In fall of 2000, a 300 pound pig flew first class on US Airways. At the end of the flight the pig “ran squealing through the Boeing 757 on landing, soiling the cabin. The story went viral, there was much outrage, and the F.A.A. launched an ‘investigation’.
When the furor died down, they declared that US Airways had done nothing wrong. The passenger was allowed to purchase the ticket for a pig as a disability accommodation under the Air Carrier Access Act. At the time “airlines needed only credible verbal assurances that the animal was a legitimate service animal” and while US Airways said such an incident wouldn’t happen again, a government spokesperson said they would “have to cross that sty when they come to it.”
In the years that followed U.S. domestic flights became veritable Noah’s Arks, as airlines waived pet in cabin fees and any size requirements out of fear of government fines. With the help of the Department of Transportation, though, airlines began cracking down five years ago.
They’ve created paperwork and attestations. The average passenger who used to bring an ’emotional support animal’ on board didn’t overlap with the kind of passenger adept at navigating a paperwork bureaucracy in order to be able to bring an emotional support animal on board. So we no longer see two of every kind of creature from turkeys to ponies to bunnies nearly as often.
Internationally they’re even more rare, and indeed some countries prohibit them entirely. One dog, though, has that US Airways first class pig beat by a long shot. You can see that it is traveling in a fully flat business class seat of its own – all tucked in.
Readers may correct me, but this looks like a LATAM cabin, so a South America flight. Delta is partial owner of LATAM.
A Facebook Reel featuring the video offers, “This is what success looks like when you have millions of followers on pawnly fans.”
(HT: Paul H)
If people want to pay for the seat, God bless ’em….
As someone who has several allergies I do not care for animals in the passenger cabin but that was a losing battle.
Best he is the best passenger too
Well if the deterioration in human behaviour on board many many flights in the USA is anything to go by (recent stories of kegs, racks of ribs, toenail cutting) following years of maskholes – why is it ALWAYS in USA ?!? I’d rather be in an adjacent flat bed to this well behaved pupper than thousands of entitled Americans.
I don’t see what the big deal about dogs on board is. In thousands of flights with plenty of dogs on board I’ve only heard one bark a couple times and most were perfect passengers. The average dog is far better behaved than feral toddlers that fly all the time (parents fault not the toddlers).
It’s a TK flight
Gary that’s definitely a Turkish 777 business flight
Turkish Airlines – can easily see the TK logo/sign at the bulkhead
Is it really allowed on TK?
Month old news from Reddit. Airline is TK
I’ll take a dog as a seat, me any day over most passengers.
Peanuts get banned because of allergies yet animal seem to be OK. Crazy!
When my wife was alive, she had severe allergies to dog and cat dander, and those could trigger her asthma. As a result, we always carried a letter from her allergist at the Cleveland Clinic to that effect.
We only had one problem, on a DL flight from DTW-MSP in F. After we boarded, the person in the row ahead of us started taking her dog out of the kennel and petting it. The dander started to fly.
I asked the FA to please have the Complaint Resolution Officer meet the flight, and handed him the letter. I knew (including from past columns by Gary) that every airline must have a CRO at every station to resolve complaints involving disabilities and the ADA. This is required by DOT regulation.
The FA did everything in his power not to have to get the CRO. This included requiring the person with the dog to keep the dog in the kennel under the seat with the kennel closed to minimize dander in the air (that person was not happy about it), and reseating us farther away from the dog. When we indicated we were satisfied with his efforts, he breathed a noticeable sigh of relief.
The moral of the story is two: (1) Document your allergies or other problems with pets, and carry the documentation with you. Well known medical facilities should be used where possible if it is truly important to you. (2) Know your rights, and the procedures for enforcing them. Allergies that can cause significant phisical distress are a potential ADA violation. Telling someone to take a subsequent flight does not remedy the ADA violation, and can make it worse.
Funny how people always raise the allergy thing yet they can’t prevent registered service animals. As far as I’m concerned, people should be able to purchase a seat for their pet regardless of whether it’s a service animal. As long as it’s not too big to fit on a seat, no problem.
DLF apparently lacks an important human quality: empathy.
Airlines cannot always prevent potentially dangerous situations such as a person with a pet allergy being seated next to or close to a person with a service animal, likely a dog.
Unfortunately, when making reservations, passengers may not have an opportunity to note issues that may affect their health on board. Gate attendants may not be able to question passengers with service animals or those seated near those passengers.
These passengers were fortunate to have an imaginative FA who solved their problem.
I’d be interested in how DLF would suggest such dilemmas be handled.
Appears to be a Golden Retriever. They tend to be better behaved than most humans as their goal in life is to please.
This is cute but it shouldn’t be allowed. I can’t imagine the airline cleans their seats well enough to get all the dog hair out. Passengers with allergies to dogs may be using that seat in the future. Lot of people don’t let their dog on the couch at home why would they be allowed to sit in a business class seat that the public will be using after?
I have never understood why you can’t purchase a seat for your animals. Why do they have to be just emotional support? As for allergies, why would you not carry the right antihistamine with you in case of anything being on the plane that would trigger your allergy? I always carry pills and an inhaler, yet I have No problem believing animals should be allowed! Better than a misbehaving child or adult, as well as an over perfumed or stinky person.