Swiss International Airlines - Warning: Dog in F JNB-ZRH on 18/9

On another forum I found this posting:

"Hi all,

We are also in the process of moving to Switzerland, my hubby arrived in Zurich on Monday and I am leaving SA on the 18th of September. We were also willing to pay anything to take our "baby" with us to Zurich. I (by shear luck) found out that I could take Coco with me in the cabin as "exess bagage"! It will only cost around R2500 as long as she and her carry bag does not weigh more than 8kg's. Taking her using a pet carrier company would have cost around R10 000!

I was ecstatic! I was soooo worried about having her in a dark scary place in the cargo hold, not to mention all the horror stories you read of pilots forgetting to regulate the temp in the cargo hold when there is animals on board.

I am still nervous about how she will react to the whole flying thing, but I bought some Eco-vet No Fear drops that is supposed to keep her calm - think I might need them more than her though! We used my husband's points to upgrade me to first class so hopefully the extra space will make things easier for us during the flight."

Later in the same thread:

I did do my homework before opting for the "pet in cabin" option - I made arrangements with Swiss air to be in a special seat away from any other passengers as this is their way of taking pets in the cabin, I also arranged to move her from her little bag to a much bigger bag after take off, this bag has exactly the same space as the crates that go in the hold(thats why I am flying first class for the extra space at my feet)so she will have absorbent pads at the one end as well for pee and as for her poop I will clean that like I do at home anyway. When its time to land she will go back in the smaller bag.

According to Swiss air, they can always put her in the gargo hold during the flight if she is making too much noise, but she is a very pampered pooch and as long as she is not alone she never makes noise.

Some of these comments are obviously sheer fantasy, but I thought fellow travellers may appreciate the warning if you were thinking of splashing out on F on that day. It may not be too much fun with an antsy dog, peeing and pooping in F. I did try to convince the poster that her dog would probably be better off in the cargo hold, explaining that we had done that from NRT to ZRH with our three dogs and that they had not been traumatised. To no avail I am afraid.

The one question that I do have is: who on earth at Swiss is feeding her this garbage...seating you away from other passengers (where? on the wing?); moving the dog to the cargo hold in flight? :rolleyes:

Yeah, pooper trooper in the F cabin.

I think someone is winding her up. They've sold her a ticket on SR, so she'll get to the airport and find out they went out of business years ago! :)

..The one question that I do have is: who on earth at Swiss is feeding her this garbage...seating you away from other passengers (where? on the wing?); moving the dog to the cargo hold in flight? :rolleyes:
I have no idea ... but it is still an order of magnitude less bad than the 'stress relief animals' which haunt the US carriers and which roam the cabin freely.

I never quite got the grasp of airline priorities in these matters to begin with: all these accounts of SQ and some US carriers banning all pax from the consumption of nuts because someone brought their allergic child aboard but could not be bothered to bring the cortisone shots and a breathing mask along and at the same time they allow mobile allergen carriers to roam the cabin.

But then there are numerous instances where I do not comprehend how airlines think and decide...

I have no idea ... but it is still an order of magnitude less bad than the 'stress relief animals' which haunt the US carriers and which roam the cabin freely.


I can well imagine this causing stress in several fellow FC passengers...

The one question that I do have is: who on earth at Swiss is feeding her this garbage...seating you away from other passengers (where? on the wing?); moving the dog to the cargo hold in flight? :rolleyes:

What a coincidence that you as a person with this handle are posting dog stories.... ;)

:D

I have no idea ... but it is still an order of magnitude less bad than the 'stress relief animals' which haunt the US carriers and which roam the cabin freely.

Oh yes, these lovely 'stress relief animals'....See this post:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-pets/973843-i-thought-i-had-seen-all-white-goose-takes-seat-board-dl-flight.html

I had witnessed how sombody even brought a huge white goose on board a DL flight in Milwaukee.....and it was not inside a cage!!

What a coincidence that you as a person with this handle are posting dog stories.... ;)

:D

Right :)

It should also be some proof that I love dogs (mine especially). But dogs, they just don't belong in the F cabin of a long-haul flight, particularly not with a clueless owner who thinks she will be sitting all by herself, will be shuttling back and forth to the WC with dog poop and if pooch gets a little above himself will be toddling off to the hold to put pooch in "solitary". The thing I find even more amazing is that either some clued-out Swiss staffer or (more likely) an even more clueless travel agent is giving this woman so much garbage information....:rolleyes:

The thing I find even more amazing is that either some clued-out Swiss staffer or (more likely) an even more clueless travel agent is giving this woman so much garbage information....:rolleyes:

maybe its "glued out" staff... :p :D

But dogs, they just don't belong in the F cabin of a long-haul flight, particularly not with a clueless owner who thinks she will be sitting all by herself, will be shuttling back and forth to the WC with dog poop and if pooch gets a little above himself will be toddling off to the hold to put pooch in "solitary".

