United Airlines

United+Airlines

It has been a rough couple of weeks for United Airlines with one controversy after another. From two girls being denied a seat on a plane due to their outfits to a doctor being beaten and literally dragged off of a plane; United Airlines has been under attack.

The latest controversy involved a doctor by the name of David Dao, who was dragged off of a United flight after a reported violent confrontation with the staff. The confrontation started because the flight ran out of room, but United Airlines needed to transfer a flight crew that was needed the next day in Kentucky. Four passengers were selected at random to be removed from the plane, but two refused. One was Dao, who officers attempted to remove forcibly, but the doctor refused, saying he had patients to attend to the next day. He was seen being escorted off the plane in a confused and bloodied state.

It is reported that his injuries include a concussion, a broken nose, and two missing teeth. United Airlines claims the passenger was violent towards the officers, although the four officers involved in the controversy have been placed on administrative leave.

Another recent scandal for United Airlines was when they barred two young girls from boarding the plane because of “inappropriate outfits”. Three girls who were using a pass meant for family and friends of an airline employee were shocked to learn that their attire was deemed inappropriate because it did not comply with airline dress codes. One of them was able to change, but the other two then missed their flight because of their inability to change their clothes.

In addition to these recent misconducts, United Airlines is also under fire for a staggering number of pet deaths that were linked to the airline company. Recently, a rabbit that was set to be the largest on record was transported on an United Airlines plane, but tragically died during the flight. The rabbit’s owner claims the rabbit, named Simon, was healthy before the flight. Another owner was told her dog would be able to travel with her, but was then placed in isolation and died later in the week due to severe anxiety.

United Airlines has addressed many of the concerns with new policies that they hope will benefit passengers and restore their image. However, their stock has dropped over $1 billion after these recent events. Time will only tell if they can recover from these mishaps.