Flying unfriendly skies
United Airlines experiences customer service nightmare following viral video
BACKLASH — United Airlines’ stocks dropped following viral video of passenger physically removed from plane.
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If you have any sort of a vague presence on social media, you’ve heard, seen or read a subtweet about the United Airlines mishap on a flight from Chicago to Louisville.
According to USA Today, David Dao was forcibly removed from a United flight after being asked to leave the plane to make room for flight crew members needed at the
connecting airport.
The entire fiasco went viral after an iPhone video captured by a fellow passenger was posted online.
Many individuals who have viewed the video were outraged by the treatment of the passenger and United’s handling of the situation.
The video shows three security guards yanking Dao out of his seat and dragging him down the center aisle of the plane.
Meanwhile, the rest of the passengers looked on with mixed reactions of shock, horror and disgust.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz sent out an email to all of his employees explaining the situation in an attempt to subdue it.
“This situation was unfortunately compounded when one of the passengers we politely asked to deplane refused, and it became necessary to contact Chicago Aviation Security Officers to help,” Munoz wrote.
“While I deeply regret this situation arose, I also emphatically stand behind all of you, and I want to commend you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure we fly right.”
This incident sparked outrage all over the globe, especially in China where the video was widely shared, acquiring 210 million views.
Many of those viewers accused United of acting from a racially biased standpoint because Dao is Vietnamese.
USA Today reported that the video posted on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, received many negative comments.
One user said that the incident was an act of racism while another insisted United airlines be boycotted.
“No matter what the skin, people should not be treated like this,” the user wrote.
“It is arrogant and rude.”
The CEO of Reputation Management Consultants Eric Schiffer said in an interview with USA Today that the incident will have a major impact on United’s sales.
“When you go onto a United flight, you shouldn’t have to be concerned there will be blood or you will get slammed in the face,” Schiffer said.
“I think you will see an effect on sales from those who are disgusted by the gruesome action. And it’s catastrophic for a brand’s trust.”
Schiffer had his own personal view on the matter as well.
“They are definitely going to lose customers, and they should,” Schiffer said.
Regardless of how this affects United’s economic standing, it will definitely alter their reputation.
This incident is horrific.
No person, if they’re not causing harm to another person or doing something warranting intervention, should be manhandled and dragged across the floor like an animal.
The fact that he was of Asian descent may have been coincidental, but it definitely struck a chord with the community.
Ledgerwood is an opinion writer.