouldn’t stand for such shameful episodes like this for a second. 

So long as Dao is not violating another’s life, liberty, or property, government officials have no right to lay hands on a man who is without treason. 

It’s disturbing that police officers choose to be part of this in any way. Instead, police officers should have stopped security from forcibly removing the man from his seat.

It should be the concern to US citizens when these freedoms are taken away without due cause. 

To know that our government employed officers stand in support of such heinous events, leaves the rest of us in fear of the next time will be when we are unjustly dragged out the door and treated like a criminal for no reason.