BA 286 SFO LHR A380 Diverted
May 26, 2022, 10:27 pm
#16
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,668
I am going to be honest. I don't want dogs and cats in the cabin unless they are actual service animals. I don't want them dying in the hold either. A dog or cat really does not need to go on vacation with his/her owner. The plane is full of people who have paid for their seats and expect to be able to fly without a pet infringing on their area or their allergies. Rarely have I seen responsible pet owners. They often break the airline rules and pull their pets out of the designated carriers. One of my favorites was the women who opened the tray table and put her pet upon it.
I will admit that moving house long distances can make flying a pet a necessity and I can accept that when this happens and is done responsibly. I don't think that your pet should be valued more than the person sitting next to you on the plane.
I realize that this will not be a popular viewpoint with some, but I believe it is a viewpoint shared by many
I will admit that moving house long distances can make flying a pet a necessity and I can accept that when this happens and is done responsibly. I don't think that your pet should be valued more than the person sitting next to you on the plane.
I realize that this will not be a popular viewpoint with some, but I believe it is a viewpoint shared by many
It's popular with me
May 26, 2022, 11:10 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,575
I had very good experience with LHR and BA with my cat when moving abroad for work so not surprised they made this decision, glad the dogs are OK!
I took my cats in the cabin on KLM on the way home (ferry into the UK) as shipping humans let alone pet cargo at the height of the pandemic was tricky!!
They were fine but we were 50 people on a 787 with virtually no service and one of only two flights out of Changi T1 that night, I think they'd have been much happier in the hold on a full flight to be honest.
I took my cats in the cabin on KLM on the way home (ferry into the UK) as shipping humans let alone pet cargo at the height of the pandemic was tricky!!
They were fine but we were 50 people on a 787 with virtually no service and one of only two flights out of Changi T1 that night, I think they'd have been much happier in the hold on a full flight to be honest.
May 27, 2022, 12:17 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,327
May 27, 2022, 1:30 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,786
Well done BA. Kudos to the captain for diverting. The right decision. Undoubtedly inconvenient for passengers who missed connections but I would much rather be a few hours late than see any animal suffer.
I trust passengers accept this was truly extraordinary and don't pursue any EC261 claim. I'm sure BA will have tried to resolve the missed connections for those who were affected.
I trust passengers accept this was truly extraordinary and don't pursue any EC261 claim. I'm sure BA will have tried to resolve the missed connections for those who were affected.
May 27, 2022, 1:38 am
#20
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,926
Well done BA. Kudos to the captain for diverting. The right decision. Undoubtedly inconvenient for passengers who missed connections but I would much rather be a few hours late than see any animal suffer.
I trust passengers accept this was truly extraordinary and don't pursue any EC261 claim. I'm sure BA will have tried to resolve the missed connections for those who were affected.
I trust passengers accept this was truly extraordinary and don't pursue any EC261 claim. I'm sure BA will have tried to resolve the missed connections for those who were affected.
May 27, 2022, 1:54 am
#21
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Essex
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 271
Last edited by Prospero; May 29, 2022 at 7:39 am Reason: convert animated gif to link, per FT rules
May 27, 2022, 1:54 am
#22
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: A3*G,BA Silver
Posts: 2,012
Customers are paying hundreds if not thousands to airlines when it comes to transfer theirs pets from one destination to another. Airlines are responsible for their health and safety during the transfer. I assume there was some kind of system failure on the plane and the temperature became too high or something similar. That’s usually the airline’s fault and has nothing to do with extraordinary circumstances.
May 27, 2022, 2:14 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,786
I stand corrected. I do hope that passengers give BA a break on this and don't claim. I personally wouldn't claim.
Last edited by AJA_; May 27, 2022 at 2:47 am
May 27, 2022, 2:29 am
#25
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,654
There are quite steep fines relating to animal welfare which apply to airlines. The crew took the right decision here, full credit to them. Heathrow has a veterinary centre as I recall and systems in place to handle animal transport and it necessarily only works with animals in the hold. That is also part of the quarantine system. It all works quite seamlessly, if not cheaply as I found may years ago when we brought our dog in. On international flights you will not find pets in the cabin for the UK, however on domestic to places like the channel islands be ready to sit next to a big slobbering beast! From the web site below, each year about 22,000 dogs and cats, 400 horses, 100,000 reptiles, 1,000 birds and 28 million fish are imported through Heathrow Airport. I guess the horses may travel in F.
Heathrow Animal Reception Centre
Heathrow Animal Reception Centre
May 27, 2022, 2:42 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: A3*G,BA Silver
Posts: 2,012
Each to their own. I wouldn’t give BA or any other big airline/company a break when I can get some of my money back. Will BA give me a break if I arrived 10 minutes late after the check in closed or something similar? I doubt.
May 27, 2022, 3:02 am
#27
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Up North.
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 311
The cost of the potential EU261 claims and diversion costs would pale in comparison to the bad publicity and lost business following a Daily Fail headline screaming about the avoidable death of two dogs. Not to mention the potential impact on the crew, knowing their actions had led to that outcome.
May 27, 2022, 3:06 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,786
I applaud the captain's actions even more in light of the potential extra cost to BA paying out EC claims in addition to the cost of diverting in the first place.. It shows they care about every living soul on board.
I realise it's not identical but I treat this the same as a potential medical emergency on board which results in the aircraft being diverted.
May 27, 2022, 3:19 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: A3*G,BA Silver
Posts: 2,012
I am sorry but how did you come to this conclusion? BA has the responsibility to make sure the animals are safe and well. Passengers are paying £££ for this. BA on this occasion failed to do so. Of course BA did the right thing to divert but mistakes have consequences. If, IF it’s BA’s fault then I don’t see why passengers should not apply for compensation
May 27, 2022, 3:40 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,786
I am sorry but how did you come to this conclusion? BA has the responsibility to make sure the animals are safe and well. Passengers are paying £££ for this. BA on this occasion failed to do so. Of course BA did the right thing to divert but mistakes have consequences. If, IF it’s BA’s fault then I don’t see why passengers should not apply for compensation
"Each to their own. I wouldn’t give BA or any other big airline/company a break when I can get some of my money back. Will BA give me a break if I arrived 10 minutes late after the check in closed or something similar?"
This says to me you wouldn't give BA a break if you were a passenger on the affected flight.
You've even reiterated in your latest reply that you believe passengers have a right to claim for the delay. Only now you concede the airline did the right thing regarding the welfare of the dogs.
I would say BA did not fail in their responsibility for the welfare of the dogs. In fact they did exactly the right thing. They also did not fail to get the passengers to LHR. I would much rather be delayed a few hours and not let the dogs die.