Reference no: EM133194393 , Length: 7 pages
David Dao on United Airlines
Question 1. What is Munoz's best move given the circumstances at the end of the case study? What should he do? Please explain your answer in detail.
Question 2. Regulatory rules and United's Conditions of Carriage give an airline permission to "deny boarding" to a passenger on an overbooked flight. See Exhibit 1 Sec. 250.2a. See also Exhibit 2 (United Conditions of Carriage) Sec. 2. Exhibit 2 in the definition section defines an "oversold flight" as a flight where there are more Passengers holding valid confirmed tickets that check-in for the flight within the prescribed check-in time than there are available seats. In your opinion, do these sections allow United to remove a passenger that has already boarded the plane to allow seats for transport crew, not paying passengers? Discuss if United may be in violation of these particular sections given that Dao had already boarded the plane and United allocated four seats to transport crew, not paying passengers.
Question 3. If you were CEO of United, what options do you have in terms of adjusting policies to make sure nothing like Dao's situation happens again? What do you propose to change?
David Dao on United Airlines Discussion Questions
Question 1. Should Munoz publicly disavow his employees actions and why? Consider pros and cons of this approach.
Question 2. Should Munoz support his employees actions and assert that Dao should have followed the rules like everyone else? Consider pros and cons of this approach.
Question 3. Does DOT section 250.2a (Exhibit 1) allow United to remove a passenger that has already boarded the plane? (carefully consider the wording of the clause)
Question 4. Does United Conditions of Carriage Sec. 2 (Exhibit 2) allow United to remove a passenger that has already boarded the plane to allow seats for transport crew, not paying passengers?
Question 5. Did United Act Unlawfully in removing Dao given the clauses assessed in questions 3 & 4?
Question 6. Did United act ethically in removing Dao from the plane? Why or why not?
Question 7. Given the Dao situation, if you were CEO of United, how would you adjust their policies with respect to involuntary denial of boarding to make sure nothing like this happens again? What do you propose to change. Consider and come up with at least 2-3 options.
Question 8. Dao was injured right under the nose of the aircraft crew-the pilot got out of his seat, opened his door, and watched as security staff dragged Dao down the aisle.
a. Should the pilot have done something different or simply relied on airport security to do their job? What could the pilot have done?
Question 9. Do you think that situations like Mr. Dao's were always happening or is this a new phenomenon given the consolidation of airlines and less and less services being offered to customers?
Question 10. How has social media changed how companies deal with situations like Mr. Dao's?
Question 11. Given the importance of video in establishing what occurred onboard, should companies record more themselves (ie-install cameras on planes) or prohibit customers from recording and why?
a. Discuss the pros and cons of mandating cameras to record plane activity.
b. Discuss the pros and cons of prohibiting customers from recording while on a plane.
Question 12. What more could Munoz and his staff do to make this situation with Dao right?