(FeaturedNews.com) – Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw recently criticized United Airlines, alleging that an airport employee improperly handled his dog and that a supervisor later confronted him in a distressing manner.
In a social media post on Saturday evening, Crenshaw detailed an incident involving his wife, their infant daughter, his mother-in-law, and their two small dogs at a United Airlines check-in. According to Crenshaw, the family was informed that the dogs could not board the flight. He claims that even after his wife decided to look for an alternative flight, a United agent tried to forcibly remove one of the dogs, named Joey, from its carrier.
Crenshaw obtained and shared security camera footage of the incident on a platform formerly known as Twitter. In the footage, he describes a United agent aggressively reaching for the dog and attempting to remove items from its carrier, while his wife intervened.
The congressman further alleged that despite his family’s willingness to find another flight, the United agent insisted on removing the dog from the bag to take its photo and report his wife, preventing them from flying with United again. His wife, however, did not comply with this request.
United Airlines responded, saying they had tried to amicably address Crenshaw’s concerns but disagreed with his portrayal of the events. The airline defended its staff, asserting they were enforcing United’s pet policies to ensure the safety of the dog.
Crenshaw also recounted a meeting with United’s Vice President of Airport Operations, Phillip Griffith, where he demanded video evidence and clarification on United’s customer interaction policies. He shared an audio recording of the meeting, where Griffith’s tone and comments seemed dismissive and contemptuous towards customers, according to Crenshaw.
During the meeting, Griffith presented a different account of the incident, describing Crenshaw’s wife as agitated and confrontational, contrary to Crenshaw’s claim that she remained calm. Griffith maintained that the United agent had acted appropriately.
Crenshaw highlighted discrepancies between Griffith’s account and the security footage, which he said corroborated his wife’s version of events. The meeting escalated, with Griffith purportedly making veiled threats and eventually declaring the meeting over.
Crenshaw concluded his video by questioning United Airlines’ policy regarding the handling of passengers’ pets and belongings without consent. He suggested the need for legislation to protect airline passengers, especially considering the financial aid airlines received from taxpayers, with United having received $10.9 billion.
Former Illinois Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger also commented on the situation, expressing anger and highlighting the perceived arrogance of airlines, particularly United, in their dealings with Congress and customers. Kinzinger recalled an airline lobbyist mentioning a CEO’s belief in the industry’s invincibility against congressional action.
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