Dog Dies On United Flight After Passenger Forced To Put Carrier In Overhead Bin

The airlines says it takes “full responsibility for this tragedy.”

Rebecca Shapiro

A dog died aboard a United Airlines plane Monday, after passengers say a fellow flyer was forced to stow her dog in the overhead bin for the duration of the flight.

United Flight 1284 from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to New York’s LaGuardia Airport was rocked by the tragic accident, according to passenger Maggie Gremminger, who tweeted about the event. She said a flight attendant “pushed” the pet owner to put her small dog in the overhead bin. The dog was in a TSA-approved pet carrier, according to The Points Guy. When the flight was over, the passenger found the dog had died.

I just flew into LGA and witnessed a United flight attendant instruct a passenger to put her dog bag in the overhead bin. It was clearly a dog and while the customer was adamant about leaving it under the seat, the attendant pushed her to do so. (1)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

Myself and a fellow passenger felt like that was NOT a thing. I am not a flight attendant tho. Maybe they have air ventilation in there that I didn’t know about. I tried googling rules about pets on board but didn’t have ample time before takeout. (2)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

At the end of the flight, the woman found her dog, deceased. She sat in the airplane aisle on the floor crying, and all of surrounding passengers were utterly stunned. (3)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

I am disgusted and traumatized. Pets are family. How could a trained flight attendant instruct a passenger to place her dog in that bin. It was her job to understand the plane and it’s rules/limitations. (4)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

A spokeswoman for United said the airline is conducting a full investigation into the matter.

“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” she stated. “We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Small pets are allowed to fly aboard airlines in approved carriers. United’s website says that pets that come on a plane must remain under the seat in front of the customer throughout the flight. It makes no mention of ever putting an animal in the overhead bin, which lacks proper air circulation for a living creature, according to The Points Guy.

The news comes less than a year after United faced highly publicized pet deaths on its flights during a tumultuous customer service year for the airline.

A giant bunny, which was expected to grow to be the world’s largest rabbit, was found dead in a plane’s cargo area in April 2017. In August, a family’s 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Lulu died in a plane’s cargo area. That flight had also departed from Houston.

Data from the Department of Transportation shows United Airlines had the highest record for pet deaths among U.S. airlines in 2017 and 2016. In 2017, a total of 18 pets died and 13 were injured among 138,178 total pets transported by United Airlines.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3917949&forum_id=2#35600001)

I think your grasp of English is failing you.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3917949&forum_id=2#35600123)

(nyuug)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3917949&forum_id=2#35600099)