No, I haven't, but to that I add a question. On almost every full flight I've ever been on, an announcement will be made asking for passengers willing to be bumped. I always assume it's because of overbooking and that the airline would rather bump willing rather than non-willing people, like Carol Anne Gotbaum. If this is the case, I don't understand why the passengers willing to give up their seats in her case couldn't. Am I missing something?

I wrote about Ms. Gotbaum's tragic death today at Babble:

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/default.aspx#45634

It seems to me the crux of the issue here isn't problems with airport security and overly zealous ticket agents: the problem is she was traveling ALONE and no one helped her...

I sort of agree with Redsy. WHY did her family, knowing her mental/physical state, allow her to fly alone? AND, her husband called the airline/airport and said, "My wife needs help.". Then, buddy...why didn't you fly WITH her?

Tragic on many levels.

I agree with you: given the scrimping and scrounging and deterioration in the passenger experience in recent years, it was only a matter of time before a tragedy like this happened. People who blame Ms. Gotbaum and her family for her decision to fly to rehab alone are completely missing the point: flying these days is a nightmare, and a sick person like her can easily fall through the cracks.

Here are some of the things that should have happened differently, any of which could have prevented Ms. Gotbaum's death:
*the airline should have refrained from overbooking as much as it did
*the airline should not issue seat assignments that it will later have to withdraw--this means deliberately stranding a passenger at the connecting airport
*if the wrong seat assignment was made because of a database error, that database needs fixing yesterday
*the airline should have asked for volunteers to be bumped, but didn't want to have to compensate the volunteers
*the passengers who volunteered to give her their seats should have been allowed to do so ("against security policy", my foot--the airline just didn't want to deal with it)
*airport police should have known not to leave a handcuffed prisoner unattended
*if they weren't staffed to observe a handcuffed prisoner, they need to hire and train more staff yesterday.

All this is the result of trying to implement strict security policies on the cheap. It's also why I avoid flying these days like I avoid sticking my arm into a woodchipper.

The airlines are required by law to ask for volunteers before involuntarily bumping people.

"Weep and protest"? K.C., that's misleading. Why not quote the police report: "There was a subsequent verbal altercation at the gate in Concourse B between Ms. Gotbaum and the gate attendant. Ms. Gotbaum became agitated and loud and at some point threw her hand-held PDA, just missing a citizen, which broke into pieces."

I suspect that she wasn't permitted to switch seats with another passenger because she was already angry and abusive. They may have wanted her to take time to calm down from screaming and throwing things before being allowed to board.

Blame the airline? Blame the airport police/security? How about blaming the family of this woman? If she was this emotionally fragile that she completely disintegrates when she doesn't get on her flight, she should have been accompanied by someone. I expect the airport police to cuff and lead away someone screaming at the top of their lungs that they are "not a terrorist" and making a scene like this woman did. People who do NOT see the stupid decision made by a family to let this woman fly alone DO NOT GET THE POINT.

I have thankfully never been bumped (I fear the rage blackout that will ensue), and I have actually never had a problem with US Airways. But I would like to describe how on a September USAirways flight, they did not notice they had overbooked by one seat until we were all on the plane! The +one would not leave the plane, and as she pleaded her case at the front, they repeatedly asked for volunteers with the typical hotel plus free flight offer. It seemed we were going to just sit on the tarmac forever when someone finally volunteered. We all applauded her and said "give her 2 free tickets." The "extra" person took her seat and we took off.
If you are in a frequent flyer program do you have any extra protection from bumping? Is the best strategy to check in as early as possible?

I'm sure she was completely out of control -- getting bumped was just the last straw for her. Obviously airline employees shouldn't be expected to cope with abusive passengers. Two points here: I don't think the gate personnel are the villains here, but the cost-cutting corporate types who mandate the overbooking in the first place. And the earlier point about the stress of airline travel reducing someone to hysteria is completely understandable. Not justifiable, but understandable.

I, for one, don't blame her family for letting her fly alone. Think about it. She had her ticket confirmed through to Tucson. She had allowed enough time for the connecting flight. What could possibly go wrong? (Yeah, right.)

Yeah, it doesn't hurt to check in early, since last arrived = first bumped. (Although we've certainly heard from readers who checked in early and still got bumped.)

Also, know your rights. Airlines are legally required to ask for volunteers to be bumped before they involuntarily bump you, and must offer you additional compensation if you're delayed more than two hours -- up to $400 cash (you don't have to take a voucher). If they don't get enough volunteers, they will board first- and business-class passengers, elite frequent fliers, and then those with seat assignments (although we see how big a help this was to Ms. Gotbaum). Those without seat assignments and those who checked in late are at the bottom of the list.

Here's a response from A.L. Bardach, author of the Outlook piece, to the question about why the airline didn't accept the offers of other passengers who volunteered to be bumped:

I cannot figure that one out...We were very puzzled when 3 people offered to switch w/ us- and were talked out of it. Perhaps it's too much trouble for them and the staff are already irritated and exhausted. That's my best guess. or maybe there are some rules we do not know.

