United Is Under Fire for Dragging a Passenger Off an Overbooked Flight

United Airlines called the police after a seated passenger declined to leave a flight to Louisville, Ky. Officers violently pulled him from his window seat and then down the aisle as passengers yelled at them to stop. A recording of the incident posted on social media sent people into an apoplectic rage over the carrier’s heavy-handed response.

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The incident demonstrates how airline bumping can veer into confrontation. Carriers around the world routinely oversell their flights because it’s a rational response to a mundane situation that occurs daily: People don’t always appear for a flight they’ve purchased. Overselling is a way to cover that situation, while maximizing the airline’s revenue. United should have increased the compensation offered to passengers to entice volunteers, CFRA Research analyst Jim Corridore wrote in a client note Monday. “We think this situation was handled in a deplorable fashion, but note that United has the right to refuse boarding to any passenger for any reason,” he said, adding that “demand for UAL flights are unlikely to be affected by this poor customer service incident.”

Our take: There’s a difference between ‘refusing boarding’ to a passenger and dragging a passenger who paid for that seat off the flight after they’ve boarded. Passengers are understanding about and willing to accommodate delays due to weather, problems with staffing and problems with the plane – but they are, obviously, less understanding of forced bumping, especially after boarding.

Watch the video posted on social media and read analysis of the event: Bloomberg.com