Denied Boarding w/ Cabin Pet Due to Biz Class Seats w/No Floor Storage
Jan 30, 2018, 9:31 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Berlin, TXL
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Posts: 339
It’s really hard to believe this is actually a policy. I don’t see anywhere that they have posted that cabin pets are not allowed in the business cabin on 787s. I know personally of friends who have taken their dog on board 787s, in business class, no problems. I think someone made up some rules.
Jan 30, 2018, 9:40 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, AA MM, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 122
I apologize for the original lengthy post but maybe you missed the spot where my family member and myself both called the Executive Platinum desk at multiple times before the day of travel to confirm that the pet was ok in the cabin. Every agent on the phone plus one of their supervisors confirmed we were fine. I also double checked with the 1st class check-in agent at DFW if we would be ok and she said yes then took the payment for the pet. I also thoroughly looked over AA’s website and couldn’t find anything that mentions cabin pets being prohibited in the business class cabin on certain aircraft. I also posted an inquiry on this forum a few days ago in the 787-9 business class wiki page but never got a response before it was time for departure. I feel we went above and beyond trying to make sure we were ok. I’m not sure what else we could have done to verify that we would be ok with the cat.
Jan 30, 2018, 9:46 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 23,199
AA's official policy is that animals and child restraints are not allowed in the buiness class cabin on the 787. It sounds like the OP got some bad information from AA res.
Jan 30, 2018, 10:09 am
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
Definitely owed a refund for the fare difference. Not sure what else.
Jan 30, 2018, 10:13 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,727
Do you have a link to this policy? You would think AA would make it easily searchable and available.
Jan 30, 2018, 10:28 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NorCal
Posts: 658
OP, please report back what compensation you got. Good luck.
Jan 30, 2018, 4:28 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, AA MM, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 122
He did. REPEATEDLY. AA confirmed it was ok repeatedly. Supervisors checked even. AA is completely in the wrong here as can possibly be. We're just not exactly which worker, but it's someone from AA. Probably from the reservations people, but they're still AA.
OP, please report back what compensation you got. Good luck.
OP, please report back what compensation you got. Good luck.
January 30, 2018
Hello Mr. smuDC-10:
Thank you for contacting us. I am sorry to hear that your brother and his fiance had to rebook their flight due to pet restrictions on your aircraft.
I spent quite a bit of time today trying to find out the restrictions on the 7879 aircraft. After speaking with our specialist there is truly a "no pets in first class" rule on the 787 series. I know this information would have been more helpful when you called so I have made a point to contact our Reservations Team and have them update this information in their resource guide.
As a gesture of goodwill I have requested a refund of your brother's cabin pet fee for the trouble and misinformation given to you by our Reservations Team. For the most current information about traveling with your pet please visit http://www.aa.com/pets.
Mr. smuDC-10, thank you for bringing this to our attention and we look forward to flying with you again soon.
Sincerely,
<employee name redacted>
Customer Relations
American Airlines
I’m happy with this response although I feel that their website needs to be updated with the information as well. The fact that the customer relations agent said she spent quite a bit of time trying to find the restrictions on 787’s and that she had to speak to a specialist made me believe that it is indeed hidden language not readily made available to the flying public. The agent also attached the link to their pet policy but it’s the same language that has been on the website with no mention of 787 cabin restrictions. Refunding the $125 my brother paid for the animal is fair. I mainly wrote AA out of a matter of principal and not looking for much compensation since we all did indeed end up flying in 1st class on one flight or another.
Another side note, I stayed at the Hyatt Regency LAX last night and my DFW based crew did as well. I was on an early shuttle back to the airport this morning and my same crew was heading back to the airport. The purser and crew remembered me as the cat man and asked if the rest of my family and the cat eventually made it to LA. They apologized again and then proceeded to say that it was the reservation department’s fault and “they don’t know their left hand from their right”. Hopefully this experience can help others in the future although there aren’t too many 787 or 777 domestic hops where this might happen to someone else.
Last edited by JY1024; Jan 30, 2018 at 8:14 pm Reason: Removed name of non-executive employee
Jan 30, 2018, 4:44 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 361
On both the 787-8 and 787-9 there is no stowage on or under the ottomans for taxi, take off and landing and and on neither aircraft is there the "pet compartment" like the A321T. Unfortunately, it seems that bad info was given all the way until the FA caught it. Better than during taxi out, or boarding though to be honest.
Most people are quite shocked that the certification for that planes requires no bags on/under the footwell, including some FAs, but that is the rule.
Sounds to me as if CR did the right thing in refunding the pet fee. In my opinion though, a few miles as a customer service gesture wouldn't have been the worst thing either.
Most people are quite shocked that the certification for that planes requires no bags on/under the footwell, including some FAs, but that is the rule.
Sounds to me as if CR did the right thing in refunding the pet fee. In my opinion though, a few miles as a customer service gesture wouldn't have been the worst thing either.
Jan 30, 2018, 5:42 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NorCal
Posts: 658
I agree. Technically, OP received everything he was entitled to but still, AA screwed up and inconvenienced them. The ticket does just entitle them to be flown from A to B and in a certain class. From a customer service standpoint, a few thousand FF miles would be a nice "sorry" gesture for the wrong information, being separated from their party, arriving late, etc. May not be worth pushing any further though.
Jan 30, 2018, 6:41 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,304
AA did the right thing, i.e., did not commit fraud. (Intentionally accepting a pet cabin fee when it had no intention of transporting the pet). Calling that the right thing in this circumstance is a stretch to me as it seems to be the minimal thing they could do.
Jan 30, 2018, 6:51 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Berlin, TXL
Programs: OW Emerald, *A gold, Skyteam elite plus, Hilton gold, SPG gold
Posts: 339
I apologize for the original lengthy post but maybe you missed the spot where my family member and myself both called the Executive Platinum desk at multiple times before the day of travel to confirm that the pet was ok in the cabin. Every agent on the phone plus one of their supervisors confirmed we were fine. I also double checked with the 1st class check-in agent at DFW if we would be ok and she said yes then took the payment for the pet. I also thoroughly looked over AA’s website and couldn’t find anything that mentions cabin pets being prohibited in the business class cabin on certain aircraft. I also posted an inquiry on this forum a few days ago in the 787-9 business class wiki page but never got a response before it was time for departure. I feel we went above and beyond trying to make sure we were ok. I’m not sure what else we could have done to verify that we would be ok with the cat.
Jan 30, 2018, 6:59 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Berlin, TXL
Programs: OW Emerald, *A gold, Skyteam elite plus, Hilton gold, SPG gold
Posts: 339
He did. REPEATEDLY. AA confirmed it was ok repeatedly. Supervisors checked even. AA is completely in the wrong here as can possibly be. We're just not exactly which worker, but it's someone from AA. Probably from the reservations people, but they're still AA.
OP, please report back what compensation you got. Good luck.
OP, please report back what compensation you got. Good luck.
Jan 30, 2018, 7:36 pm
#28
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AA, DL, Avis, Enterprise, National, IHG, HH, SPG/MR
Posts: 1,852
Jan 30, 2018, 7:55 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, AA MM, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 122
Over the years on AA flights I’ve seen quite a few entitled grown adults that belong in the cargo hold or at home. If you don’t like American’s policy that they will transport animals in the cabin maybe you should take that up with them.
Jan 30, 2018, 8:13 pm
#30
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AA, DL, Avis, Enterprise, National, IHG, HH, SPG/MR
Posts: 1,852
If what you really wanted was just people to agree with you, you should have said that in the OP.