A November 8, 2023 incident at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston involving United Airlines and the family of US Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) over a dog appears to be far more complicated than the Congressman has thus far admitted.
Dan Crenshaw Tells An Incomplete Story About Skirmish Between United Airlines Agent And His Wife Over Dog
Crenshaw took to X over the weekend to tell his side of the story, alleging:
- United Airlines refused to allow his dog to travel in the cabin despite having no issues on previous trips
- A United Airlines agent in Houston attempted to “grab the dog” in order to photograph it as a pretense for banning Crenshw’s family from future travel on United
- Crenshaw requested and was granted a meeting with Phillip Griffith, who is the Vice President of United’s Houston hub
- During that meeting, of which Crenshaw shared excerpted audio clips, Griffith is heard saying, “I deal with people like you and your wife and customers like you every single day.”
- He then tells Crewnshaw to “shut up” and purportedly attempts to grab Crenshw’s laptop (which he was using to record the conversation) after Crenshaw yells, “It’s on the f*ing video!” when explaining his side of the story
This is one of the more aggressive videos I’ve ever had to post. You really need to see it all the way to the end. You’ll see a United agent grab the dog and personal property, and you’ll hear the shocking recording of my conversation with that agent’s supervisor (the VP of… pic.twitter.com/xhK0v4zQzw
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) January 21, 2024
As a result of the incident, the Congressman has voiced support for a passenger bill of rights in the USA and pledges to “look into legislation…to protect consumers and protect passengers from people like that.”
What Really Happened At IAH
Crewnshaw’s initial post did not pass my smell test. Take a close look at the video above and it appears the agent was simply ripping a yellow tag off of the animal carrier. Live And Let’s Fly went to work getting to the bottom of what occurred.
Here’s what really happened: the dog was too big to be accommodated on the flight. Simple as that. Crenshaw’s wife was trying to bring onboard a dog that could not even comfortably fit in its pet carrier.
On united.com, you can find the following restriction concerning in-cabin pets:
The pet must be able to stand up and turn around while inside.
But the Congressman’s dog was too big to do this! It visibly pushed up the top of its soft-sided pet carrier.
Consistent with United’s clearly-defined rules and in order to protect the dog, the family was told the dog could not fly (with few exceptions, United no longer accepts dogs in the cargo hold).
Notice that Crenshaw never mentions the size of his dog or provides evidence showing that the dog fit in the carrier.
This is the tag the agent reached for:
Houston is a big hub. With that yellow tag, ostensibly from a previous flight, the family could conceivably have simply boarded another flight with the dog.
Look again at the video. When the check-in agent, a supervisor, attempted to remove the tag from the pet carrier, it was Crenshaw’s wife who physically grabbed the representative…if there was any “assault” it does not appear to be the United agent who committed assault.
That said, the agent probably should not have bothered to try to take the tag back and I understand that is frustrating to have your dog accommodated in the past and suddenly no longer accommodated. That said, leniency in the past does not guarantee leniency in the future if the dog is too big.
The Griffith Conversation
I met Griffith when in Houston for the Airbus A321neo inaugural apparently just days after the incident occurred. Griffith was affable, kind, and gregarious…I can see why United asked him to sit down with Griffith. He’s also the VP of the Houston hub.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Profanity is the parlance of the fool” and I share in Griffith’s offense over the Congressman’s unnecessary foul mouth. Opposing vulgar profanity is not being a snowflake as much as it is not tolerating snowflakes who cannot be bothered to speak like a civilized person.
Crewnshaw has quite a history of profanity and I realize that is part of his persona. Interestingly, Live And Let’s Fly has further learned that Crenshaw has used profanity before toward United employees when it was determined that his dog was too large to fly. We are working on obtaining more details about that.
Service Animal?
In a subsequent conversation with United, Crenshaw alleged that the dog was a “service animal.” There is no size limitation for such animals. When asked what service the dog was trained to perform, there was no answer from Crenshaw’s legal counsel. Furthermore, a Department of Transportation form must be presented when traveling with a service animal, which does not appear to have been presented on November 8th.
Here’s the kicker: Crenshaw’s dog apparently has a “heart condition” which makes the claim that it is a service dog quite questionable.
I frequently write about the abuse of service animals onboard and one thing is certain: service animals are not placed in pet carriers. It appears that this pet became a “service animal” when it was deemed too big to travel in the cabin.
