imapilotaz

^ I've never seen someone react quite like that. Id rather have a dog next me then some 350 pound behemoth.

AlwaysAisle

I think OP sounds like traveled well enough with pet to know that, OP’s question is if there is another option of purchasing a seat for a pet.

I do not own a pet at this moment, had great Akita dog when I was little, but I remember gate agents and FAs saying that at AA pets need to be in a container during the entire flight, cannot take a pet out to hold during the flight. Also, at AA I think pets need to be small enough to fit into a container which can fit under the seat. If AA allows purchasing another seat for pets, then does same condition apply for a pet, such as have to be small enough to fit in to a container which fit under the seat, etc.?

About having pets in a cabin, least in the U.S. pretty much most local health code prohibit pets in restaurants due to hygiene concerns, etc. except for guide animals. Since drinks and meals are served onboard I do think airlines have to consider such issues regarding having pets in a cabin. I think Shareholder has a point.

I remember once on AA 757 flight. There was a dog accompanying a passenger in F. I really think the dog was not a guide dog but one of those “comfort animals” or whatever people call it. Then a passenger sitting next to a passenger with a dog said he is allergic to dogs. Then musical chair in F cabin started because there were couples sitting together, some passengers did not want to sit next to a dog, etc. Pretty much most of passengers in F ended up reseating. What bothered me was that a passenger with a dog said nothing during the musical chair, did not make an eye contact with other passengers, like it were all our problem and not his. The passenger with a dog could least acknowledge that we were all trying to make thing work.

grrizzli

Perhaps it was a guide dog.

AlwaysAisle

Well, this person sure did not have any problem standing up to get items from overhead storage and going to lav during the flight without this dog. Also, guide dogs for visually impaired people wear a strap with specific handle for a person to hold onto. Also, one of common clue about visually impaired people are that they tend to move their head differently, because they always trying to hear sounds by their ears rather than trying to look using their eyes. I guess having family members (yes, more than one person) happen to be physically disable help me know those stuff.

ExpatExp

Accoring to the OP, efficient = crazy. I look forward to being as crazy as possible in the future

Brilliant ^^^

PainCorp

Somebody needs a hug, or maybe a dog...

Moving Chicane

I'm split on this myself.....

...On one hand, if the dogs seat is being paid for at regular "people" fare then let them use it, but I'm not sure air travel in or below the cabin is really meant for pets in the first place, so to discuss where they are appropriate may be already going too far.

Another "for" - I'd love, just for kicks, to bring my German Shepherds on an AA flight and see how they react. I'm guessing they wouldn't bother anyone and take it in stride (they have years of training between them). Heck, I've done plenty of LAX-DFW and IAD-U.S.A. cities with military Sherphers and other dogs nearby me over the last two years that it shouldn't be "news" to most frequent flyers.
But then - As pointed out above, if someone was allergic to dogs, I certainly would view this as MY issue and feel bad/guilty/at fault. Which brings me back around to thinking that "planes aren't for animals no matter where they are seated."

marnold3

The kangaroo (according to his handler in seat 4B) was on his way from a zoo in southern California to a zoo in the Midwest.

bdemaria

Yes, I answered the OPs question w/that very information last night in my first post in this thread (#8)

The information re: pet in cabin rules - which you quoted - was a direct response to post #9.

StevenH123

Not sure about dogs but last month MCO-NYC there were 2 Siberian Lynxes on an AA flight. They were in the bulkhead seats in F in VERY large metal crates covered with cloth. Each one had a handler seated next to it. The handlers said they were on their way to do the Today Show. My 4 year old was thrilled.

Xero

I hear the allergy point often. The peanut allergy is possibly the worst allergy to have. Just remnants of peanuts in the air can send someone to the hospital and sometimes even lead to death. Yet AA or any airline has no such ban on peanuts (AA does however not serve peanuts, but there is no rule against passengers bringing peanuts on board). AA advises those with the peanut allergy to make appropriate actions before flying.

The dog allergy however is not as severe. It is more of an inconvenience. So if those with life threatening peanut allergies have to make preparations, then it is only fair to expect those with pet allergies to do the same.

Airplanes are communal places where we are all packed together. And often we will be near things we don't like, like crying babies, people talking during a redeye, smelly perfume, smelly food, inappropriate attire, dogs, etc.

skunker

My wife was on a flight from DFW-SAN a few years ago and there was a seal (yes, a seal) in first class. It was being transported from one of the other Sea Worlds to San Diego's.

The handler let it out of the crate at the gate before boarding for pictures but was crated in the seat for the flight.

VickiSoCal

There has never been a documented case or airborne peanut particles causing death. I've read a lot of articles on this and never been able to find one shred of evidence this actually happens. Every death was caused by ingestion.

Jacobin777

Our cat travels with us and we don't take him out of his travel carrier. He fits under the seat and he's completely quiet during the entire flight(s).

Also, who's to say that pets aren't allowed in the cabin (as long as they behave), you?

As mentioned previously, the "allergy argument" doesn't really hold to much, especially if the pet is in their travel carrier.

^

thetaxman

Compared to some of the people I've had sit next to me over the years, a choccy lab or some other large dog would be a vast improvement in terms of hygiene, manners and general pleasantness.