Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw slammed United Airlines, accusing an airport agent of grabbing his dog without his consent and accusing the agent’s boss of threatening him with a “shocking” conversation.
Crenshaw shared his and his wife’s experience with United on social media Saturday night. In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Crenshaw says his wife was visiting him with their young daughter, mother-in-law and two small dogs when he was told that pets couldn’t fly. He explained. Crenshaw said staff tried to pull one of the dogs, Joey, out of the carrier even after his wife chose to find another flight.
The lawmaker obtained security footage of the incident from the airport and captured it on X-Video. “I watch as a crazed, unhinged United ticket agent reaches for the dog and begins ripping things out of the dog’s bag while my wife tries to stop him,” the congressman said. Ta.
Crenshaw said that even though his wife and mother-in-law had said they would find him another flight, “a United Airlines employee wanted to take our dog out of the bag. She took it out and took a picture. “I wanted to tell my wife,” he said. Then they’ll never be able to fly again,” he said of his wife’s refusal to allow it.
newsweek United was contacted via email and Crenshaw was contacted by phone for comment.
Crenshaw said he learned of the incident and met with Philip Griffith, United’s vice president of airport operations. Mr. Crenshaw recalled what he had recorded to Mr. Griffith. “I want a video of what happened. I want to know what your company’s regulations are regarding interacting with customers.”
The lawmaker then played audio of Mr Griffiths’ response, in which he was reported to have said: “I deal with people like you and your wife and customers like you every day.” Crenshaw wrote in an X post that the recording of the meeting was “shocking.”
“The disdain that guy has for his customers is obvious,” Crenshaw said of the United executive in the video.
During the meeting, Mr. Griffiths reportedly portrayed a different version of events than Mr. Crenshaw’s account.
The councilor said his wife remained calm during the incident, but Mr Griffiths said during the meeting that his wife was “clumsy” and “agitated”. Meanwhile, Crenshaw claimed in the video that Griffith “was calm with the deputy keeping his hand by his side.”
Crenshaw then asked to see the surveillance footage, which he said “showed exactly what my wife said it would show.” Crenshaw added: “It appears United Airlines is lying.”
The meeting got heated, with Griffiths reportedly saying at one point, “I’m going to end this quickly,” according to an audio recording provided by Crenshaw. Crenshaw reportedly asked Griffith if he was “threatening” him, to which Griffith replied, “Don’t play.” After further back and forth, Mr Griffiths reportedly added: “This meeting is almost over.”
Crenshaw ended his video by asking, “Is it United’s policy for agents to remove passengers’ pets and property without their consent?”
“Many of you are sharing stories of how you were treated poorly by airline personnel during power trips. It’s time to start looking at laws to protect passengers,” Crenshaw wrote in an X post alongside the video. It’s coming. These airlines have taken tens of billions of dollars from the airlines.” Dear taxpayers. United received $10.9 billion, but we owe them more than that.”
Former Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger responded to Crenshaw’s video in an X post on Sunday, writing, “Honestly, this made me angry. I’ve heard people say, ‘Congress can’t touch us.’ We are untouchable. The arrogance of the airlines, especially @United, is astonishing. ”
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