Originally Posted by
CBreezy
Passenger wasn't removed. He was denied boarding. All reservations issues are handled by customer service. Not a single person would say they would approve forcibly removing a passenger from a flight in that manner. If the gate agent says they have to remove a passenger because it's oversold, the Captain has zero authority to say no. Additionally, once the police arrive, the Captains authority to tell them what they can and can't do is diminished even more.
If the passenger is on board, and then taken off the airplane, he is certainly being "removed". If it is happening onboard the aircraft, or associated with the operation of the aircraft, there is no situation where the Pilot-In-Command has Zero authority, at least not at my airline.
If a gate agent had asked me if they could forcibly remove a passenger having done nothing wrong, in order to facilitate a deadheading crew, my answer would be NO! As it should have been on the United flight we are all talking about.