United Airlines Kicks Off Passenger, Ticks Off China

China's social media was ablaze with outrage Tuesday over United Airlines' forced removal of a passenger identified in news reports as ethnically Chinese.

The incident Sunday night, which was captured by mobile phone cameras, was the No. 1 trending topic on China's Twitter-like microblogging service, Weibo. The topic drew more than 160 million views and about 100,000 comments by early Tuesday evening.

The flurry of online activity comes amid a growing awareness of consumer rights by Chinese citizens, who have taken to social media to complain about everything from bad customer service to poor-quality products.

Samsung Electronics Co. was in the crosshairs of Chinese social-media users last year after its Galaxy Note 7s was recalled due to exploding phones, while Apple Inc. was chastised by netizens several years earlier after a Chinese state-media broadcast accused Apple of being biased against Chinese consumers in its warranty and customer-service policies.

The United incident occurred on a jet departing from Chicago. Many of the comments on Chinese social media focused on alleged discrimination by United, in response to reports by fellow passengers that the man was a doctor who claimed he was selected for removal because of his race.

"This is inherent arrogance," said Song Hongbing, a popular Chinese author, on his verified Weibo account. "I don't think a 69-year-old white doctor would be treated like this."

Others talked about boycotting the airline or canceling their United Airlines credit cards.

"Overselling is the responsibility of the airlines," said Wang Guanxiong, a venture-capital investor, on his verified account. "Why was it an Asian who got beaten? This is purely racial discrimination...boycott United Airlines."

United Airlines Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologized in an online statement, saying the airline would "conduct a detailed review" of the incident and reach out to the passenger directly. A United spokesperson couldn't immediately be reached for comment on the reaction in China.

United has operated in China for more than 30 years and has more nonstop routes to and from the mainland than American Airlines or Delta. Unlike those two carriers, which fly nonstop to the U.S. from Shanghai and Beijing only, United also offers direct flights from second-tier cities such as Chengdu and Xi'an. Last year, United added Hangzhou as a fifth Chinese destination for nonstop flights.

One reason why the episode has struck a chord in China is due to the rise of China's middle class, said Linda Du, general manager at consultancy APCO Worldwide. The number of nonresident visitors from China to the U.S. reached 2.1 million in the first three quarters of 2016, up 14.5% when compared with the same period a year earlier, according the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.

"International travel is now really common for people, either for business or personal pleasure. [Chinese consumers] want equal treatment, a good experience and to be respected," Ms. Du said. "They have a sense of protecting self interest."

Ms. Du noted that social media is one of the few outlets Chinese people have to express themselves. "In China, most of the traditional media is regulated by the Chinese government, so social media---the grass-roots voice-- is the only resource they have."

Many comments on Chinese social media made reference to a popular Chinese TV soap opera, "In the Name of People," which recently portrayed a corrupt official fleeing China aboard a United flight bound for Los Angeles. Mixing fact and fiction, some social-media users joked that the official should have been thrown off the flight as well.

Others used the incident to talk about their own experiences with the airline.

"The arrogance of United Airlines' services, from land to air, makes one's blood boil. I experienced it twice several years ago, and then stopped booking its flight," said Gao Xiaosong, a senior executive at Alibaba's entertainment unit, on his verified Weibo account.

Wayne Ma and Lilian Lin

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 11, 2017 07:58 ET (11:58 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.