Page 3 - Short Cases 1 United Airlines Teaching Note

Teaching Note

United Airlines, a year of procedural slavery

Executive Summary

In March 2017, United Airlines refused to fly two teenage
girls who were wearing leggings and required them to

change their clothes before they were allowed to board

their flight. The gate agent claimed that leggings were

inappropriate dress. The girls were pass travellers
‘representing’ the company and were not allowed to wear

lycra and spandex leggings, flip-flops and so on. However,

social media and some celebrities mocked the company

for its actions. However, April saw United further
criticised after a video was uploaded to the internet

showing a 69-year-old passenger being dragged off an

Asia-American flight at Chicago O’Hare International to
give his seat to a crew member. Dr. David Dao, a

pulmonologist, and one of four passengers who were

selected to involuntarily to leave the flight, was asked to

give up his seat and leave the aircraft. Dr Dao, a paying
passenger, refused and officers were called and dragged

him screaming, and bleeding from the mouth off the

plane. The video went viral and president Donald Trump

and 21 Senators criticised United’s actions. United
apologised saying that “that this type of incident would

never happen again”. Dr Dao reached an amicable

settlement with United at the end of April. But the
damage had been done even to the extent that media

internationally suggested that Dr Dao’s selection had