I've seen many pets on board. It's really nothing new. I've also yet to be on a flight where the pet was obnoxious. Many pet owners give thier pets 'sleeping pills' of sorts for travel like this.

Of course you can tell which side of this issue I'll be taking... :D Just to add my 2 cents, I've never witnessed a problem w/traveling pets, even the little, potentially yappy ones. Recently in C from JFK-SFO, I didn't even notice the yorkie under the seat across the aisle until we were deplaning and I saw a furry head poke out. In terms of taking responsibility for managing their 'progeny' on flights, give me pet parents over baby parents any day. I can understand when a kid cries, even screams. I cannot understand, though, when parents (as on a recent Y flight from NRT-SFO) allow their kids to kick the back of my seat for hours on end and then angrily use the 'He's just a baby' excuse when I politely ask them to stop or trade seats with me. (I really wanted to trade seats so that I could use the 'I've just gone mental' excuse as I kicked them over the rest of the Pacific...)

One other thought--DogDad & I are deathly allergic to cats, so much so that we can't visit our friends w/cats and have to have them leave jackets, etc. outside of our house when they visit us. We've both had multiple experiences traveling next to cats and have never had a problem...not sure why, but maybe the owners brush them thoroughly (decreasing the allergens from the dander) or the recirculated air gets rid of them. Has anyone else had this experience?

I do have a question about size and seating, though--on a recent 'Showdog Moms & Dads' (yes, it's one of those irresistably insane reality shows!!), a very well-trained/behaved Weimeraner (sp?) was classified as a 'Celebrity Pet' and allowed to sit/sleep in a seat w/her owner. (I'm pretty sure it was in coach and not sure of the airline.) Did anyone else see this and does anyone know the criteria for being a 'Celebrity Pet'?

OT, but...

I've noted the reason most little dogs are yappy is that when they get yappy, obnoxious, and aggressive the owner picks them up and starts trying to soothe them.

What a great way to reward the dog for acting like Rover the Terrible, Einstein!

Rover's thinking, "Hey, I act mean, obnoxious, bark and bite, and my owner picks me up, talks nice to me, and pets me." And the owners of such dogs never seem to figure out why their sweet, little dogs are so aggressive and stay that way.

Quit rewarding them, you dolts!

Grabbing the dog gently but firmly around the neck, forcing it into a submissive position, and saying "No" firmly would work wonders.

So the pet thread has come round again..... ;)

The first major problem with most pet owners is that they love their pets, and assume that most other people love them too, especially if the flight attendants go all mushy and cooey over them. The second major problem is the comparatively small size of domestic F cabins.

There are many reasons why pets, dogs especially, might not be so loved by others. This thread has already dealt with the noise factor (not often a problem) and the allergy factor (which certainly is a problem). No one has yet mentioned the odor factor. Dogs again are the major culprits. Even if there are no excretions of solid, liquid or gaseous matter during the flight, there is halitosis and there are gland secretions. To put it very bluntly, pets smell, and their body odors can be detected at significant distances.

So, pet owners, you love your pet, and no problem with that. But there are other people who hate, yes hate your pet for any of the reasons above. It would be mighty considerate of you, and of United, if you and your pet would occupy only the rear two rows in Economy in narrow-body planes. In domestic F on a 737 or an A319 or A320, it's simply not possible to get far enough away from the smell, let alone any noise or allergens there may be, to be comfortable. On a transcon flight in an A320, for example, this can rapidly become intolerable.

Thanks for listening!

Since the original poster's topic was not UA-specific, and the discussion is mostly not UA-specific, I am moving to TravelBuzz.

cblaisd
Moderator, United

I work for AS and take my Pug with us when ever we can.
She is a good flyer, better than some adults. She sleeps most od the time
and love to go to Grandmas in NY for long weekends.

I'd argue that many dogs smell less than people's babies they bring on board. Proper dental care and bathing work wonders for many breeds (although there are those stinkers out there, to be sure). I've been on plenty of flights with dogs and cats and have yet to have a problem from any of them, be it noise or smell, but I have been on planes with kids (and parents) with awful b.o., too. It's an issue of consideration in both cases--people should bathe, and change Jr. in the bathroom, not their seats (!!), and wash their dogs / cats, etc.

