United Airlines escapes fine for passenger dragging incident
United Airlines has escaped punishment over the now infamous passenger dragging incident in April.
Transportation Department officials declined to fine the airline despite violating some overbooking procedure rules.
The Transportation Department came to its decision back in May, according to a letter released by airline passengers’ rights group Flyers Rights.
In the letter the DOT said there was no racial discrimination on United’s part, although it did fail to calculate the proper compensation for one of the five passengers removed from the Chicago-Louisville flight.
Also, it did not provide David Dao with overbooking procedures in writing as is mandatory in such circumstances, the letter said.
The April 9 incident caused an uproar which reverberated across the US airline industry causing changes in company policy over overbooking and a grilling by lawmakers.
United itself was hit by a lawsuit which it swiftly settled for an undisclosed sum.
Flyers Rights criticised the DOT for its response.
"The airlines really have only one regulator – and that’s the DOT. In addition to the bumping rule, they’re supposed to enforce and prohibit any unfair or deceptive conduct by airlines," said Paul Hudson, president of Flyers Rights.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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