DUBAI: Video of police officers dragging a passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight sparked an uproar Monday on social media, and a spokesman for the airline insisted that employees had no choice but to contact authorities to remove the man.
As the flight waited to depart from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, officers could be seen grabbing the screaming man from a window seat, pulling him across the armrest and dragging him down the aisle by his arms. The airline was trying to make room for four of its employees on the Sunday evening flight to Louisville, Kentucky.
Other passengers on Flight 3411 are heard saying, “Please, my God,” “What are you doing?” “This is wrong,” “Look at what you did to him” and “Busted his lip.”
Twitter users are now trolling the airline, comparing it to the movie “Fight Club” and joking that if passengers are going to fly United, they should take a Pepsi on board – a reference to the advertising debacle Pepsi faced last week.
United Airlines is pleased to announce new seating on all domestic flights- in addition to United First and Economy Plus we introduce.... pic.twitter.com/KQjPClU2d2
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) April 10, 2017
Twitter users shared memes.
BREAKING: #United announces a new spokesperson. pic.twitter.com/10rUy7hwqB
— Jason C. (@CounterMoonbat) April 10, 2017
When you on a overbooked @united airlines flight... pic.twitter.com/il4opwlYab
— Santorini Grease (@AdrianNeenan) April 10, 2017
And video footage.
This must be @united 's training video pic.twitter.com/yeqjCv55Z8
— Jack (@JackHTX) April 10, 2017
They also left a flurry of colorful commentary.
The moral of the story is don't fly #United without a Pepsi.
— Travon Free (@Travon) April 10, 2017
And took issue with the CEO’s apology.
Statement from United Airlines CEO on its 're-accommodation' of passenger on Chicago-Louisville flight. pic.twitter.com/cocD3XY4f9
— Byron York (@ByronYork) April 10, 2017
@ByronYork Looks like they re-accommodated the crap out of him
— AJ Spiker (@AJSpiker) April 10, 2017
