10-19-2018
07:09 PM
10-19-2018
07:09 PM
I'm a young black woman/active duty soldier traveling home with two 4-pound Yorkies to visit parents before an impending deployment. This isn't my first time traveling with pets on Southwest. The flight attendant I speak of was working the very front section of the plane. I was sitting near the back at a window seat. While boarding, I proceed to settle in a row behind the exit row (because I know I can't occupy the exit row with pets). This flight attendant startles me by essentially yelling that I can't sit there. I tell her that it's not the exit row. She responds even louder that I can't sit there with "those dogs". 20 min before landing: This flight attendant comes directly to my row with what I assume to be a manifest and tells me that my dogs aren't on the paper. I tell her that I paid. She responds well they're not on here. I repeat that I paid and tell her I have a receipt. With disdain in her voice and disgust on her face, she asks to she it, reads it and returns it to me. The flight attendant of my section tells this attendant that sometimes it doesn't show up. Looking for somethinf else ro berate me about, this flight attendant asks me are they pets. I say yes. Then she says we'll they can't be in your lap. The reason I took them out because they were anxious and panting and I was attempting to console them but I just respond with an "ok" and proceed to put them away. She is still standing at my row. I ask are you going to watch me put them away. She curtly responds with yes. I'll never forget the look of disgust on her face. Not only did this attendant publicly embarrass me, but I felt as if I was targeted and discriminated against based on my appearance. I was dressed in very casual clothing and wearing a hoodie because my hair wasn't styled. I have had tens of flights on Southwest, and I've never been accused of openly smuggling dogs on board. I ALWAYS pay the pet fee and get the display the tag on my carrier. How do I go about addressing the appropriate people of this incident and receive an apology?
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