United’s Response
United has issued the following statement concerning Crenshaw’s video on Twitter:
“We attempted to work with the Congressman to resolve his concerns amicably. We disagree with his characterization of what happened, and stand behind our employees who were upholding United’s policies on in-cabin pets to ensure the safety of his dog.”
A Note To Congressman Crenshaw
Dear Congressman Crenshaw, why are you choosing to distort what happened here in such a self-serving way? Remember when you freaked out over Jesse Watters distorting your capital gains from stocks? You were right to do so. Standing up to the Freedom Caucus and the 1/6 insurrectionists earns you respect in my book. I quite support the idea of a thoughtfully tailored passenger bill of rights, especially after US airlines milked US taxpayers during the pandemic.
But you’re wrong on the dog issue. It does not appear your wife was assaulted. On the contrary, it appears that your wife assaulted the United agent. And as a veteran, I hope you understand that when you try to claim a dog is a “service dog” when it is not, it hurts those like your fellow veterans who actually rely upon such animals. Claiming your pet is a “service dog” in order to avoid in-cabin fees or size restrictions is shameful. Abuse of “service dogs” is rampant and I would love to see legislation cracking down on this.
Please post a picture of the dog inside the pet carrier. Also, please post an unredacted of your conversation with Griffith.
A United flight attendant threw me off a flight on the basis of a lie…it’s not that I cannot imagine your side of the story being true or that there are no bad apples at United. But in this case, I think you omit key details in order to tell a one-sided and self-serving story and that is beneath your office.
CONCLUSION
Dan Crenshaw believes that United assaulted his wife and unfairly treated him. I don’t buy it. Instead, I think the Congressman and his family were very upset over their dog being denied passage at IAH.
I hope the Congressman will be more forthcoming in releasing the full audio of his conversation with Griffith and providing further details from his perspective as to what led to this incident in the first place.
Wow look at you shilling for United now….tool.
Foolish piffle as usual. If this was a D by his name you’d be condemning him as just another “service dog” abuser.
I don’t even like the guy. He’s a pompous buffoon who uses his insider knowledge to make money in the markets, but I believe him over the corporate ghouls at United. Plus your affable and gregarious empty suit buddy had a nasty attitude from the start of the conversation as heard in the recording. I’m sure he’s plenty friendly with the boot licking travel influencers but not a customer with a real problem
I thought Crenshaw rebutted the ignorant Watter’s insider trading charge quite well.
As for Griffith, let’s wait for the full audio to emerge.
Well? Are we still waiting or did I miss something?
Ban all animals on planes. Simple as that. Want to travel with your pet? Drive with it. Enough of this BS.
@Santastico … +1 .
No, but airlines should be free to ban even service animals which is absurdly abused and everyone knows is a complete joke. The market will take care of it and some airline will step up to be the Turd Express and get all that business. We can happily spend our money elsewhere.
@Andy … the monkey will create havoc , whilst harassed by the parrot . The chicken will roost in the galley , and the pig will be in the lav . The dogs will be barking and biting , and the cat will be rubbing against the hostess’ leg .
Amen
Airlines ought never to have allowed dogs in the first place . Only bona fide service dogs for the blind ought be the only exception . What is next ? a monkey ? Airlines created this ongoing nightmare for themselves .
I am dog owner and I just bristle when I see a ‘service’ Toy Poodle. There in the cabin, clubs, terminals, etc. Ban ALL except bonafide service dogs. There are NO ‘service’ cats or ‘service’ hamsters, etc.
No animals in the airport past security except bonafide service dogs. Amen.
Geez you are such a partisan nitwit. I can only imagine you “getting to the bottom” of half the clickbait bs you post. You really need to do some self reflecting.
You’re terribly foolish if you think this is a partisan issue. Did you even read it? I am against those who lie about service animals and lie in general.
Your pictures mention Crenshaw in the pics, when is Griffith who is on them. Also in a couple of places in the article you interchangeably use Crenshaw and Griffith…
Fixed. Thanks.
Crenshaw is a member of Congress, so I wouldn’t expect him to act honestly or do the right thing. The fact that he thinks he’s entitled to a meeting with the hub VP, and actually gets one is absurd. Government exists to serve those who make up the government. The fact that Congress refuses to act on so many problems that aren’t controversial and could be solved easily proves this.
@Jerry … Is this really an important issue ? Three women and a dog get into a kerfluffle . Now the Congress and airline management have been dragged into the keffluffle . Next it will be a federal case , and Trump and Biden will comment on the kerfluffle , there will be polls reporting on the opinions of the public . Just ban all animals , already .
