A United worker threatened to cancel a customer's trip for recording an altercation — and it touches on a looming threat for airlines (UAL)

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May 9, 2017 7:35 PM

A United Airlines' counter agent threatened to cancel Navang Oza's trip when he began recording an altercation between the two of them.

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A United agent was caught on camera threatening to cancel a customer's reservation for using his phone to record a dispute.

Navang Oza posted a video of the incident on Twitter on Monday, and it has since been retweeted nearly 5,000 times. NBC Bay Area first reported the story.

The circumstances surrounding the dispute are still unclear, but the video suggests it had to do with checking an oversized bag. The video begins with the counter agent instructing another employee to cancel Oza's reservation for filming the agent without her permission.

"I need you to either A: call the cops, because this will be confiscated, or B: cancel the reservation," the agent tells someone not seen on camera, referring to the bag.

The counter agent then takes out a phone and appears to film Oza.

The agent eventually called an airport police officer, who told Oza he could continue recording because an airport is a public space, NBC Bay Area reported.

A United representative told Business Insider in a statement that the airline was reviewing what happened.

"The video does not reflect the positive customer experience we strive to offer, and for that, we apologize," the representative said. "We are reviewing this situation, including talking with Mr. Oza and our employees, to better understand what happened."

Oza did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment.

The incident shows how social media is becoming a big threat to airlines in the wake of a United scandal in April — when a video went viral showing David Dao, a passenger, being dragged off a full flight — that prompted a closer inspection of the inner workings of the airline industry.

A few weeks later, American Airlines came under fire after a video went viral showing a flight attendant threatening to fight a customer.

The United ordeal prompted a congressional hearing into how airlines may be harming the customer-service experience. That, in turn, initiated dialogue about the practice of overbooking and a lack of competition in the industry.

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