United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL)

[Porgie Tirebiter]

Actually, it was Aviation Department "Police" and not the Chicago Police Dept. They broke protocol by boarding the airplane and trying to remove a passenger and that's why they've been suspended from duty. Protocol says they should have passed that job to the CPD.

The original screw up was with Republic Airlines scheduling/dispatch office. If they had to move a crew, the gate agents should have been made aware prior to boarding. Once the blunder was made, instead of re-accommodating (Munoz's phrase) the doctor they should have kept upping the ante until they got a volunteer. Airlines overbook because it's in their economic interest. Like all markets, you have to accept the fact you pay out more than you take in occasionally.

We used to fly aircrews around under Part 135 on charters all the time back in the olden days. I don't think they do that anymore.