In response, the airline then took efforts to tell “our regular customers” that “leggings are welcome.”

In its contract of carriage, United Continental Holdings Inc. says it chooses those to be bumped based on a fare class, an itinerary, status in its frequent flyer program, “and the time in which the passenger presents him/herself for check-in without advanced seat assignment.”

That means those who paid more for a ticket and those who fly the airline frequently are less likely to be selected as an involuntary bump, criteria that are not unique to the Chicago-based carrier. Look at what you did to him.”

United later confirmed to WHAS 11 in Louisville that the flight was overbooked and that the airline had asked for volunteers to give up their seats. The airline later confirmed in a statement that a passenger aboard Flight 3411 – which was delayed by two hours – refused to leave the aircraft, at which time security was called. “We think this situation was handled in a deplorable fashion, but note that United has the right to refuse boarding to any passenger for any reason,” he said, adding that “demand for UAL flights are unlikely to be affected by this poor customer service incident.”

The incident comes two weeks after United drew social media scorn for enforcing its dress code for those who fly as nonrevenue passengers. “One customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate,” United spokesman Charlie Hobart was quoted by the Chicago Tribune newspaper as saying. “They created their own crisis and handled it miserably.”

This incident comes a few weeks after United Airlines refused to allow two teenage girls onto a flight for wearing stretchy, form-fitting pants because they violated the airline’s dress code for employees and their family and friends.
A United Airlines passenger is dragged off a flight at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The airline company is under fire because of the mistreatment of the passenger.