Woman Plans To File A Lawsuit For Not Being Able To Fly With Her 6-Pound Dog On A Plane
Now, she’s going to be spending the holidays alone.
Masarik / Shutterstock Flying during the holidays is stressful. Amidst long security lines, weather delays, and the outrageously loud Christmas music, airports are far from the first place you want to be in the month of December.
For ond woman on TikTok, her experience flying for the holidays took a turn — literally, she took a turn right back home.
After her six-pound dog was rejected for flying with United, she had no other option. United Airlines provided her with no opportunity to rebook, no refund, and no way to bring her dog on the airplane.
It turns out this woman was not the first to have trouble flying with pets on United Airlines on the very same day, in the very same airport.
Trying to get home for the holidays, a woman was shocked when the airline denied her 6-pound dog from flying.
Standing at the baggage check, this woman started her video in pure disbelief. She shared that not only was her little dog in a carrier rejected from flying but the man’s dog beside her was rejected as well. Both passengers had small dogs, within carriers that seemed to fit the requirements, and had flown with United in the past.
“I will probably never fly United again,” the woman admitted, “[the gate agent’s] saying that he’s too big to fly, but let me show you what he weighs in the carrier — 10 pounds.”
The gate agent explained that the woman’s carrier was too small and that her dog was not able to sit, stand, and turn around while the bag was under the seat in front of her.
Continuing to argue back and forth, the woman gave up. She offered to buy an appropriate carrier from United or quickly go buy one herself, but the gate agent still denied her.
She was not able to purchase a new carrier, book a new flight, or get a refund for her ticket.
“She would not allow me to get a new carrier. I showed up three hours before my flight… I was just going to go buy a new carrier. She wasn’t allowing me to purchase a new carrier or switch my carrier.”
Despite originally saying that the carrier was inappropriate to fly with, the gate agent doubled down and said that she would not be able to fly with her dog, even if she purchased a new one because her dog was “too big.”
Photo: Damedeeso / Canva Pro
Another man next to her at the gate check started to yell. His dog had also been denied by the same employee. After asking him why his dog was denied, he said he got a similar response even though he had flown with his dog on United the three days before.
United Airlines’ pet policy is relatively vague on the policy for denying a passenger.
United Airlines’ online pet policy has no clear weight restrictions for pets, but it does have maximum dimensions for a pet carrier and a requirement that your pet be able to “stand up and turn around” while inside.
Despite being able to meet the requirements that were outlined in this policy, the gate agent continued to tell the woman that she would not be able to fly with her dog on the outgoing flight.
“As you know, Christmas is a week away,” the woman said in a follow-up video. “Flights are ridiculous. My flight was booked ahead of time, so booking one now would be crazy — upwards of one thousand dollars… to get home for the holidays.”
Many people shared similar experiences with traveling with pets on United Airlines. However, many of these people were able to get refunds for their tickets, making it easier to book a new flight with their pets.
This woman didn’t have that luxury. Stuck at home before the holidays without a refund, she said she was going to “file a lawsuit” against the airline to make things right. Not only did they refuse her dog and carrier, but they also refused her the ability to be with family over the holidays.
The same airline refused several passengers right before their holiday flights.
Another woman on TikTok, Nehi Patel, shared a similar experience she had earlier in the year before the holidays, but with the same airline, at the same airport.
Her experience was almost a carbon copy of the one above. The gate agent originally told her that the carrier was too big, but then said her dog was too big after she showed them the “TSA-approved” dimensions.
The holidays are stressful without traveling, but add in airport drama and it can feel like a burden instead of a blessing. While there's not much you can do if you get denied at the gate, it's always a good idea to check and double-check any and all airline policies, before you leave for the airport, especially if you are flying with a furry friend.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.