Image courtesy of www.bbc.com
Source: www.bbc.com
The Kentucky doctor dragged off a United Airlines flight from Chicago earlier this month has received a financial settlement from the airline.
Lawyers for Dr David Dao, 69, say a condition of the payout is that the "amount remain confidential".
United boss Oscar Munoz "said he was going to do the right thing and he has", Dr Dao's lawyers said.
Dr Dao was violently removed by airline law enforcement officers after refusing to give up his seat to United staff.
United Airlines incident: What went wrong?
Video of the bleeding Vietnamese-American doctor went viral online and sparked international outrage.
The airline had asked Dr Dao to leave his seat in order to allow four United staff members to get from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky.
He refused, saying he had patients to see the next day.
Dr Dao's lawyer, Thomas Demetrio, said his client "has become the unintended champion for the adoption of changes which will certainly help improve the lives of literally millions of travellers".
Dr Dao suffered concussion, a broken nose, and lost his two front teeth in an experience that his lawyer said was "more horrifying and harrowing" than his experiences during the Vietnam War.
What the plaintiff's attorneys described as an "amicable settlement" comes on the same day that United Airlines announced a shakeup of its booking policy.
Passengers will now be offered up to $10,000 (£7,700) for giving up their seats, among other changes that Dr Dao's lawyer said should be "applauded".
However, aviation experts doubt that many passengers will actually be offered such a large sum.
Delta Airlines also increased its maximum payout to $9,950 and Southwest Airlines said it will no longer overbook flights "as part of our selling process".
"Every customer deserves to be treated with the highest levels of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect," Mr Munoz said in announcing the airline carrier's change in policy.
"Two weeks ago, we failed to meet that standard and we profoundly apologise."
Three Chicago Department of Aviation officers who pulled Dr Dao off the plane and a supervisor involved in the incident remain on paid leave.
On Wednesday United Airlines once again found itself in the headlines, when a giant rabbit travelling onboard one of its planes died.
The airlines has launched an investigation into the death of the 90cm-long bunny named Simon.
You can just imagine how many millions of dollars that settlement cost. Maybe around 20-30M?. What do you think, guys.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, but think about the other previous cases in the past, I think that money won't even amount to the consequences it resulted to due to their bad business.
DeleteKaya I dont fly United. Cebu Pacific is the best. Chos.
DeleteMaling mali naman talaga kasi. Paid seat yan tapos idadrag mo na parang hayop yung customer para sa staff a libre ang ticket.
DeleteMaybe 20M , but nothing compare to 900M they lost in just one day during the controversy
DeleteAlthough paid ang seat, nasa Terms&Conditions (something that we accept without reading) ng airline companies na they can get you off the plane if they need to. Law enforcement din yung dapat i-investigate as to why naging ganun yung actions nila.
Deleteanon 5:06...let's just say n nasa T&C nga, pero nasa T&C dn b n pde nilang kaladkarain and isang pasaherong ngbayad pra lng s T&C n yan? hindi b pdeng humanap ng iba o kaya nmn ay 3 employees nlng ang pasakayin nla? nkita moh b ung hitsura nung dr? n halos mahubaran n at mahampas ang katawan s mga upuan dhil s kitid ng aisle?
DeleteIt should be!aside from humanity reason, he is a doctor.Paano na kung simpleng mamamayan lang yan at walang pambayad ng abogado?dapat lang ng magtanda sila!
DeleteEven if it is in the fine print, what is clear is that it is a bad business practice, the airline allowing overbooking can really result to such inconvenience...so 5:06 how will you deal with something like that if say yoyr family is about to leave but then the airline asked a family member to deplane? Will you just allow it and let it go?
DeletePera pera lang
DeleteKa-ching ka-ching!
ReplyDeleteHe deserves that compensation.
DeleteThough maling mali ung United but this Dr was not innocent at all.Tigas din kc ulo hindi napaki usapan overload na yong airplane yong 3 pax bumaba nman he threatened the security to sue the Airline and wont go out the airplane.
ReplyDeleteHe had patients to see daw next day
DeleteResearch din pag may time ha... He was already seated, and he was dragged off the plane para ipalit yung staff nila..
Delete5:04 Why has that airline even booked him a ticket for that flight if they cant accomodate? They overbook seats and what pakiusapan ang legit passenger just like with this incident,should airlines continue to overbook with the mindset that they can anyway ask their passengers politely to get off the plane or intimidate them had they refused. I hope you got the message loud and clear that bcos of this airlines have adopted changes and this benefits all pssengers given that we pay for high fares we should all be treated fairly by greedy airlines who are all for profit and personal gain.
Deletekung sayo kaya mangyari yun beks kaloka ka
Delete@5:04 the plane was not overload ..they were asking 4 passenger to give up their seats SO THAT their own 4 employees can get in the plane...read more to learn more.
Delete5:04 yung CEO ng United Airlines mismo admitted na sila ang may mali ang dami mo pa ring kuda, inggit ka lang sa pay out baks.
DeleteThe doctor has to see his patients. May schedule yung tao. Kaya nga sya nagpabook ng day na yon maybe bcos he has to really see his patients that day or the following day. Time is of the essence and then the airline could just easily cancel his flight for their OWN CONVENIENCE? How unfair can they be? Pano nalang kung dying na pala yung mga pasyente nya? Wont you even consider those people waiting for him?
Delete5:04 obviously hindi ka pa nakasakay ng plane hahaha
Delete5:04. Unless he's a security threat, the seated passenger has the right to refuse. What are you gonna do? Beat him and drag him off the plane? Actually that's what happened and what a colossal mistake it was for the airline that they will regret forever.
DeleteFrom what i've read, pumayag na sya nong una but when he learned na the next day pa yung flight na paglilipatan nya, don na sya hindi pumayag kasi nga may mga patients na naghihintay sa kanya.
Deletefrom security to police officer n nakiusap sa kanya hindi natinag. feeling VIP? Important din yong United pilot to catch the connecting flight, the Dr be like " Officer please drag me down the aisle. I need millions to retire and go back to vietnam" LOL
DeleteAng galing mo 12:04 pls know that he is also can feel pa VIP coz he is paying customer. And with this dun kinukuha ang. Pagppasweldo sa Vip PILOT Na sinasabi mo! Ka imbey ka sana di mangyari sayo to, baka unang una kang magpamedia
Delete12:04 shunga sana mangyari yan sayo sigurado mas pa VIP pa feeling mo tse
DeleteWell, America is a lawsuit country so pag naagrabyado ka magpabugbog ka na ng tuluyan with matching drama at arti artihan hehe.
DeleteIf only United raised the cash offer from 800 to a bigger offer say 5k to lure passengers to give up their seats, the scandal would not have happened. Mabilis pa sa alas kwatro im sure passengers would volunteer.
ReplyDeleteImagine, from the cost of a few thousand dollars to solve the problem that turned into a million dollar settlement, PR nightmare, hundre million losses due to decline of United's market value, and public disgust. That's what happened when you have incompetent staff. It all boils down to incompetence in decision making.
Dapat lang naman no!
ReplyDeletethe other two passengers who gave their seats up easily must be kicking themselves. they were paid $2000 if i remember it correctly hehe
ReplyDeleteCguro naman magtatanda na United niyan.
ReplyDelete