South African Airline Staff Show United Airlines How to Treat Passengers

While United Airlines plunged into a PR disaster with their manhandling of a passenger on an overbooked flight, a South African in-flight crew – believed to be from SaFair – showed how to peacefully handle a sensitive situation, so that a passenger leaves the aircraft on their own accord…

A video of a man, Dr David Dao (69), being horrifically dragged – by three aviation police officers – from his booked and paid-for seat on a United Airlines’ flight in America, went viral this week. (Watch below.)

United has since apologised (although at first it defended its policies) and offered a refund to every passenger who was on the controversial flight. The airline has also promised that police will no longer be used to remove passengers from their overbooked flights.

After the video went viral, many accused United of long having a “disrespectful culture of bullying”. According to his lawyer, Dr Dao suffered a concussion, and may need surgery after his nose was broken and two teeth knocked out. (For an alternative view of the incident, read a pilot wife’s blog here.)

Meanwhile, a video emerged on YouTube on Tuesday that claims to be of a “man removed from SAA airplane after racial altercation”. It’s not clear when and where this happened… and according to those who have watched the video it is SaFair and not SAA.

In this video, the airline staff can be seen treating their passengers with the kind of professionalism that United Airlines could possibly learn from… and in the end, the man at the centre of this incident didn’t need to be escorted off the plane, let alone dragged. He walked off of his own accord…

WATCH Passenger Dr David Dao dragged off United Airlines flight

South African man removes himself after altercation on board SAA flight

Never ones to miss a chance at some humour… South Africans react to the United Airlines incident, with reference to the marches this week to remove President Jacob Zuma.