As much as UA and other airlines charge to bring a pet into the cabin--$160 for a roundtrip on UA, I believe--compared to the free "lap seat" for kids under 2 or so, if they were to move them to some kind of pet ghetto at the back of the bus, they'd better add extra legroom, have the FAs bring the pet water during the flight, etc. No reason to punish people who are bringing in more revenue than the other passengers.

I'm also curious about how Chaaaalcy got on board like that. I'm working towards training my pup to be a certified canine companion...maybe that's all it takes?

Update on airlines to report pet casualties:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050603/...pets_on_planes

I'm one of the "crazies" who regards their dog as a valued member of the family.

So what's the alternative for longhaul with a large dog? Lease a Gulfstream 550?!

I wonder how much that'll run.

i've flown with my cat. she's comfortable enough with travel that i don't even bother to drug her anymore. occasionally she'll meow during flight, but you can barely hear it over the background noise.

allergies? if you're allergic to pets, it is a good idea to inform the airline when you buy your ticket. if there is someone allergic to a specific type of animal on board, they won't let you take a carry-on animal of that kind on that flight, IIRC, or they'll place you far, far away on the plane.

smells? both my dog and my cat get regular bathing or other hygeine care, and neither smells like anything offensive, or for that matter much like an animal. I've sat next to many a passenger who doesn't understand what deoderant is and who probably hasn't showered since last going to the gym, and I assure you my pets would be much preferable. Sadly, my dobie has grown into an 85lber, so he no longer gets to travel on board with us.

My bet is you have flown many a time in F or Y with a pet within a couple of rows of you and never noticed.....

Great response. When we travel with our dog, usually the person across the aisle doesn't even know he's on board. It's even happened three times on red-eye flights to Europe.

Animals (and people) only smell if they're dirty or if they've fouled themselves. Our dog never has either problem because we clean and train him, and adjust his diet when he's going to fly.

It would be nice if we could just put everyone and everything we might not want to deal in life with in the last two rows of economy. However, planes would never be able to take off with that big a crowd back there.

It's easy to forget, this is public transportation.

I'm not going to re-ignite the whole pets-on-planes discussion, but you have seemed to phrase this as a question. I'll start by thanking you for your efforts to ensure that everyone enjoys the flight when your pet is aboard.

With that said, I hope you'll allow me to be direct and understand that this is not directed personally. Not all people find other people's pets charming. Not all people are interested in having involuntary interactions with other people's pets. I don't want _anyone_, of any species, to impose on me when I'm flying. This means I do _not_ want your pet staring at me, smiling or not, whether she's looking backwards from your seat, or sitting in the aisle next to me. It's rude if an adult does it, and it's rude if an adult permits a pet to do it.

No doubt many people welcome the diversion provided by a happy pet. However, many, many do not. Generally, it's not hard to tell who will be receptive to your pet's attentions, and who won't and, in any event, you seem a very considerate owner so this probably isn't a real issue for you at all. As a general rule, however, intrusive conduct that isn't invited is inappropriate.





;)

Sorry but most vets will tell you the pets should NOT be given tranquilizers either on board or when checked. Most airlines allow pets on board - and my father travelled throughtout the world with his dog. I find that pets are generally better behaved then babies onn board :).

Pets in cabin
 

I am surprised the airlines allow cats in the cabin, it is so common for people to be allergic to cat fur. I have run across small dogs in the cabin, but no cats.

If a dog stays in a crate and you do not touch the dog there is not an allergy problem. People are allergic to proteins from dog/cat saliva which adheres to the coat when a dog or cat preens itself.

This is why people with allergy issues are much more allergic to cats than dogs.

Just having a dog or cat in a closed travel bag in the cabin of the aircraft is not going to cause a problem.

Furthermore, Flying a small dog in the cabin is MUCH safer for the dog or cat. Animals that are flown in the hold -- particularly smaller dogs & cats often do not survive the trip.

As mentioned by others -- flying a pet -- is becoming a huge profit center for the airlines. It costs an airline nothing -- yet they are charging $80 or more to bring a pet into the cabin and rates for shipping in the hold are skyrocketing -- and are often more than the airline ticket itself.