5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty made some suggestions for the CEO of United Airlines when he appeared before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Tuesday.  Esty is the Vice Ranking Member. 

She suggested that paying customers not be bumped off a flight in order to move a crew, telling Oscar Munoz instead to charter a plane for that crew.  Esty said bumping paying customers for employees is the ultimate indication that United hasn’t managed its system well, and is asking customers to pay for that management failure. 

She shared stories from her constituents, recalling cases in which Connecticut residents were stranded on a tarmac or at a gate for hours. 

Esty also admonished Munoz for his slow response to the violent incident, saying that it needed to be more than just a belated press release, it has to be a change in policies, practices and priorities. 

She noted that four airlines control 85 percent of air traffic, not leaving customers a lot of choices.  Esty asked that Munoz come to the table to figure out what standards need to be put in place in order to hold airlines accountable.