What started out as a holiday weekend for a man traveling with his dog, ended in a war of words between him and an airline. A reporter attempted to travel with his dog to Washington, DC for the Fourth of July. He ran into some trouble with the airline when it came time to check in for his flight.
It seems as though the confrontation got lost in translation. But, thankfully, there was a happy ending for all.
Super cool of @AmericanAir to destroy our holiday travel plans because Lou is five pounds over the weight limit. Never had a problem on AA or any other airline, so I sure know which one I’m never booking with again. pic.twitter.com/ny8CSUvU8s
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) July 3, 2019
Please Board By Your Group Number
When Daily Beast reporter Lachlan Markay attempted to check-in for his flight, employees at American Airlines said his dog Lou could not join him.
Lachlan wrote a tweet that quickly went viral. He claimed the airline would not allow them on the plane because of Lou’s weight.
However, American Airlines had a different story. In a statement to Fox News, the airline said they were concerned for Lou’s safety.
“[We have] policies in place to protect pets that travel on American Airlines. Our policy states on aa.com: Pets must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in their kennel (without touching any side or the top of the container). Lou was unable to comply with those requirements, which was reiterated to Mr. Markay. Lou’s weight was never the concern, but it was the size of the kennel.”
Well that was easy and hassle-free pic.twitter.com/zNj4O1zPQk
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) July 7, 2019
Up in the Air
Eventually, American Airlines allowed Lachlan and Lou to fly together. They deemed this a one-time exception. In the future, the airline said, Lou would need a larger kennel.
PUPDATE: We made it! AA wisely decided to make an exception. A special thank you to Camille and Adrian on AA’s DCA team for the help and to all of you. #LetLouFly
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) July 3, 2019
On their return flight, Lachlan and Lou faced no issues. This time, the pair flew Southwest Airlines where Lachlan claimed to have no problems with the kennel.
Though some would praise the airline and passenger for coming to an agreement quickly, others might take issue with how this was handled. Airlines who have not stuck to policy have caused unfortunate accidents in the past, and those with snub-nosed breed dogs should be extra careful. What do you think? Should the airline stick to it’s policy’s for the sake of safety? Or should exceptions be made where they can? Let us know on Facebook.
Featured image c/o Lachlan Markay Twitter
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