Pets on Planes

Old Oct 6, 2002, 10:58 pm
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Pets on Planes

I just got off a flight today and was amazed there was a cat in the cabin two seats ahead of me. I have a severe allergy to cats and was miserable the entire flight - coughing, sneezing and wheezing. Don't they have to disclose this information - how can I stop this from happening again.
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Old Oct 6, 2002, 11:50 pm
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Not that long ago, there was a pet pig on a flight in F cabin. The pig story was quite comprehensively covered on this board. You might get some ideas by reading these threads.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 3:27 am
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hbtraveler-
I sympathize!! I am also allergic and if I was in your situation I would ask to be put on another flight, if not possible, then I would insist that the cat/owner be seated as far away from me as possible (preferably the back).
I proposed a question on the thread below, but never got an answer. Could a passenger request that the pet/owner be removed from the plane? Is this within a paying passenger's rights?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/013050.html

I realize that there are many pet lovers out there that probably aren't happy with my comments, but please understand that this is not a matter of disliking animals, it is purely a health issue. If I was exposed to a cat on a long flight, I could get VERY sick.




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Old Oct 7, 2002, 5:56 am
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I have a grown son who almost died in 1993 after being in a house with a cat that he didn't know was there. After I saw people traveling with animals on board, I wrote to the airlines. I told them about people with severe allergies and asthma and how dangerous it was to have animals in the cabin without the passengers being told. I got no response whatsoever. What I don't understand is this: they stopped serving peanuts because of the allergy problem, and peanuts can be avoided on a flight by just not eating them. But they don't do anything about an animal that gives a person no choice of avoiding it? Apparently you didn't know there was a cat on board and that is THE problem. Perhaps it's time for people who do have allergies to form a coalition and get some solid force behind us and bombard the airlines with our concerns.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 7:30 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hbtraveler:
I just got off a flight today and was amazed there was a cat in the cabin two seats ahead of me. I have a severe allergy to cats and was miserable the entire flight - coughing, sneezing and wheezing. Don't they have to disclose this information - how can I stop this from happening again.</font>
Welcome to Flyertalk hbtraveler

Sorry to hear about your miserable flight

I think we may be approaching the day when on the information screen at the gate area will have a little dog of cat icon to alert individuals w/allergies.

A rhetorical question, do airlines know who is travelling w/pets in the cabin area? Is it required by a passenger traveling with a pet to mention this to the airline?

Just my opinion, if there is a person w/a pet allergy and a person flying w/a pet on the same flight, the passenger w/the pet should take a later flight.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 7:36 am
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bump.......
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 8:11 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Just my opinion, if there is a person w/a pet allergy and a person flying w/a pet on the same flight, the passenger w/the pet should take a later flight.</font>
... or the pet go in the hold, although the pet might beg to differ.

Are cats the only common household animal which trigger allergies in some people?

Asking every passenger at check-in whether they are allergic to certain animals seems tedious. I suppose the low probability of having both a cat-allergic passenger and a cat on the same plane, coupled with the strong attachment travelling pet owners have for their pets in the Western world, have dissuaded the airlines to address the issue.

In parts of the world where pets occupy a lower station, I could see it becoming a struggle between the pet owner's and the sufferer's social status and fare paid...
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 8:15 am
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people have allergies to dogs and cats. when I asked the agent when I got off the plane - she said they allow dogs, cats and birds as long as the are caged and fit under the seat.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 11:32 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:

A rhetorical question, do airlines know who is travelling w/pets in the cabin area? Is it required by a passenger traveling with a pet to mention this to the airline?
</font>
Yes you are not allowed to carry on the pet, or check it, unless it has been declared and a fee paid for the transportation of the animal. My dog has flown a few times (always in the hold), and if they are not reserved at least 48 hrs ahead - they will be denied boarding. The fact a pet is on board also shows up on the PAX manifest.

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Old Oct 7, 2002, 11:35 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
[B] ... A rhetorical question, do airlines know who is travelling w/pets in the cabin area? ... B]</font>
As long as traveling with pets continues to be a revenue stream for the airlines, I don't think that they will give up this practice. Recently, my partner picked up 2 baby pugs in Seattle for the flight home to SFO. We were charged $75.00, which seemed absurd, since the pet carrying case was no larger than a backback and fit under the seat. In any event, they were seated in F and had no problems.

I do see both sides of this argument, in asking pet carrying passengers to be reseated when someone with an alergy is seated close by, however, since the person carrying the pet was charged an additional fee to bring the pets on board (with no miles earned at that), I think the person could argue that the person with the alergy should be reseated, since they had to pony up a fee, in addition to the airline ticket, for simply bringing a pet on board.

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Old Oct 7, 2002, 11:37 am
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but in the case of the person with the allergy - simply reseating doesn't necessarily work - two rows a way I felt it - they should disclose the information and then those like me with allergies should be allowed to change to a different flight without penalty.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 12:11 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
A rhetorical question, do airlines know who is travelling w/pets in the cabin area? Is it required by a passenger traveling with a pet to mention this to the airline?
</font>
Not necessarily...at least prior to last year. Some cat carriers very closely resemble a normal carry-on, and some owners feel that airlines' in-cabin pet fees are unjustified, given that the bag alone would be a legitimate carryon.

It's less likely these days, but I wouldn't say it's not happening.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 12:51 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hbtraveler:
but in the case of the person with the allergy - simply reseating doesn't necessarily work - two rows a way I felt it - they should disclose the information and then those like me with allergies should be allowed to change to a different flight without penalty.</font>
Because of the way the air just circulates in an airplane, it really doesn't matter that much where you are seated in relationship to the cat/dog.
Again, I ask: is it within a passenger's rights to request that the pet/owner be removed from the flight?

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Old Oct 7, 2002, 4:06 pm
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I don't think the pet/owner should be removed from the flight if the pet traveling was already confirmed with the airline and the fee was paid. I think the solution might be to offer to reaccomodate the allergic passenger on a later, pet-free flight at no charge.

Maybe the long-term solution is for the airline to designate a particular proportion of flights per day as "pet-free". People would not be allowed to book pets on them (except in the hold) and severely allergic people could take those particular flights without worry.
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Old Oct 7, 2002, 9:36 pm
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Hm. I've always wondered how they dealt with this situation. I guess those with severe allergies to dog/cat aren't necessarily expecting to find them on a plane. Some carriers don't take pets in the cabin, as I recall, and that may be one way to be sure. (Check carrier's web site for such info.) When they do allow them, there are several rules including a size limit, carrier must fit under seat and a limit of one or two per plane, depending upon airline and plane type. There's also a fee, and it must be reserved well in advance due to the restrictions, particularly the per-plane limit.

I can sympathize with both sides. I have a cat, and if I needed to fly somewhere with her, I'd want to take her in the cabin. I also have allergies, not to cat dander luckily, but to a couple other things, and certainly I know they can be not just uncomfortable but life-threating in some cases. Due to the nature of the reservation and extra fee paid for the pet, I have a feeling that the path of least resistance would be to reaccommodate the allergic person on another flight. That said, I suspect there isn't sufficient info given out about when there is an animal in the cabin. I think it would be a good idea for the airlines to volunteer this info without being asked, but for right now, it seems those with severe allergy are probably going to have to be proactive and ask well in advance. If you can find an airline that doesn't allow them (Southwest is one, though not an option if you're used to F!) you're safe, but I wonder if the others even have a policy for rebooking an allergic person. You may well have to fight for that even.


[This message has been edited by CrazyOne (edited 10-07-2002).]
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