Airline passengers deserve to be treated better

As a senior I am disgusted at the behaviour of United Airlines; to think that they would treat a paying passenger who also is a 69year-old senior with such disregard is absolutely appalling. Security not only dragged this gentleman off the plane, they manhandled him so roughly that they broke his nose and his teeth. They are lucky he didn’t have a heart attack in the process.

Why do airlines overbook? It’s like double dipping. They say it’s because they know some passengers won’t show. Well, what difference does it make? The seat has already been paid for and if it’s a no-show at the last minute, I am assuming it would be the passenger who is out of pocket, not the airline. I am quite sure they are not going to refund a no-show so consequently they are getting paid twice for the same seat.

What does Mr. Vaughn Jennings mean as quoted in the paper on April13, “Airlines defend policy”: “Plane seats are perishable commodities. Once the door has been closed, seats on a flight can’t be sold and lose all value.” I ask you what difference does it make if the seat remains empty if it’s already been paid for?

I think it’s about time the airlines started treating the passengers as human beings and not cattle. After all, without the passengers, the employees wouldn’t have a job. Maybe if they want to make more money and cut costs they should start in house and reduce the salaries of some of their top executives, starting with the CEO, Mr. Oscar Munoz.

I for one hope that Dr. David Dao sues United Airlines and wins. He certainly has a lot of people on his side. This type of treatment should not have to be tolerated by young or old, and it’s time we stood up for our rights against these large companies and said “no more.” Anne Bell

Lethbridge