If you ban dogs from F, you should ban babies too. Personally, I think the liability to upset the F cabin is equal with dogs and babies.

That said, it is inappropriate to bring any dog on a plane that plans on relieveing itself inflight. When a service animal goes to Asia, the owner will taper the food and maybe give a few ice cubes during the trip, so it can be done. I know my dog can go (or not go, that is) for 14 hours and simply does not bark ever (except at the window washers on the 45th floor-- I guess he knows they don't belong there). I would not heasitate to bring him overseas, even in F, but he is 30 kilos. The other passengers would not even know he was there unless they looked or are alergic.

It really makes me :mad: that someone actaully plans on bringing an animal on a flight and actually plans on having it relieve itself during the flight. F, C or Y, that is just plain rude.

It really makes me :mad: that someone actaully plans on bringing an animal on a flight and actually plans on having it relieve itself during the flight. F, C or Y, that is just plain rude.

Since they are back with real cutlery in LX F, you should not worry too much. That still provides the availability of emergency self defense capability against non-human aliens. :mad:

If you ban dogs from F, you should ban babies too. Personally, I think the liability to upset the F cabin is equal with dogs and babies.


Hmmm, I see what you mean. But I didn't realise there was a facility to ship one's children in the cargo hold! Perhaps Swiss should consider. :D

But I didn't realise there was a facility to ship one's children in the cargo hold! Perhaps Swiss should consider. :D

Ha! :D

I think this is a hoax (or a bad joke). Has anyone checked if it is actually true that LX will allow a dog (other than a service dog) into the cabin (any cabin, for that matter)? Most civilised airlines dont (and I would have classified LX as civilised ;))
For instance: how do you get anything from the cabin into the hold when in flight..and then the story about the prvate place...Come on!

I'll move this thread to the LX subforum as LH and M&M are not involved here.

Take care!

totti
M&M moderator

I think this is a hoax (or a bad joke). Has anyone checked if it is actually true that LX will allow a dog (other than a service dog) into the cabin (any cabin, for that matter)? Most civilised airlines dont (and I would have classified LX as civilised ;))
For instance: how do you get anything from the cabin into the hold when in flight..and then the story about the prvate place...Come on!

I know that the intention to fly is NOT a hoax (can't divulge my sources I am afraid). I also believe that the passenger is telling the truth about what she has been told. This is the frightening thing. This woman is planning to fly with her dog, her hubby has upgraded her to F using miles, and she is being fed all this garbage about what it is going to be like on board. Her husband has already left SA to take up a new position in Switzerland, so she will be alone at the airport. What she is being told borders on some kind of a fairytale and the question is, who is feeding her this BS? The airline or a travel agent. In any case, if things go ahead as planned it will make for an uncomfortable trip.

Having been through a similar exercise shipping our three dogs from Japan back to Switzerland, I know that it can be a harrowing experience. I also learned that one should get everything in writing. Answers over the phone are no good when you arrive at the airport and are, generally, incorrect.

And, LX will allow a dog of less than 8 Kgs in the cabin. Here's the link:

http://www.swiss.com/web/EN/services/special_needs/Pages/animals.aspx

If you ban dogs from F, you should ban babies too. Personally, I think the liability to upset the F cabin is equal with dogs and babies...
While loud, self-centered, and - in the nose of hardened bachelors like I - malodorous, babies at least do not tend to shed a whole lot of hair while in flight.

But I certainly would not mind, if they were restricted to the overhead bins :o.

Most civilised airlines dont (and I would have classified LX as civilised

AC allows dogs in cabin as well.

LOL, in the U.S., you can blame the Anwalts (lawyers). I've only seen 1 loose dog on a flight and that was a guide dog for a woman whom I actually happened to vaguely know, and she was not quite, but nearly, blind. Very nice dog though. Legit need, not one of those fakers, like people who need medical marijuana because life sucks w/o it.

I have no idea ... but it is still an order of magnitude less bad than the 'stress relief animals' which haunt the US carriers and which roam the cabin freely.

I never quite got the grasp of airline priorities in these matters to begin with: all these accounts of SQ and some US carriers banning all pax from the consumption of nuts because someone brought their allergic child aboard but could not be bothered to bring the cortisone shots and a breathing mask along and at the same time they allow mobile allergen carriers to roam the cabin.

But then there are numerous instances where I do not comprehend how airlines think and decide...

And, LX will allow a dog of less than 8 Kgs in the cabin. Here's the link:

http://www.swiss.com/web/EN/services/special_needs/Pages/animals.aspx

Yep, it's true. We looked at moving with our cats flying LX. I love the bit about how they will put your pet under an economy class seat for take off and landing if you are flying J or F! :D

Yep, it's true. We looked at moving with our cats flying LX. I love the bit about how they will put your pet under an economy class seat for take off and landing if you are flying J or F! :D

Or in the closet! :eek: