Southwest Removes Passenger Over Dog Allergies

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A Southwest passenger traveling from Baltimore to Los Angeles earlier this week was removed from her flight after telling flight attendants she was deathly allergic to dogs. The passenger, Anila Daulatzai, 46, is a college professor from Baltimore. Two passengers aboard the flight were traveling with canine companions. Video shot by one of the other passengers, Bill Dumas, began circulating late this week showing Maryland Transportation Authority Police struggling to get Daulatzai off the plane. Dumas told the L.A. Times that the video follows extended attempts to negotiate a quiet departure from the airplane: “It went from this very quiet conversation and suddenly erupted into this big physical confrontation,” said Dumas.

In a statement, Southwest said, “We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the Customer’s removal by local law enforcement officers.” The company continued, “We publicly offer our apologies to this Customer for her experience and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns. Southwest Airlines was built on Customer Service, and it is always our goal for all Customers to have a positive experience.” Southwest company policy requires passengers who alert the company to a life-threatening allergy to provide a medical certification that they can safely travel in an airline environment. Daulatzai reportedly demanded that Southwest provide her with an EpiPen. Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said, in a statement to the press, “We do not have or administer shots.”

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