United Airlines

Owners of dead giant rabbit want United to pay up

The owners of Simon, a 3-foot-long Continental Giant rabbit found dead after a transatlantic United flight, want compensation from the airline and an investigation into its policies for transporting animals.

Lawyers for the group of Iowa residents who bought Simon have sent a letter to United (UAL) threatening legal action if it doesn't respond within a week.

United CEO: 'We had a horrible failure'

The United Airlines boss was called before a hearing of the House Transportation committee Tuesday over the violent removal of an airplane passenger and the bungled apology that followed.

Giant bunny death new PR disaster for United Airlines

The 90cm-long bunny, called Simon, was found dead in the cargo hold when the flight arrived at Chicago's O'Hare airport from London Heathrow.

The airline has had a torrid few weeks of bad publicity, with a passenger left injured after he was forcibly removed from an overbooked flight in Chicago.

Reports in UK media say the 10 month-old giant rabbit was being delivered to a new "celebrity" owner.

United said it was "saddened" by Simon's death.

Animals dying on planes is rare but not unheard of.

United passenger David Dao swung fists violently, officers' reports say

This is according to incident reports from the officers involved.

Officer Mauricio Rodriguez, the first officer who responded to the April 9 incident, largely confirmed accounts by other passengers about how David Dao was taken off the plane, but said that when fellow officers tried to remove Dao, he "started swinging his arms up and down violently," according to his report.

Officer James Long gave a similar account.

"The subject started swinging his arms up and down with a closed fist," Long said in his report.

Man dragged off United flight has concussion, will file suit, lawyer says

Already, attorneys have filed a chancery motion asking that all evidence in the case be preserved. David Dao's attorney, Thomas Demetrio, would not provide a timeline for filing the lawsuit other than to say he had two years to do so, and "I promise you it won't be that long."

"If you're going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force or violence. That's the law," he said. "For a long time, airlines -- United, in particular -- have bullied us. ... We want respect and we want dignity. That's it. Not a big deal."

David Dao dragged off United flight files court papers

David Dao was filmed being dragged off the overbooked flight at Chicago O'Hare airport, bloodied and screaming, in a video watched millions of times online.

United Airlines said it would refund the ticket costs of all passengers on Sunday's flight.

The airline's chief executive, Oscar Munoz, is insisting he will not resign.

As of Tuesday, Dr Dao was still recovering in a Chicago hospital, his lawyer said, but a family member is expected to give a news conference on Thursday.

United fallout: Airline offers compensation, passengers say

A total of three Chicago Department of Aviation officers are on leave following the incident, which has turned into a publicity nightmare for United. Amid plummeting stocks and boycott threats, newly released footage appears to contradict United CEO Oscar Munoz's claim that Dr. David Dao's belligerence left officers with no choice but to forcibly remove him.

United Airlines boss Oscar Munoz will not resign

Oscar Munoz said he felt "shame and embarrassment" and vowed it would never happen again to a seated passenger on one of United's overbooked aircraft.

The embattled aviation boss said the passenger in question, David Dao, deserved "certainly an apology".

Mr Munoz initially described Mr Dao as "disruptive and belligerent".

"That shame and embarrassment was pretty palpable for me and for a lot of our family," the contrite chief executive told ABC's Good Morning America programme.

United Airlines: Chinese anger at violent removal of passenger

Videos posted online showed a man, who appears to be Asian, being forcibly dragged from the overbooked flight by security officers.

The man has not yet been identified. One eyewitness said he was a "Chinese American doctor", while another said he was originally from Vietnam.

United Airlines issued an official apology after the incident.

United CEO says removed passenger was 'disruptive and belligerent'

In a letter to employees obtained by US media, Oscar Munoz said he was "upset to see and hear about what happened".

But he said that the passenger had been "disruptive and belligerent".

The airline earlier said that it was investigating what happened after videos of the incident provoked an outcry on social media.

The footage taken inside the airliner shows a man being pulled out of his seat and dragged down the aisle.