Crenshaw in particular is a professional snowflake so it’s no surprise he made a hullabaloo about this
Longtime reader, occasional commenter. Believe your photo captions are meant to say Griffith, not Crenshaw (and your spell check might still be off for a long weekend). 🙂
Thanks. You’re correct!
Also the pic captions label the empty suit as Crenshaw, it should be Griffith .
Matthew, first of all it doesn’t appear that this was his daughter rather it was his wife that grabbed the agents hand…
Second, I wholly believe the agent went on a power trip to grab something from the bag that was clearly not in her possession. End of story for me!! He’s owed an apology.
Too many power hungry agents that go unpunished.
The rest of the story imo is irrelevant, agent should treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Isn’t the dark haired lady his wife and the blonde one his daughter?
ETA: I see the blonde one is his wife, but who is the other person?
Nice young lady (blonde) Aka his wife, and her mother….
So….the author of the article doesn’t even bother to confirm identities in a video that he is writing a tale about? No wonder most Americans do not trust most forms of journalism anymore. Wow.
Doesn’t matter who the wife is: what matters who is is guilty of assault or battery.
Crenshaw is withholding key facts. Don’t let your partisan leanings blind you to this fact.
I would have to see the complete story, but I will say that if you grab at my things or my bags I will stop your hand or swat it away. That’s not assault, that’s keeping you from messing with MY items AFTER I said fine that I’d take a different flight on a different airline.
Your point is not unreasonable. I don’t think either one committed battery or assault.
@Simonpower … perhaps ‘grabbing a bite’ ?
The article quotes rules as ” pet must be able to stand up and turn around while inside.”
The soft sided width is a maximum of 11″, which means the pet should be no more than 11-13″ in length to turn around and that is small.
Also note that the word “pet” is used. Maybe if the animal was dinner, size is exempt because dinner is not a pet.
@derek … a ferret or a mongoose can turn around .
Did Griffith yell and/or grab the computer? (See bullet points in the article)
That is what he claims. And there is no excuse for that.
Yet your article is definitely condemning Crenshaw instead of the VP. I smell your political leaning when you praise Crenshaw for his leadership when it is I line with your political views. I believe that the words in the article would have looked a lot differently if it was Nancy Polosi being treated like the VP did Dan. Like most media, you can’t help the bias.
As a proud American who served in the USAF and in the Bush White House, I don’t authoritarians, treasonists, and narcissists.
Dog arrives at IAH as a pet in a carrier. Suddenly dog becomes a service animal. A miracle or lie? Hmm.
You’re right. I think that is a key point to this story.
I think you are looking at this fairly and from a balanced perspective. Clearly the Congressman’s story is one-sided and completely self-serving. And I find it hilarious people would give more credibility to a politician than someone who has to work for a living. Those comments are the ones truly leaning to one side, shilling for Crenshaw.
Thank you for looking at this from all directions and you’ve certainly hit the nail on the head regarding pets/service animals. And on the use of the yellow tag. I once paid for a carry-on bag with Allegiant, got the orange tag on my bag, have left it on since and flew the rest of my trip without paying. You just show up to the gate with the tag (which never changes) on the bag and you are waved through. Same thing here.
Why do the people with reasonable policy and political ideas have to be so vulgar.
He lost me with the swipe at Kirby in his opening remarks. I’m a DEI skeptic but have some civility in discourse. There’s a time and place, not dragging up old employee morale videos pun intended.
Griffith lost his cool and is no saint here. Same for the agent. We managed to unearth 3 unprofessional folks. Maybe his wife as well.
What I don’t get is why he said there were dogs plural, which would have been an issue in itself.
He thought he could break the rules because he is a congressman. Actually, they should be held to a higher standard.
Editing error in the article: when you say “Look again at the video. When the check-in agent, a supervisor, attempted to remove the pet from the pet carrier, it was Crenshaw’s wife who physically grabbed the representative” I think you mean to say ‘remove the tag’ instead of ‘remove the pet’
Correct. Thank you.
The United VP is not ready for prime time and this is not his first time blasting a customer. I am surprised that is not noted (well no I am not actually). United’s poorly trained customer service starts at the top and runs down it seems.
And how the VP was when you meet him is irrelevant. John Wayne Gacy was gregarious when people meet him too, as was Ted Bundy, but both had a mean streak…as does this horrible United VP.
