Family Calls Delta “Appalling” for Prioritizing Cats Over Passenger’s Severe Allergy
Sharon Hsu October 24, 2018
black and white cat with white mustache close-up
Like most airlines, Delta’s website lists their company policy on passenger allergies. Due to the presence of service animals, the carrier is unable to “guarantee a pet-free or allergen-free flight,” but says that passengers can reach out to customer representatives beforehand or flight attendants onboard for accommodations.
An Oklahoma City family has a bone to pick with Delta Airlines after a connecting flight through Atlanta went awry. Jackie Reckline told 11Alive News that her husband, who has a severe cat allergy, had to take another plane after two felines were brought on their flight.
She says that she notified flight attendants about her husband’s allergy after she saw a passenger board with two carriers. The carriers were too large to fit beneath the plane’s seats, so flight attendants moved them to a space next to a storage closet, very close to where the Reckline family was seated.
“My husband will go in to anaphylactic shock in the air,” Reckline says she told the attendants. “It was almost a 3 hour flight. He can’t stay on board if the cats are going to be on board.”
Nevertheless, the cats remained, and the airline instead offered Reckline’s husband an overnight hotel stay and a flight the next morning. Jackie and their daughter flew home that evening. When flight attendants informed passengers that “joining us tonight are Atlanta-based flight attendants and Milo and Roxy” during an announcement, Reckline felt that they were joking at her husband’s expense. Overall, she says, she found the airline’s decision “appalling.”
When asked for comment, Delta issued the following statement to 11Alive: “The comfort and safety of every customer who flies Delta is our top priority and we work hard to ensure those with allergies are well taken care of. We have reached out directly to this customer to better understand his and his family’s experience and apologize for the inconvenience this situation may have caused.” The airline did not have an explanation for why the cats were prioritized for the flight, but said the incident would be fully investigated. Their spokesperson further encouraged other passengers with allergies to reach out before flights for accommodation, either by phone or in the section for special requests upon booking.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
You’re Reading
In this case, the man and his wife claiming after they'd boarded the plane, that he'd go into shock, were in the wrong. I don't believe he'd suffer anaphylactic shock just by being in proximity to a cat. That's highly unlikely as most people who are "allergic" to cats only get red eyes and sneeze. My son in law does that when he visits our cat friendly home unexpectedly. Normally, when we know he's coming, we deep clean the guest sleeping room before he arrives and confine the resident cat to a closed off area. He also takes some allergy pills as a preventative. The allergic traveler didn't inform the airline of his problem with cats prior to the flight. The cats, I assume, were traveling with their caretakers and everything had been arranged. If the allergic man had inquired about cats on the plane in advance, or mentioned his problem, he would have been able to avoid that flight. One issue that others have mentioned which would have made all this angst moot. The cats were not in "legal" sized carriers. They should not have been accommodated on the flight.
I would require the person claiming an allergy (peanuts, cats, etc) that inconveniences the rights of others to have a signed statement by a civil surgeon (an independent examining physician chosen by the Center for Disease Control) attesting to the allergy. Same for people claiming the need for "support animals." It is too in vogue to claim a health or emotional exemption to get a slight edge over the next guy.
You don't go into anaphylactic shock from a cat allergy. That's just pure BS. Delta made the right call. These people have a clear case of entitlement syndrome.
@jrpallante THIS !
This issue has gotten way out of hand. Pets should be placed in the cargo hold. If you are too fragile to be separated from your pet for a few hours, then you should probably be confined to a facility that can address your mental health.