It struck us as being quite mean-spirited...Perhaps the counter personnel cannot handle any more...One counter person told us he had to be at airport at 3 a.m. to do the baggage unloading then worked the counters, - and he worked 12 hour shifts and his doctor told him he had to quit working there.

So this is how I understand it: The security staff at the airport has the authority to subdue, handcuff, and arrest a woman for acting out after being denied the seat that she has paid for and reserved, but has no authority to simply order the airline personnel to stop being a**holes and let her take the seat being offered by another passenger.

Yeah, makes sense. Sure.

Take the question out of the airport setting. If someone in the lobby of your workplace, or at Starbucks, or on the Metro suddenly erupted into anger and began screaming and throwing things, is it really that unreasonable to think that security will be called? Sure, maybe the person has had a really bad day, but at some point they become a threat to the people around them.

She is dead. DEAD. This is insane. You cannot take someone into custody, do everything properly and the person end up dead. If she was too distraught to fly, she was too distraght to be left alone, hysterical and clearly improperly restrained. If this were a physical health emergency I am sure an ambulance would have been called. I cannot understand why that was not done in this case. This woman should not have been left alone. If there was not staff to keep her safe then an ambulance should have been called. If someone dies in custody then the people taking custody of them are responsible.

Tom T is right - there seems to be more to the story than the bloger's version

That doesn't excuse the police from their outrageous neglect.

After looking at the security video, I was surprised that it took so many security people to subdue Ms. Gotbaum by shoving her to the floor when she didn't appear to be flailing her arms or attempting to get away. The majority of airline tickets today are non refundable so I think that if you've paid for a seat, you should be entitled to it regardless of how much more another passenger paid at a later date. I would be extremely upset if my confirmed seat had been given away but would know not to appear to be out of control. Airports these days aren't places to display erratic behavior of any kind. Ms. Gotbaum was obviously fragile and the fact that a member of her family did not accompany her is sad but not her fault. What worries me is that people are still able to send unaccompanied minors as young as 5 on flights. I can't imagine anyone with any sense doing that now.

I don't know this lady's story, but I would hope the airline would do what it could to keep violent, abusive drunks off any plane I'm flying on. I don't care if they have a reserved seat or not, if you've been drinking and are screaming and throwing things, I don't want you on my plane.

I fly a lot (like 30-40 times a year), and I have had so many experiences like this (getting bumped from overbooking, or poor airline choices), that I could write a book. The one thing I can say, though this obviously upsets nearly anyone it happens to, HOW the airline handles it, and what they do to calm the passengers down, and how effectively they provide some sort of feeling that 'we will take care of you', makes all the difference. I have found both fantastic and dreadful experiences on most airlines. But, by and large, I find that the bad employee 'handling' outnumbers the good by a large amount.

I will related my worst experience though, of poor airline choices in this area: It was 2 days before Christmas, at Laguardia Airport, where all flights were overbooked, not just for that night, but of course the next day as well, and the airline decided (without telling passengers), that because of weather conditions (low ceiling) they needed to reduce the weight on the plane. Everyone had tickets, seats, the works. All checked in and patiently waiting for our delayed flight.

When they called the flight, everyone queued up, and started boarding, and about 2/3rds of the way through, they stopped the line and told the rest of us (who hadn't bum rushed the gate..usually considered a considerate passenger), that we couldn't board because of weight concerns. I asked, (as the cut off was at me) where was my luggage... it was ON THE PLANE! I asked why they don't just remove the luggage and let the passengers on, and they said, sorry. Not "we can't" or "we won't" but Sorry! I have had this exact situation where they have removed luggage, so I know it is possible. They also didn't ask any customer beforehand if someone could fly some other time, (not likely, but still), and basically just decided screw the people who waited patiently to board. It didn't matter that I had booked my seat 3 months in advance either.

So, 12 passengers were left on the ground while their empty seats, their luggage and everyone elses luggage went home for Christmas. We obviously couldn't fly out that night, and after waiting for hours in a line at customer service I was told that I could get home 2 days later in time for Christmas NIGHT, or I could fly to an airport on standby and then drive the 4+ hours home, if I actually got a seat, then I could make it home by tomorrow night.

This illustrious airline was US Air. Who, at Christmas, couldn't be bothered to try and get any of those passengers home by removing luggage. Even if they had attempted and gotten 1 extra passenger on, it would have made a difference. But as the gate agent, the customer service person, and everyone we dealt with that day at USAir, it was clear, they couldn't care less.

Boarding AA airlines from Miami to BWI my girlfriend and I was told we could board but not our Laugge. So we waited for the next flight. The Airline attend was very nasty to us. Also I had another simliar eperience Happend to me on AA after my Husband and I boared the Air craft from CAL to BWI I was told my seat number had changed the air line attented decided she wanted to change our seats then she told me not to question her or she may have to call security on me.

Both instance I complained to the Airlines when I arrived home NO ONE every responed back to me that is the reason why I would never every fly AA again.