YOURSAY | ‘United had broken the most important rule of business survival.’

United Airlines under fire after passenger dragged from plane

SteveOh: This is the sickness of the ugly face of American culture. You don't treat a human being like that. And what's sickening is the overall response of the other United Airlines (UA) passengers.

It's a natural human self-preservation response not to simply do nothing. What if other concerned passengers had given the man some verbal and physical support?

This is the ugly face of the American way, uncivilised and the resort to the rule of brute force. Shame.

Anonymous #13114320: Let’s hear the fuller story before we pass judgment. For now, we know he is Asian and he was denied and dragged like an animal, but we didn’t see the earlier part to see why he was treated that way?

Tony Soprano: SteveOh, in fact the other passengers were shouting at the officers not to do what they were doing.

In case you forgot, Malaysia is the place where strangers are rude, callous, racist and barbaric. Every Westerner I know likes Thailand and feels a dark shroud come over them when they enter Malaysia.

Anonymous #13114320, the fuller story has already been given in the US. It had nothing to do with the passenger being Asian but it had everything to do with the extreme incompetence of both United management and the police officers who came aboard.

All US airlines, when there is overbooking to the extent that a passenger has to disembark, the airline is supposed to offer US$1,300 cash compensation. The airline failed to offer more than a token amount and that's why the passenger refused to leave.

The passenger was right and the airline was totally wrong and you will see a substantial passenger boycott of United in the near future. It won't last long, but it will happen.

Fair&Just: Tony Soprano, you are right. We gather that you are overseas and not a local, so thank you for putting effort in highlighting many issues confronting Malaysia.

It's the normal reaction of an ordinary god-loving human being to voice out against any inhumanity and cruelty to fellow humans.

Being overseas, you shall be safe from those vengeful infuriating ‘tuans’. Please continue your noble effort. (How's Alvin Tan? He's in the US but no word from him.)

Spinnot: The ‘fuller story’ was told by a passenger who was seated next to this unlucky passenger in a CNN interview. He said he has spoken to this unlucky passenger and believed he was a nice guy.

Vent: Okay, even if we accept the ‘fuller story’, the video is perfectly clear. The fellow passengers didn't seem to be terribly affected by the fracas except for some aghast faces as far as we can see.

Most remained comfortably strapped in their seats while taking shots of the incident, most probably to add to their holiday conversation pieces.

A case of ‘no skin off their nose’, or ‘I’m all right Jack, who cares about you’?

Appum: This is utterly disgraceful. They were obviously selective in their choice to dislodge a passenger for their own fault of oversold seats.

Why selective? Because they asked for volunteers to go to a next flight but since no one did, they have to select. This is the USA?

I had the same experience years ago with Air Lanka. But we negotiated for a satisfactory solution. Our equipment was already loaded in for a scheduled project with fixed completion date. There were six of us in the team.

Air Lanka flew us to Singapore for a night to take the next flight early morning from there. We were assured our equipment would be there waiting for us when we arrived.

We were put up in a four-star hotel with all the necessary compensation on overnight claims. It was a very sensible and courteous settlement, which was not our fault at all for oversold seats.

We were affected because we were the last to board. Now I hope this couple will sue United for such violent, aggressive and unfair treatment. Sorry is no cure.

Prudent: The US is not known to apologise. So don't hold your breath for an apology from United Airlines.

The US committed some atrocities in Vietnam and refused to apologise. They bombed Laos with more bombs than dropped during the entire World War Two. They allegedly sold cluster bombs to the Saudis to bomb the Yemenis.

The US is still committing atrocities around the world (killing civilians in Mosul, Iraq) and refusing to repent or apologise. They have become an unrepentant country. Only God Almighty can make the US sorry for what it had done and is doing.

This latest racist incident radiating from their racist mentality is the latest sign of the decline of a country which ballyhooed its greatness but which was never truly 'great'.

United had broken the most important rule of business survival - never abuse your customers. The victim involved is a member of the professional class - a vital segment of any airlines' market.

If United Airlines is to survive, it will have to make changes to the way it treats its customers.

Dont Just Talk: The affected Asian couple should file a US$1 million suit against United for being forcibly dragged out of the plane, when they have paid for the flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky.

Why this couple was chosen is because of racial profiling, when the majority of the passengers were white.

Travellers should boycott United to send a message to the company that their employees' behaviour sucks, when Rule No 1 states that the customers are always right.

My Opinion: To the CEO of United and the security guards. The doctor legally and peacefully bought the plane tickets.

It is your own mistake, and you cannot choose him and his wife to be the victims of your mistake.

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