United Airlines victim was once a celebrated musician

United Airlines victim was once a celebrated musician

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norman lebrecht

April 28, 2017

Dr David Dao, who has reached a private settlement with United Airlines after being dragged off a plane in Chicago, has been recognised as a prominent musician at the former Saigon National Music School.

The author of two prizewinning songs, “Tat Nuoc Dau Dinh” and “Ta Ve Ta Tam Ao Ta,” he founded a group called Bach Viet.

At the fall of Saigon in 1975 he fled to the US and requalified as a medical doctor.

United is known for being especially horrible to musicians.

 

Comments

  • Ungeheuer says:

    Wow

  • Sue says:

    This was an absolutely appalling incident. And the fact that you’ve bought a ticket and have a seat and that actually means nothing!! It’s a wake-up call for all air travellers.

    I hope the good doctor makes United Airlines sing for its supper!!!

    • Max Grimm says:

      Unfortunately, I doubt that it’s possible to really make them sing. If they’re anything like other large companies, they’ll have no problem settling for six/seven/eight figures, sticking other clients/consumers with the incurred cost by slightly raising prices across the board and ending up without missing a single penny.

      • Robert Holmén says:

        For that to work they’d have to have been not already charging the most they could get for each seat (what the market will bear). When did a large corporation ever want less than they could get for something?

        Airline prices seem to be a combination of market forces and collusion but either way, they get everything they can get every day and run the business on that, settlements and all.

        • Max Grimm says:

          That’s an overly simplistic way of putting it, and it does not correspond with the reality of things. If you have a few weeks of free time and don’t frustrate easily, researching pricing and some other financial aspects of airlines might be a worthwhile project (you’ll most likely be surprised).
          By the way, believe it or not, many airlines actually aren’t “charging the most they could get for each seat” (although it sure as hell doesn’t feel that way when paying for tickets) and focus on more than merely passengers and seats.

          “When did a large corporation ever want less than they could get for something?”
          All the time! Of course it’s always a means to an end, resulting in profits or other benefits…

          • Steve P says:

            Careful…this website is not known for opinions that support anything other than socialist constructs. Corporations have to be evil, otherwise there is no narrative.

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