You lost me at “insurrectionist” Biggest eye roll ever.
We get it, you don’t like Crenshaw or how he votes. Cry harder and stay on topic, which is NOT about riots at the capitol.
I was lauding Crenshaw for opposing the treasonous insurrectionists.
There was no insurrection you moron. Repeating a lie and talking point doesn’t make it anymore true.
Question for the author, did you ask Griffith what he meant by, “…I will end this?” That is a wildly aggressive statement. Looks like nobody handled this well. Crenshaw’s gotten used to having authority and throwing his weight. He can no longer claim to be just another Joe. The dog was likely too big to turn around in the carrier but that’s a ridiculous rule and agents have looked away every time I’ve travelled. No one should ever touch an animal without owner authorization. Either allow only service dogs or let all dogs who fit in a carrier on board. They cause NO problem especially compared to the rude drunks airlines seem to cater to in search of profits from serving alcohol.
Thank you Matt. Refreshing to have someone examine the facts in an impartial manner.
Matt
Did you notice he says “two” dogs, I only see one pet carrier in the video. Rules say a single pet in a single carrier, so was that the problem ?
How many times was he going to use the word “unhinged”. ?? It’s pretty evident even from a distance that the agent certainly DID NOT “assault” anyone or grab personal property, etc. Boy oh Boy is this guy off the wall. Yeah, take it to your attorney and the Supreme Court, ….. People with power think they can override every law, rule, people “beneath” them. Ignorance should be painful.
Another mask wearing libt@rd.
They are a fifth column and vermin.
There was no “insurrection” on Jan 6th.
To continue to use such slanderous and vile language shows you’re a shill.
I watched it unfold on live TV…no denying what happened.
What you watched was nothing more than a protest.
Hey AndyS,
The definition of insurrection is the attempt to overthrow an existing government. That would include the peaceful transfer of power. It was an insurrection.
Again there was no attempt to do that by anyone.
A few protestors marched around the building. One was unarmed and murdered.
No. There were more than an a few. They climbed over security fences and broke windows to stop the peaceful transfer of power. Somethings we must accept. Wish you well.
First the my were let in. Second climbing a fence doesn’t make it a so called ‘insurrection’. By definition it wasn’t, repeating a lie over and over doesn’t make it true.
Andys, you’ll really enjoy something called live TV. It’s this cool thing that records things live such a breakins, mobs, theft, and insurrections… repeating something when it’s live on camera for all to watch is reality. Believing something because you’re told to by an aging narcissist is simply choosing to believe what you want, absent reality.
We’ll send a move to your house, have them break windows and climb over walls to get in to your place then watch you tell us they were let in.
Democracy isn’t derived from the mob demanding their way, it’s built by those that voted freely and fairly.
Ironically, TX-D02 includes a large amount of UA employees – IAH UA employee numbers around 14K employees. Maybe they can get the lying congressman removed from office.
What lies?
What a sh*t article written by a paid shill. The video clearly shows the unhinged gate agent grabbing aggressively, all she had to do was ask. Poor trained staff, an executive who attempted to assault a congressman and a writer who’s really good friends with people in the story. Go back to j school and take the l
1) “Crenshaw was required and granted a meeting with Phillip Griffith….” What?
2) Let’s say it’s true that the employee was grabbing for this piece of paper. Once the paper is attached to someone’s property, it’s highly improper (assault? Don’t know the law well enough…could be) for the employee to grab at it. You have to trust that the system will work and deny the dog passage on another flight even with that tag. Crenshaw’s wife doesn’t appear to be yelling or belligerent. Why grab it away? That escalated the situation even if Crenshaw’s wife was being difficult and refusing to give back a tag the employee was requesting back.
3) Crenshaw’s wife doesn’t commit assault against the employee. You might be able to argue battery, but even that’s questionable because anything physical was instigated by the employee. It looks like defense.
4) People who bring pets onto planes in violation of the policies or who get false service animal letters to bring their pets with them are awful. That’s not okay.
5) Swearing as Crenshaw swore (as you yourself admit…for emphasis, not calling the employee a name or swearing at the employee) is not some unspeakable sin. The Texas Workforce Commission has in fact held that firing an employee for swearing _near_ another employee is not a “for cause” fireable offense; whereas, swearing _at_ a fellow employee _is_ a fireable offense. Crenshaw here swears near, not at the UA employee.
6) Neither the Crenshaws nor UA look perfect here. On Balance, UA has acted worse.
