NJ Gov. Chris Christie Wants Government to Fix Your Airline Problems by Making Everything More Expensive
In the wake of the controversy surrounding United Airlines’ forcible ejection of a passenger in order to make room for four employees, America’s most unpopular governor, Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., is demanding government take action to inconvenience everyone else who flies on planes as well.
On April 9, four passengers were asked to give up their seats on a full United Airlines flight from Chicago to Kentucky to make room for off-duty airline employees who were needed in Louisville the next day. Three passengers went peacefully and one did not. The man who refused to leave the plane created a social media firestorm after video of him being forcibly dragged out and injured surfaced.
The video has caused national shock and outrage, with many — including Gov. Christie — demanding action be taken against United Airlines. The action the governor favors, of course, is government action.
Appearing on Fox News Wednesday, Christie made the case that the Trump administration should stop the practice of airline overbooking.
.@GovChristie slams @United and calls on @POTUS' admin to act after the airline forces passenger off the plane. https://t.co/UP7hgE06GD pic.twitter.com/9y6JwFhfyi
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 12, 2017
“They kicked those people off … to make money and they’re doing it with the permission of the federal government,” Christie said. “So what I’m saying to the administration is, stop them from doing it.”
To that end, Governor Christie sent a letter Tuesday to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao declaring that New Jersey will look for ways to stop overbooking. The letter also demanded the federal government begin issuing regulations to stop the practice.
“The recent conduct of United Airlines personnel has shined a bright light on an issue which the president’s announced regulatory reform could target and benefit travelers all across America,” Christie wrote.
Of course, President Trump wants to repeal regulations. Gov. Christie is arguing for the implementation of a new regulation. In his letter, he called the legal airline practice of overbooking “unconscionable,” insisting that the administration put a stop to the practice.
“The lives of traveling New Jerseyans are being affected every day by the abusive use of this practice,” Christie wrote. “We need this administration to stand up for our traveling Americans. We need to put it to a stop.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation website explains that airlines overbook their scheduled flights to compensate for “no shows.” A flight booked with empty seats is a flight that wastes money, and airlines simply have not been profitable enough in the past to absorb that cost. Christie’s idea is to force airlines to schedule unprofitable flights in the name of protecting consumers, potentially inflicting costs on these companies which they will pass to consumers in the form of more expensive airline tickets and higher airline fees.
The government already mandates consumer protections that require any airline that involuntarily removes passengers to compensate the passengers removed. United Airlines attempted to do this, offering up to $1,000 in flight vouchers for anyone inconvenienced. The price, however, was not raised high enough to entice their customers to get off the plane voluntarily.
The public outrage at United has already forced two apologies from the airline and from its CEO. The man injured while being dragged off the plane likely has a sizeable lawsuit in the works against the airline. And United’s competitors are already taking advantage of their damaged reputation to offer better customer service.
My @SouthwestAir flight attendant said today as I disembarked: ”Thank you for flying SW, where we beat our competitors not our customers."
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) April 11, 2017
In other words, the free market is already working to correct the customer abuses Chris Christie wants government to fix. And the government solution Christie proposes would further inconvenience every commercial flyer in the nation.
Which is typical for a government “solution.” (For more from the author of “NJ Gov. Chris Christie Wants Government to Fix Your Airline Problems by Making Everything More Expensive” please click HERE)
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