After outrage and massive bungles, United Airlines now has a plan to win back trust

CALIFORNIA, U.S. - After multiple PR bungles and drawing much bad press this month, United Airlines has decided to end the bad, bad month with a new announcement.

The airline has said it will offer up to $10,000 to passengers who give up seats on overbooked flights.

The airline previously said it will cut back on overbooking and that it is developing an automated system to gauge customers' interest in voluntary, compensated bumping at check-in.

The move also comes immediately after its rival, Delta Air Lines Inc said it will pay as much as $9,950 for volunteers to get off overbooked flights.

Earlier, United said that it had launched an inquiry after a passenger was dragged off a fully booked United flight this month.

It was one of the biggest controversies to grip the airline was the emergence of the video of 69-year-old traveller, Dr David Dao being dragged out of the plane, to accommodate United employees who needed to fly to Louisville for another flight. 

The video immediately went viral and left the airline shamefaced.

It emerged that after Dao refused a travel voucher incentive, citing his need to see patients the next morning, Chicago aviation officers dragged him from his seat, down the aisle - leaving other passengers horrified at the brutality. 

Dao’s attorney Thomas Demetrio, who held a press conference subsequently, said Dao had suffered a broken nose, missing teeth, sinus injury and “significant” concussion. 

He has filed a lawsuit against United and the city of Chicago in Cook County Circuit Court.

Prior to this, United faced another embarrassing incident after two teen girls were kicked off a flight for wearing leggings. 

Due to the incident, the airlines’ CEO Oscar Munoz had faced calls for his resignation and profusely apologized. 

In another incident the same month, a couple, headed to their wedding were said to be booted from a United Airlines flight, because they changed seats without permission. 

Further, this week, a ten-month-old, 90 cm-long rabbit called Simon was found dead in the cargo hold of a United Airlines flight to Chicago's O'Hare airport from London Heathrow.

The company has said that it was striving to become a "better, more customer-focused airline" to win back the public's trust after a worldwide furore over Dao's treatment.

Embattled CEO Oscar Munoz said in a statement, “Every customer deserves to be treated with the highest levels of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect. Two weeks ago, we failed to meet that standard. Today, we are taking concrete, meaningful action to make things right.”

The airline said that starting Friday, maximum compensation for voluntary denied boarding will be increased up to $10,000.

It added that there would be no more use of law enforcement officers to remove passengers from flights unless it was a matter of safety and security.

Further, seated passengers would not be asked to leave involuntarily and crews will be booked on flights 60 minutes before departure.

The company would also provide an annual training to staff to handle "the most difficult situations" and customers will be paid at least $1,500 on any permanently lost bags.

The company is also setting up a "customer solutions team" by June to provide gate agents with creative solutions.

They will reportedly explore putting passengers and flight crews on flights to nearby airports, using other airlines or providing ground transportation.