1.) requested – my bad.
Overall, a reasonable take. I disagree, but a reasonable take.
Mr. Crenshaw had unsuccessfully tried to pull his “respect my autoritah” card and failed miserably. Just because he’s as tall as Eric Cartman, that doesn’t give him any special rights, nor any “autoritah” to overrule United’s rules on traveling with pets. It’s quite an effort to make United the good guy in a dispute, but Mr. Crenshaw surely outdid himself.
Imagine being so partisan you can’t even admit United was wrong. Even if they were “just” reaching for the bag, they had no right to do that. There is video and a recording. Your attempt to shill for United is everything wrong with anyone who has a platform. You claim the dog is to big, but then clarify there is no actual picture of the dog. So which is it? Did you make that up or do you have proof? I get it, you have to pull for your team 24/7 but this may be the saddest attempt to spin a narrative. Maybe, just maybe United screwed up and it would be beneficial for your audience to benefit from his legislation. I bet it wouldn’t even hurt to admit that. Maybe then you can restore the credibility you have lost. So sad.
See, when I read your comment I see your partisan blinders on and I see a reflexive defense of a politician despite video which clearly does NOT show what he claims it does. So you’ve already lost all credibility by your comment above…and I suspect that has to do with his party affiliation. What you miss is that we hold all people accountable here – D, R, and United. I just call them like I see them.
What is the source of the claim that Crenshaw said the dog was a service animal? I have not seen that anywhere else.
My own sources.
There was two dogs in a single bag.
It’s amazing & disgusting how some of the traveling public will treat their pets. Years ago while working for an airline I was calling into a situation where a passenger attempted to check a cat in a too small & non-pet approved carrier. I required the passenger to purchase the correct carrier and several months later was called into the office asking to explain my decision after the passenger wrote a letter of complaint. At that time management was more concerned about the complaint letter than the life of the pet. I put an end to this issue by asking my manager would you rather have our current discussion over false accusations in a letter or, have local and upper management try to explain to the passenger why/how their pet died while being shipped in an unapproved pet carrier.
It should be pointed out that we have seen zero evidence that the Congressman claimed the dog was a service animal.
It’s unfortunate but so many passengers say it’s a service animal when it truly isn’t. We can tell by its behavior. Service animals behave in a certain manner. If your animal was denied travel, please understand it’s for its own safety. Not because you’re a celebrity or politician.
United sucks and your loyalty is baffling but I do agree with your assessment of the situation.
Joining this late. Posting this URL because it includes a picture of the dog. I found it image googling “Dan Crenshaw dog”. The dog appears to be about the size of the carrier meaning he wouldn’t be able to move around. I suspect he probably quietly took the dog out for breaks in the air.
https://iam141.org/air-rage-congressman-crenshaw-loses-it-over-pet-carrier/
I think airlines are missing out on a cool source of revenue here: A good compromise would have been to offer him the option to buy a full seat for the dog and get a larger carrier. Win-win.
Regarding the agent grabbing at the sticker: Good customer service training should include advising the passenger that they have a choice: hand over the airline’s property (since the sticker is used by the airline for technical purposes) or get a notation on their account. If I messed with a teacher, I knew it would go on my (gasp) “permanent record”. Agents shouldn’t fight with people. I read a great book by an FBI agent “the like switch” that advised ways to de-escalate conflicts while achieving objectives.
Another compromise would have been to just let him fly but advise him that they’d make a notation on the account and that is that.
I had a similar experience to Crenshaw in December after flying with my dog in cabin for at least 10 years, and at least 20 trips with United. That little visual aid of the animals in the carrier was put up after I made the reservation. This is new, United has majorly changed the way animals are allowed to fly without notifying their customers, and they are being jerky about it. I flew out of Korea and they told me he was too big but let me go, saying they couldn’t guarantee he could fly home. Then on the 2nd leg after 2 delays, I rebooked from San Fran to LA for the next day, and the gate agent hassled me no end, also saying too big but finally saying they had already gotten me to San Fran and had to get me all the way to my destination. Then 2 weeks before scheduled to fly back, took 3 hours and went to the airport to talk with someone to resolve the problem. I wanted a refund and would eat the cost difference and just fly on United (since they had changed their policy) but they refused, and said I could get home, but wouldn’t get me anything in writing after it was taken up to 2 supervisors. So I had to show up at the airport with no idea if I could get home, kind of at square one.