United Tells Employees Not to Duct-Tape Passengers

Image: United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner at LAX. (photo via Jetlinerimages/iStock Unreleased)
Image: United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner at LAX. (photo via Jetlinerimages/iStock Unreleased)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:05 AM ET, Wed August 18, 2021

Yeah, um, about that whole duct tape phenomenon going on in the airline industry? Let's avoid that.

That's what United Airlines is telling employees in a memo.

At a time when duct tape is trending on social media after a handful of high-profile incidents in which passengers were restrained, United is telling its crew members to avoid using duct tape as a way to dealing with unruly customers, according to the aviation blog One Mile At A Time.

Flight attendants who received the memo are being asked to follow this procedure:

- To address situations calmly, and to deescalate situations as much as possible

- There are designated items on board that could be used in difficult situations that can't be deescalated

- To consult United's safety manual to guide decision-making if a customer isn't behaving well

- To complete an incident report in the event things go wrong, with as many details as possible

As One Mile At A Time pointed out, United, more than any other airline, is likely particularly sensitive to the idea of restraining customers. Remember, four years ago, United forcibly dragged a doctor off a plane who refused to be involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight.

It was an ugly incident that drew all kinds of backlash for United.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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