The President of the Consumers’ Association of Canada calls the situation where United Airlines forcibly removed a passenger from an overbooked flight “horrifying and disgusting”.
Bruce Cran says the process of overbooking flights is ridiculous.
He questions what other industry is allowed to sell you something they don’t have, have you pay for it when you can’t get your money back and also force you to lose it at the last minute.
Canada will soon introduce new legislation that will address the problem of people being bumped from flights, but Cran says they’ve been hearing that for three decades.
He says for thirty years he’s been involved in trying to get an airline passenger bill of rights.
Europe has had one for 15 years and the United States has also had a passenger bill of rights for the past 10 years.
Cran says the removed passenger was also attacked by police and the leader of the team has been suspended while the investigation is ongoing.
He says United Airlines spent a huge amount of money on its brand over the years, which is “fly the friendly skies”.
Cran calls the tweets of the airline CEO “arrogant and cavalier”.
The passenger who was removed from the flight now has a lawyer and Cran expects it will be quite costly in the end for United Airlines.
Cran says the passenger is 69-years-old, runs his own business, is a physician who is well thought of and says he can relate to him because he wouldn’t want to volunteer to give up his seat under those circumstances.
The Liberal government has been in office for over a year, but Cran says one of its promises was to bring in an airline passenger bill of rights.
He says the matter has been before the house of parliament four different times and was rejected almost unanimously every single time.
United CEO response to United Express Flight 3411. pic.twitter.com/rF5gNIvVd0
— United (@united) April 10, 2017
