Dog dies on IAH-LGA after FA supposedly insisted pax store dog overhead
Mar 13, 2018, 5:15 pm
#121
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ZRH / SEA, DL PM
Posts: 1,163
I feel for the family and the dog, the FA was clearly wrong, but did overhead bin contributed to dogs death innany way or it had a prior health issue and would have died anyway? Is air flow so restricted in the bins?
Mar 13, 2018, 5:18 pm
#122
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
We have 2 French bull dogs and there is no way I would have put my dog in the bin nor would I allow another passenger to put their dog in the bin, I would have made them kick me off the flight first. Frenchies are a short nose dog like Pugs, Pekingese, etc and many have breathing problems
Mar 13, 2018, 5:20 pm
#123
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVPG, SPG Gold
Posts: 187
Why has nobody asked about the passengers here? First, when the FA tells you to do something idiotic like putting the dog in the overhead doesn't a concerned owner complain vs. just complying? Next, iif you can somehow get past the part where the FA tells you to put the dog in the overhead do you then N
T check on it for the whole flight? This whole thing sounds totally unbelievable.
T check on it for the whole flight? This whole thing sounds totally unbelievable.1. United already claimed responsibility
2. There are 3 separate witnesses collaborating as well as multiple pics.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 13, 2018 at 6:02 pm Reason: discuss the issue;not the poster(s)
Mar 13, 2018, 5:21 pm
#124
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
1). FA knowingly instructs dog to be placed in overhead bins
2). Pax (or anyone else) doesn't check on dog for 3.5 hrs+
Mar 13, 2018, 5:28 pm
#127
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
Isn’t the most obvious explanation simply that the FA never realized that there was a dog in the bag, and that neither the woman nor any of the other nearby passengers realized the OH would be deadly (something I don’t think was obvious to me as a FF and dog owner before now)?
and now everyone feels awful about it and is taking responsibility?
I seriously doubt that today’s IAH to LGA flight was full of a bunch of crazy people hellbent on killing a dog (by demanding it be placed in an OH, not checking on the thing, and not speaking up when they saw it happen)
and now everyone feels awful about it and is taking responsibility?
I seriously doubt that today’s IAH to LGA flight was full of a bunch of crazy people hellbent on killing a dog (by demanding it be placed in an OH, not checking on the thing, and not speaking up when they saw it happen)
Mar 13, 2018, 5:32 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
The New York Times has picked this up to and has these details:
The Times also confirms that it was a black French bulldog. As others have said, those dogs have breathing issues.
Pretty shocking. It's possible to question the judgement of the passengers a bit, especially if the pet carrier was too large to go under the seat, but this is obviously overwhelmingly on United. The flight attendant's comments as relayed by the witness suggest that the carrier was too large to go under the seat.
“The pet owner was very adamant that she did not want to put the pet carrier up above,” Ms. Gremminger [a witness] said. “She was saying verbally, ‘My dog is in here, no, this is my dog.’ The flight attendant, in response, really just continued to ask her to put it above because it was a hazard where it was, it was a safety emergency, someone could trip.” [...]
Ms. Gremminger said the owner was preoccupied by her infant during the flight and did not check on the pet, which fell eerily silent after barking during takeoff and as the plane ascended to its cruising altitude.
Ms. Gremminger said the owner was preoccupied by her infant during the flight and did not check on the pet, which fell eerily silent after barking during takeoff and as the plane ascended to its cruising altitude.
Pretty shocking. It's possible to question the judgement of the passengers a bit, especially if the pet carrier was too large to go under the seat, but this is obviously overwhelmingly on United. The flight attendant's comments as relayed by the witness suggest that the carrier was too large to go under the seat.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:33 pm
#129
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wners just going along with the dog in the overhead and leaving it there the whole flight. I would think most people bullied in such a manner would at least want to check on their pet.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 13, 2018 at 6:04 pm Reason: quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
Mar 13, 2018, 5:33 pm
#130
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,695
As a brief aside, the border advertising right now is for chewy.com (dog supplies). Nice. 
Mar 13, 2018, 5:35 pm
#131
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
and that neither the woman nor any of the other nearby passengers realized the OH would be deadly (something I don’t think was obvious to me as a FF and dog owner before now)?
Mar 13, 2018, 5:38 pm
#132
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
I like how some people basically say that the demand is so asinine and stupid that the owners are at fault for not refusing the demand. Now even if the owners' conduct wasn't ideal - and it clearly wasn't - the root problem here is a borderline criminal level of incompetence on part of the FA. Note that under the current system this champion is eligible for performance bonuses, at least prior to this incident.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:40 pm
#133
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Posts: 29,585
The New York Times has picked this up to and has these details:
The Times also confirms that it was a black French bulldog. As others have said, those dogs have breathing issues.
Pretty shocking. It's possible to question the judgement of the passengers a bit, especially if the pet carrier was too large to go under the seat, but this is obviously overwhelmingly on United. The flight attendant's comments as relayed by the witness suggest that the carrier was too large to go under the seat.
The Times also confirms that it was a black French bulldog. As others have said, those dogs have breathing issues.
Pretty shocking. It's possible to question the judgement of the passengers a bit, especially if the pet carrier was too large to go under the seat, but this is obviously overwhelmingly on United. The flight attendant's comments as relayed by the witness suggest that the carrier was too large to go under the seat.
And assuming that the passenger indeed paid the necessary $125 in-cabin pet fee at check-in, the UA employee who accepted the payment should have verified that the carrier was of a size that complied with UA policy.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:41 pm
#134
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
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If the pet carrier doesn't fit under the seat in a manner safe for both the humans and the pet, FA should have DB'd the pax?
Soft sided, may be hard to tell.
Soft sided, may be hard to tell.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:41 pm
#135
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
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Posts: 6,638
Looks like all those millions they are spending on "empthy" training is working out well - maybe they need to cut more domestic F service to keep the customers happy