They come on the heels of another incident about two weeks ago in which the airline was forced to defend itself about what some saw as a sexist policy after it barred two teenage girls wearing leggings from a flight. Munoz, who just last month was named Communicator of the Year by PR Week, a trade publication, the videos have turned into a crisis. “Nice to know ‘re-accomodate’ on United now means ‘drag you violently out of your seat,’” one woman posted on Twitter.įor United and Mr. Munoz apologized for having to “re-accomodate these customers,” the internet saw that as a joke. United drew quick criticism for its initial response to the Sunday evening incident, with many people calling it tone deaf. In recent years, as the consolidation has increased, passengers have been forced into a host of policies that ding their wallet and their comfort.īut social media has proved to be a powerful outlet for complaints. Today, four major airlines account for about 80 percent of domestic air travel. The disturbing images of a passenger being violently ejected from an airplane by security officers rippled across a consolidating industry.

“The last thing a paying airline passenger should expect is a physical altercation with law enforcement personnel after boarding, especially one that could likely have been avoided,” the four top leaders of the Senate commerce committee said in a letter on Tuesday to Mr. And lawmakers called for an investigation. In the United States, customers showed pictures of their United loyalty or credit cards cut into pieces. Chinese social media users accused United, which does a lot of business in the country, of racism by targeting Dr. On social media, the firestorm swept around the world. Some videos had showed him with a bloody face.

David Dao, was identified late Tuesday in a statement from his lawyers, who said he was undergoing treatment in a Chicago-area hospital for his injuries. As companies push to make money from baggage fees, seat reservations and other services that were once included with a basic plane ticket, the videos added the potential for an even harsher indignity: sitting in a seat with a ticket and getting physically ejected from the airplane.

“No one should ever be mistreated this way,” Oscar Munoz, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement.īut the videos had already cast an unwelcome light not just on United, but on the airline industry’s efforts to maximize profits. By the afternoon, after more than a day of changing statements, United’s chief executive apologized and promised a review of its policies. United Airlines on Tuesday faced a spiraling crisis from videos showing a passenger being dragged off an airplane, as consumers threatened a boycott of the airline and lawmakers called for an investigation.

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