United Airlines Cancels Man's Flight For Recording Confrontation With Ticket Agent

Following allegations that it forced a woman to urinate in cups after refusing to let her use the lavatory, United Airlines made headlines yet again this week after a video surfaced of an airline employee canceling a man’s flight from New Orleans to San Francisco for recording a heated exchange over his baggage. The airline has since issued a public apology to the man, who says he was forced to pay for another ticket home on a different carrier.

Fremont, California resident Navang Oza posted a video of the altercation at Louis Armstrong International Airport to his Facebook page shortly after it occurred Saturday. In the 13-minute video — which had been viewed more than 30,000 times by Thursday — Oza can be heard arguing with an airline employee who cancels his flight seconds after he begins recording. The argument allegedly began over the charges for his oversized bag, which Oza says in the video’s caption were going to to be more than $300 even though it only cost him $125 on his initial flight.

“You do not have my permission to videotape,” the woman says before adding, “What's his name? Cancel the reservation.”

When Oza proceeds to ask why his reservation is being canceled, the woman turns to another agent and says, “I need you to a) call the cops because this will be confiscated or b) cancel the reservation.”

The woman then proceeds to begin recording Oza, asking him if he would like to pay for his oversized bag. Oza replies that he would like to speak to her manager.

Read: Woman Forced To Pee In Cup During United Airlines Flight, Was Humiliated By Attendant

Holding up her phone toward Oza, the agent can be heard saying, “Customer is willing to pay, however, he refuses to stop taping. This is insubordination. This is what we have to go through as agents.”

Oza is later approached by a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputy, who asks Oza if he has been drinking. Oza replies, “Obviously,” but wrote in the video’s caption that “they said I was drunk when I only had 2 beers before getting to the airport.”

When asking the deputy if he can continue recording, the officer tells him that he can indeed continue taping, as the airport is a public space. The deputy noted that Oza smelled like alcohol and told him he could either leave the terminal “peacefully” or be arrested for public intoxication.

“I personally feel like I did nothing wrong and was kicked out only because I started recording the lady as she was being rude and I asked to speak to the manager as to why I had to pay more than what they charged me on my flight from SFO to NOLA,” he wrote on Facebook.

Oza added, “I need to share this with everyone as I really don't feel like I did anything wrong and the lady at the counter was just being rude and not willing to help me as I inquired why it was costing more than what I paid on my way from SFO to NOLA.”

In a statement to International Business Times, a spokesperson for United Airlines said, “The video does not reflect the positive customer experience we strive to offer, and for that we apologize. We are reviewing this situation, including talking with Mr. Oza and our employees to better understand what happened.”

According to Oza, he had to pay more than $550 to take a flight home on American Airlines.