Police officers physically removed a woman from a Southwest Airlines plane before it took off from Baltimore, the latest passenger scuffle to be captured on video and magnified on social media.
After saying she was severely allergic to animals 香蕉视频直播� there were two dogs on board 香蕉视频直播� the woman refused the crew香蕉视频直播檚 request to leave the plane. The crew then called on police to intervene.
A film producer recorded the ensuing struggle between the woman and officers and posted it online. The scene from Tuesday night was reminiscent of an April incident in which security officers yanked a man out of his seat and dragged him off a United Express flight in Chicago, sparking a public outcry about shoddy treatment of airline passengers.
Southwest, perhaps learning from United香蕉视频直播檚 initial hesitant reaction, immediately apologized. 香蕉视频直播淲e are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the customer香蕉视频直播檚 removal by local law enforcement officers,香蕉视频直播� Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Wednesday.
Mainz said the woman had reported she had a life-threatening pet allergy but couldn香蕉视频直播檛 show a medical certificate that she needed to continue on the flight to Los Angeles.
The incident began quietly near the back of the plane, passengers said, as Southwest employees 香蕉视频直播� including one of the pilots 香蕉视频直播� talked to the woman. Mainz said the airline offered to rebook her on a flight the next day, but she declined 香蕉视频直播� hers was the last flight of the night.
Airline employees ended up calling police, and the officers asked her to leave.
One officer pushed her from behind while another pulled her from in front, the video showed.
香蕉视频直播淲hat are you doing?香蕉视频直播� she asked. 香蕉视频直播淚 will walk off. Don香蕉视频直播檛 touch me!香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淎ll right, let香蕉视频直播檚 walk. Let香蕉视频直播檚 walk,香蕉视频直播� one of the officers answered.
One passenger urged the woman to file a complaint, others urged her to walk off the plane so she wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 get injured.
The airline declined to give the passenger香蕉视频直播檚 name. She could be heard identifying herself as a professor. She told officers she needed to get to Los Angeles because her father was having surgery the next day.
香蕉视频直播淪he put up a pretty ferocious fight to not be removed from the plane,香蕉视频直播� said Bill Dumas, the film producer who took the video.
Dumas said the police officers 香蕉视频直播渨ere in a very, very tough situation香蕉视频直播� because of the woman香蕉视频直播檚 resistance, and Southwest didn香蕉视频直播檛 have much choice because the plane wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 take off until the woman left.
Southwest does not notify passengers ahead of time about animals on board.
香蕉视频直播淚n most cases, we can separate the animal from customer with an allergy,香蕉视频直播� said Mainz, the Southwest spokesman. 香蕉视频直播淭he onus is on the customer to tell us what their needs are.香蕉视频直播�
Related:
United was widely condemned after security officers in Chicago dragged a 69-year-old man off an overbooked United Express flight to make room for crew members flying to their next flight. United CEO Oscar Munoz was excoriated for initially blaming the passenger, who lost teeth and suffered a concussion. United reached a settlement with the passenger for undisclosed terms.
香蕉视频直播淚n terms of customer service, the airline industry has had a challenging year,香蕉视频直播� said Marc Raybin, president of a public-relations firm in South Bend, Indiana. He said that Southwest and the transit police in Baltimore may have followed their rules, 香蕉视频直播渂ut the optics of this certainly look bad for Southwest and the airline industry as whole.香蕉视频直播�
Southwest, Raybin said, should keep apologizing, pick up the cost of the passenger香蕉视频直播檚 flight and expenses, and 香蕉视频直播渄o not blame the customer at any point.香蕉视频直播�
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David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter
David Koenig, The Associated Press
