tezzer

Queuing to board the AF flight to Paris from Caracas last Sunday, and the wheelchair cavalry were herded forward to board first, no problem with that. The it was the Sky priority customers, who all went onto the airbridge amongst the still waiting to be loaded wheelchairs.

At this point, an Air France employee wandered through and recognised a couple travelling with their cat. He stopped, they al kissed and exchanged pleasantries, before he took them from the queue and waltzed them passed the final security bag search at the end of the airbridge.

To say there was nearly a riot would be an understatement. When I saw him later I asked him who they were, but he was unwilling to discuss it, other than to state that they were "state official", presumably of France.

Sounds like sycophantic behaviour at the very least, and it upset the waiting Sky Priority customers. Worst of all we had to put up with the howling cat all night !

TLVtraveler

I don't see a problem with an airline giving VIP treatment to government officials (it's actually very common across the industry). On the other hand I would mind flying in the same cabin with animals that are loud/smell or otherwise bothering me, if I were you I would complain to AF regarding the cat in the cabin.

Goldorak

OP doesn't seem to have a problem with the cat itself but with the way boarding happened. It is perfectly allowed to transport small animals in the cabin. It is quite frequent on domestic flights. I never had any "loud and smelly" animal in my numerous flights, while I experienced a significant number of loud and smelly pax

orbitmic

There is indeed no problem offering some VIP passengers VIP treatment, but I fully agree with the OP that this is a ghastly handling of the situation. VIP treatment should come across as professional, which this did not, and be operated as discretely as possible (typically, VIP boarding would be either before or more often after all other boarding procedures and entirely unnoticeable from the rest of the pax).

What the OP describes is bound to create a bad impression regardless of the legitimacy of the priority boarding decision per se.

TLVtraveler

OP stated that "Worst of all we had to put up with the howling cat all night !" if that doesn't indicate that OP had a problem with the cat I don't know what will.

orbitmic

+1. I would add that I have had occasions to share op's problems with said little darlings. I sort of feel sorry for them as I am guessing that when they are unpleasant, those cats and dogs are merely terrified, but nevertheless, I do not see why they should bother everyone else in the cabin when it happens. I'll take babies any day even if they cry a lot as I sort of accept the principle that they are as important as any other passenger in the cabin, but admit to having zero sympathy for the cases when the problem stems from pets.

stimpy

I got on a SU flight CDG-SVO and there was a lady with a cat near me in business class, meowing a good part of the flight. But it wasn't that long of a flight and the sound of the jets muffled things a bit. Then I transited to a SVO-BKK flight and the same lady was on my flight and again, not that far from me. So over 10 hours of flying with this nervous cat.

However I didn't stress and I found that with cats, as with babies, you can get used to general meowing and crying and just tune it out internally. If instead you stress about how "awful" it is, you will be bothered by it the whole flight. Have a few glasses of Champagne. That helps. Good Russian Vodka helps even more.

As as for boarding, who cares? The plane isn't going anywhere until everyone boards. I understand wanted to board early so you get your stuff in the overhead bin, but if a handful of families and VIP's board first, you'll still have your bin space.

TLVtraveler

Nothing scares me more when I see children/babies/animals while boarding an aircraft, especially long hauls.

Personally I love dogs/cats and am not bothered by them in the cabin, babies cry - it's a fact and it's not their fault, that's why I always bring my noise canceling headphones which helps a lot. As to children, some are really well behaved others are just loud brats but that's not their fault - it's their parent's fault and if their behavior bothers me I will address the issue with the parents or the cabin crew.

I wish more airlines will address the issue and introduce "family areas" for families with children and babies, it would be much more comfortable both to other pax and to the families....

TLVtraveler

+1, couldn't agree more, who cares if a handful of pax boarded before you, it's not like the plane is leaving without you or you won't be able to use the overhead bins. It's AF not ryanair without assigned seats...

brunos

Glad that you don't live in USA, you might be sued for showing such lack of sympathy for these poor animals

From the kisses and pleasantries mentioned by the OP, I would guess that these pax were friends of the Caracas station staff. Probably some local expat returning for holiday in France, not a French government official. I do not see why one should object to some pax getting some priority boarding treatment for whatever reason. It might be a blow to the ego of skypriority pax to see two persons boarding before them, but I find that reaction a bit strange.

Cats are allowed on board by most (all?) airlines. I do understand the unhappiness of having the cat howl in his little box. That never happened to me, but I have had my share of babies and young children, even in First that can make an overnight trip miserable. Nothing to do about it, except trying to be zen.

jsfr

+1

Children, babies and Cats are much less likely to invade your personal space - and the only sense involved is aural.

When my olfactive sense or sense of touch or a activated by a third party during a flight - yuck.

nicolas75

Are you speaking of the same passengers?

orbitmic

I used to, but when it comes to reasons for people to be shocked by me, my open contempt for pets in general and cats in particular was always overshadowed by my lack of enthusiasm for religions

San Gottardo

These were not "official" or "genuine" VIPs. Real VIPs are announced ahead of time and expected by staff who then take care of the VIPs from beginning to end, they are not spotted by coincidence waiting in line with everyone else. These pax were buddies of the AF employee or regular pax on that route.

On the other hand, someone boarding ahead of me, so what. Whenever I am pushed aside by another pax during boarding I murmur something like "please go ahead, like that you touch down earlier in (London/Boston/Biarritz/fill in destination)"I usually get the angry looks of someone just caught out doing something really stupid.