Seeking to appease passengers, United Airlines has announced they will refund tickets for all customers present on the chaotic flight. A United Airlines spokesperson told the agencies that the passengers “are receiving compensation for the cost of their tickets.”
According to the airline, the passengers will be compensated equal to the cost of their tickets. They could avail it in the form of cash, travel credits or miles. United Airlines sparked outrage on Monday for the treatment of a passenger who was physically dragged off a plane the airline had overbooked, and one of the security officers involved in the incident was placed on leave pending an investigation.
Videos posted online by other passengers showed a man screaming as officers yanked him from his seat on United Flight 3411 before it departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday.
The airline offered $400 for volunteers to relinquish their seat. When that did not work, they offered $800 per seat. When no one volunteered, four passengers were chosen at random and asked to leave the plane. The incident became a public-relations disaster for the airline company. United Airlines Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz on Tuesday issued an apology for the treatment of the passenger.
“I want you to know that we take full responsibility and we will work to make it right,” Munoz said in a statement, reversing earlier decisions not to apologise directly for the incident.
