United Airlines said on Thursday it would offer passengers who volunteer to forfeit their seats on overbooked flights up to $10,000 as part of the carrier's efforts to repair the damage from the rough removal of a passenger.
The offer came after rival Delta outlined plans to offer up to $9,950 in such cases.
United also said it would take actions to reduce overbooking flights and improve customer satisfaction.
"Our goal is to reduce incidents of involuntary denial of boarding to as close to zero as possible and become a more customer-focused airline," the carrier said in the statement.
United had spent the last two weeks embroiled in controversy after videos recorded by fellow passengers, which went viral, showed David Dao, 69, yanked from his seat aboard a Louisville, Kentucky-bound United flight before takeoff from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to make room for crew members.
Dao lost two front teeth in the scuffle, incurred a concussion and broke his nose, according to his lawyer, and will likely sue the airline.
United typically oversells flights by less than zero to 3 percent of the plane's seat capacity to account for no-shows.
United said it would no longer call law enforcement to deny passengers boarding, nor would passengers who are already seated be required to give up their seats on overbooked flights.
United will adopt a "no questions asked" policy on permanently lost baggage, paying customers $1,500 for the value of the bag and its contents, beginning in June.
"This is a turning point for all of us at United," Chief Executive Oscar Munoz said in a statement.
Munoz, who took the helm at United in 2015 as part of an effort to improve customer relations, has faced calls to step down after referring to Dao as "disruptive and belligerent" in a statement following the incident.
It sparked a national conversation on U.S. carriers' treatment of customers in an industry comprising just a handful of competitors following years of mergers and consolidations.
United announced last week that Munoz, in a move he himself initiated, would not become company chairman in 2018 as stated in his employment agreement.
Reuters
Thu Apr 27 2017
United also said it would take actions to reduce overbooking flights and improve customer satisfaction. - REUTERS/Louis Nastro
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.
Management of low-cost housing, gov't quarters, focus at Dewan Rakyat today
Also among the highlights, UNICEF report on 12.3pct of teenagers in Klang Valley's PPR face mental health issues and suicidal tendencies.
UN Resolution 1701, cornerstone of any Israel-Hezbollah truce
Here are the resolution's main terms, and a note about subsequent violations and tensions.
Record aid worker deaths in 2024 in 'era of impunity', UN says
So far this year there have been 281 aid worker victims, according to the Aid Worker Security database.