Passengers come forward with more bumping horror stories as United revises policies

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Tuesday, April 18, 2017
More United Airlines controversy
A couple from Utah said they were booted off a flight in Houston for sitting in the wrong seats.

HOUSTON -- A Utah couple claims they were mistreated and booted off a United Airlines flight in Houston for sitting in the wrong seats.[br /][br /][b]VIDEO: [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/travel/video-passenger-dragged-off-overbooked-united-flight/1856004/" TARGET="" REL=""]Passenger dragged off overbooked United flight[/url][/b][br /][br /]The man and woman were flying to Costa Rica for their wedding when they say they were kicked off their flight.[br /][Ads /][br /]Michael Hohl told "Good Morning America" that he and his fiancee moved to empty seats because another passenger had fallen asleep right next to their assigned seats.[br /][br /]A flight attendant told them to move back. Hohl said he complied, but a federal air marshal came on board and asked them to get off.[br /][br /]"Even though we moved to the right seats, we were still taken off the plane," Hohl, said.[br /][br /][b]RELATED: [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/travel/bay-area-groups-accuse-united-of-racial-discrimination/1874940/" TARGET="" REL=""]Bay Area groups accuse United of racial discrimination[/url][/b][br /][br /]The flight wasn't full, but United said they were removed because they insisted on sitting in upgraded seats without paying extra. They said they were willing to pay for the upgrade but were still forced to leave the plane.[br /][br /][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/travel/major-us-airlines-make-changes-after-united-incident/1883584/" TARGET="" REL=""]United Airlines[/url] announced over the weekend that they are changing the policy that allowed Dr. David Dao to be forcibly removed from his seat on the full flight to make room for crewmembers[/url].[br /][Ads /][br /]The airline is now requiring that crews "traveling on its aircraft are booked at least 60 minutes prior to departure." If a passenger does need to be bumped to make room, it will at least happen at the gate.[br /][br /]American Airlines also updated their rules to say they "will not involuntarily remove a revenue passenger who has already boarded in order to give a seat to another passenger."[br /][br /]Delta Airlines is sweetening the incentive to voluntarily give up seats on over-booked flights. Delta is letting employees offer customers nearly $10,000 in compensation to give up seats on overbooked flights, hoping to avoid an uproar like the one that erupted at United after a passenger was dragged off a jet.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/united-airlines" TARGET="" REL=""]Click here[/url] for more stories, photos, and video on United Airlines.[/b]