The Daily Populous

United CEO doubles down in email to employees, says passenger was 'disruptive and belligerent'

Authored by cnbc.com

United CEO Oscar Munoz doubled down in a letter to employees on Monday evening, claiming that employees "followed established procedures" when removing a passenger from a plane because it was overbooked, and calling the passenger "disruptive and belligerent.".

United had to ask several passengers who had already boarded a flight from Chicago to Louisville on Sunday evening to leave, as the airline had sold too many tickets.

One man refused to leave, and United called airport officials, who forcibly removed him from the plane.

Video circulated of the incident earlier in the day, showing the man being dragged from the plane and later returning with blood on his face.

The incident drew scorn on Twitter and other social media, especially when Munoz used the euphemism "re-accomodate" in a public statement to describe the customers booted from the flight.

Munoz acknowledged to employees that the company could learn lessons from the incident, but said: "I emphatically stand behind all of you.".

Here's the video, which went viral earlier today:. »

Mars has metal in its atmosphere, reveals NASA probe

Authored by ervse.com

“MAVEN has made the first direct detection of the permanent presence of metal ions in the ionosphere of a planet other than Earth.

Maven (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission) is a space probe built by NASA to study the Martian atmosphere while orbiting Mars.

The team found that the metal ions behaved differently on Mars than on Earth. »

Beryl Good donates ambulance - and ends up being rescued by it

Authored by stuff.co.nz

It was only three months after the north Auckland couple, Beryl and Doug, donated the ambulance Dobegoo (their names combined) to St John, that Beryl had her first accident which required an ambulance.

Last year the Goods won a raffle from St John and decided to give back and donate a $180,000 ambulance.

Renee Clayton/FAIRFAX NZ Warkworth resident, Beryl Good and St John paramedic, Phil Marlow talk to the Rodney Times. »

Man filmed being dragged off United flight causes outrage in China

Authored by cnn.com

(CNN) A public relations disaster for United Airlines is transforming into an international incident in one of its most important markets.

Many commenters called for a boycott of United, accusing the airline of discriminating against the passenger because he is Chinese.

The incident, which quickly went viral in the US and other countries as well as China, has become a public relations nightmare for United. »

United Leaves Blind Passenger On Plane

Authored by consumerist.com

On all three flights, she was told by the flight attendants to remain seated until everyone else was off the plane, and then someone would help her off.

She said she heard the other passengers leave and then the unmistakable sound of the aircraft door being sealed shut.

She had no idea how to open the plane’s door or whether that would be a safe thing to do. »