The physician who was dragged off a United flight in Chicago this month was verbally and physically abusive, and flailing his arms before he lost his balance and struck his mouth on an armrest, according to the aviation officer who pulled the man out of his seat. The Chicago Department of Aviation on Monday released the officer's report of the incident, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by The AP. The report reveals for the first time the officer's version of what happened aboard the plane at O'Hare International Airport on April 9. The report also includes the name of the officer, James Long, who authorities initially declined to identify. In the report, Long said he boarded the United Express flight after being called in response to a disturbance involving two people regarding a refusal to leave the aircraft. Long said he approached Dr. David Dao to ask the 69-year-old physician to get off the plane. Long said Dao refused and "folded his arms tightly." Long said he reached out to "hold" Dao and was able to pull him away from his window seat on the aircraft and move toward the aisle. "But suddenly the subject started flailing and fighting," Long wrote. Dao then knocked Long's hand off his arm, causing the struggling Dao to fall and strike his mouth on an arm rest on the other side of the aisle, according to the report. Long said he then dragged Dao because Dao refused to stand up. Long said he wrote the report and gave his version of events only because he faced losing his job. In a separate report released Monday, labeled a "Hospitalization Case Report," the Chicago Police Department said Dao was observed striking his face against an armrest as aviation officers "attempted to escort" him from the flight. Long and two other aviation officers were subsequently placed on leave by the aviation department.<br/>
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United has another passenger complaint to deal with -- this time in court. Karen Shiboleth claims she was forced out of her business-class seat during a flight to London from Newark, New Jersey, in September and escorted to the rear of the plane without an explanation. She sued the airline Monday, claiming she’s out $9,146 in fees and award points, but seeks at least $150,000 in punitive damages “to deter such behavior in the future.” Shiboleth said she was on her way to London to begin a master’s degree program in international relations at Kings College. She had originally paid $1,498.90 for a window seat in the economy cabin before using 60,000 American Express miles and an additional $498.56 in fees and expenses to upgrade to premium economy. She said she further upgraded her seat for $1,149 at the airport in order to "ease the burden" of her move and accommodate her heavy luggage, according to the suit. About 20 minutes after she boarded the plane, and 10 minutes before takeoff, a gate attendant got on and demanded she move to the back of the plane. Shiboleth said the attendant grabbed her arm and escorted her, "in tears," to a middle seat in the 21st row near the back of the plane, at one point calling her a vulgar name in front of other passengers, according to the suit. The attendant refused to reimburse her for the upgrade and instead offered her a $750 voucher toward a purchase. "We are aware of the filing and reviewing it, but due to pending litigation we are unable to comment," United said.<br/>
Basic economy fares are expanding into a new batch of United’s markets only two months after they went on sale. The new fares strip away perks such as mileage accrual, overhead bin space and upgrade privileges from economy passengers for a cost savings of about $20. Basic economy was designed to compete with low cost carriers such as Spirit and Frontier. On Delta, which designed and debuted the fares on legacy carriers, at first incorporated basic economy only on routes that competed with the low cost rivals. United, which started selling its basic economy fares in February, took a different tack, instead electing to incorporate the fares on routes between Minneapolis St. Paul and its hubs such as San Francisco and Houston. Throughout the process, both United and its peers picked up heavy criticism from consumer advocates. US Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has been a vocal opponent of basic economy fares. Still, the added revenue from United’s Minneapolis experiment seems to be making a difference and the company is clearly eager to replicate that model throughout its network.<br/>
Asiana Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, which is on lease from Dublin-based SMBC Aviation Capital. The aircraft—part of a six A350 sale-and-leaseback deal—is the first of the type to be operated by a Korean airline. According to Airbus, altogether Asiana has ordered 30 A350s and will initially operate the aircraft on flights from Seoul to Hong Kong and Manila beginning in May. The aircraft are powered by Rolls Royce Trent XWB-84 engines. From Q3 2017, the carrier will deploy the aircraft on premier long-haul routes to Europe and the US, beginning with services from Seoul to London and San Francisco. The A350-900s are configured in a three-class layout with 311 seats, comprising 36 premium economy, 28 business- and 247 economy-class seat. Premium-economy is a new passenger class for Asiana. Asiana Airlines president and CEO Soo-Cheon Kim said the delivery “begins a new chapter in our history bringing significant enhancements to our fleet." <br/>