United Leaves Larger Dogs Without A Way to Fly
Jackie Reddy March 20, 2018
The carrier says that it is conducting a review of its cargo hold pet travel program, but will honor any reservations made up through March 20. The review, which is due to be completed by May 1, comes in the wake of several high-profile incidents involving pets being transported by the carrier.
In a temporary move, United Airlines has announced that it will not be accepting any new reservations for passengers who want their pets to travel in the cargo hold area of its aircraft as part of its PetSafe program, CNBC.com reports. The carrier’s pet transportation policies have been under intense public scrutiny since last week, when it was revealed that a puppy put into an overhead compartment had died during a flight.
Just a few days after this, the carrier also admitted that several dogs had been transported to the wrong destinations, with the most notable case being that of a German shepherd that was accidentally flown to Japan instead of Kansas City.
United is working to review its current pet transportation policy in the wake of these mishaps, but will honor any reservations made up through March 20. The carrier said that it expects the review to be completed by May 1. It has confirmed that the suspension of this policy will not have an impact on those pets transported in the main cabin, where the carrier has said it would now require bags containing pets or animals to be brightly tagged.
Commenting on the temporary suspension of pets traveling in the cargo hold, United spokesperson Charlie Hobart said, “We are conducting a thorough and systematic review of our program for pets that travel in the cargo compartment to make improvements that will ensure the best possible experience for our customers and their pets. To achieve this outcome, we will partner with independent experts in pet safety, comfort and travel.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
I love my dogs more than almost any person I know, but no dog should be on a plane unless the owner is moving. At a minimum, the dog will not enjoy traveling anywhere near as much as the owners think it will. More likely, it will be a horribly traumatic experience for them. Dogs are great companions, but they are just as happy in respectable and well-run kennel as they are in the penthouse suite at the Ritz. And there is no reason to fly thousands of miles to get a horribly overpriced and often inbred specific trendy breed of dog, when thousands of perfectly healthy and loving dogs are being sentenced to death in one's own backyard in overcrowded shelters (which could have been adopted for a very minuscule fee). Don't call yourself a dog lover if you openly practice dog breedism. Picking a dog based on size and temperament is fine; picking one based the flavor of the day is just vanity and narcissism. This current obsession with the genetically defective and irresponsibly bred pugs and bulldogs is the worst dog trend yet. None of these dogs can breathe well due to our obsession with breeding based on appearance instead of health. These dogs have trouble breathing on a good day on the ground.
I'm a former airline employee and a dog owner, my goldendoodle weighs 70 pounds. There is no way on earth I would ever ship a dog by air. Just no way. I used to work for Continental at the gates in the (then) hub El Paso. If any passenger approached me and said they had a pet being loaded or transferred I would immediately go downstairs to operations, check on the kennel to be sure it was inside with A/C or heat and check again at departure time to be sure the kennel was on the right aircraft. Not one other agent every did this. And I can guarantee that gate agents never check on animals now. People shouldn't ship pets by air. No airline ships pets in the summer. There are ground pet transportation services which take longer but are reliable.
"United Leaves Larger Dogs Without A Way to Fly" ------- Oh well, I guess passengers will have to choose ANOTHER AIRLINE. Millions lost on United due to this decision. Maybe if they didn't outsource their ramp people in many places this wouldn't happen. Keep jobs in-house !!
Good comment CEB! Being a pet lover - I hate to be a germophobe... Pets in the cabin should not be allowed as we are all going to breathe pet hair, pet dander and bacteria in addition to the skin cells of our fellow passengers. Pets should be put into a cargo hold or below deck in a dedicated area that has separate air filtration system!
What a brilliant comment by edgewood49! From the headline I thought United finally woke up and decided not to allow pets in the cabin, which would have been a fantastic move! Even as a pet lover myself I do not believe they belong in an airplane ... at all!!