By now, anyone remotely connected to the news or social media has almost assuredly seen the forcible removal of a doctor from a United Airlines flight. Despite seeming cold-blooded and horribly tone-deaf (“we had to re-accommodate the passenger”), United is not nearly the worst airline when it comes to such “re-accommodation”! According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, (which just so happens to track such things) United is, in fact, second-best among the major air carriers when it comes to bumping passengers off flights. Among these “majors”, JetBlue was the worst offender for last year, followed by Southwest, American, and then United. Delta had the lowest rate of passenger bumping. Since 2008, U.S. airlines have paid a combined $218 million in compensation for passengers “involuntarily denied flight”. Of that, JetBlue has, on average, paid the most to customers for their inconvenience—over $840, while United has paid the least, just $528. The statistics don’t say which of the other carriers treat “involuntarily denied passengers” to broken noses, lost teeth, concussions, and reconstructive surgery.
Airlines re-accommodation numbers
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April 17, 2017