United passenger who was forced to put puppy in overhead bin where it died reaches a settlement with the airline

AP

After the incident, United started marking pets who travel in the cabin with brightly colored bag tags to ensure they are not mistakenly placed in the overhead bin.

• United Airlines has settled with the family whose French bulldog died in the overhead bin on one of the airline's flights, TMZ first reported.
• The terms of the settlement are unclear.
• The dog's owners had considered suing United, according to TMZ.

United Airlines has settled with the family whose French bulldog died in the overhead bin on one of the airline's flights, TMZ first reported. The terms of the settlement are unclear.

United confirmed to Business Insider that it had arrived at a resolution with the family.

"We are deeply sorry for this tragic accident and have worked with the Robledo family to reach a resolution," an airline representative said.

During a March flight from Houston to New York, a United flight attendant instructed the family to put the dog, Kokito, in an overhead bin. According to another passenger on the flight, Kokito was in a TSA-approved dog carrier. Kokito was found dead of suffocation when the flight landed.

United apologized and took responsibility for the incident.

"This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin," an airline representative said in a statement to Business Insider after the incident. "We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them."

The dog's owners had considered suing United, according to TMZ.

In March, United said it would review its pet transportation policy following other pet-related incidents. The airline announced changes to the policy in early May. Starting on June 18, the airline will only transport cats and dogs in its cargo holds, while banning dozens of breeds, including various types of bulldogs, mastiffs, and pugs "out of concern for higher adverse health risks," according to the company's website.

The changes to United's pet transportation policy will make it more closely resemble the policies used by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

While the new policy only applies to animals traveling in the airline's cargo holds, United has started marking pets who travel in the cabin with brightly colored bag tags to ensure they are not mistakenly placed in the overhead bin.

In February, United announced changes to its emotional support animal policy that requires passengers to provide additional paperwork to prove their emotional support animals are medically necessary and able to behave in public. Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines have announced similar policies this year.