Opinion: United’s first mistake: declaring its own employees more important than paying customers

To the editor: Let’s be clear about one thing: The flight from Chicago to Louisville, Ky., Sunday night was not “overbooked” — it was fully booked. United Airlines chose to declare its four, last-minute employee additions as more worthy of a seat than those who’d planned and paid in advance, and opted to boot people who had already boarded (none were waiting to board) in order to seat those employees. (“United Airlines suffers more bad publicity after a passenger is dragged from an overbooked plane,” April 10)

United clearly had other, non-disruptive means to transport those workers, but the airline chose to disrupt its customers’ lives for its own financial benefit. Who were the ones really inconvenienced?

If I were on the flight and one of the employees had sat next to me, and if it were legal, I would have talked on my cellphone the entire trip to give them an idea of what inconvenience is like.

Jim Endsley, Lakewood

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To the editor: Fly the friendly skies of United and witness the cowardice of your fellow passengers doing nothing to stop an assault committed by “law enforcement.”

Fly the friendly skies of United and suffer the consequences of policies so poorly executed, the airline failed to resolve the problem before passengers boarded the plane.

Fly the friendly skies of United and question every aspect of your trip. Try to suspend your disbelief as to the incompetence of Chief Executive Oscar Munoz, who congratulated his employees for following protocol.

Fly the friendly skies, united on other airlines.

Roger Medanich, Palm Springs

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