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The cat itself wasn't a problem. According to my daughter, it wasn't freaking out, making noises, it was sleeping most of the way. The problem was the dander.

I guess my question is why are airlines so "sensitive" to peanut allergies and so insensitive to animal allergies?

I wonder what the airline can do about my allergy to small children...

About a year ago... I was in first (757 with 24 seats I believe.) One of the passengers had a cat in a carry on (Sherba bag.) The woman next to her raised a major fuss complaingin to the purser "Why is that thing seated next to me?"

I could not tell if the woman was allergic or just hated animals.

I walked up to the ladies and said "I"m more than happy to change seats to ease the situation because I happen to LOVE cats."

The woman at first refused saying "I'm always in 2b and this is my preferred seat." Eventually after the purser calmed her down she moved. I had one of my best flights with the woman and her cat who was the best behaved passenger on that flight!

SOmetimes I rather fly with cats than people. ;) Cats don't get drunk, don't get fresh with the FA's and follow the safety rules. :)

Also concur with what wharvey and others said.

Maybe the solution is a pet friendly airline! :)

IMO, the OP should write the airline and let them know the FA did not reseat someone who was at risk for a health problem on the flight. It doesn't sound like the FA even asked if anyone was willing to swap seats - just, "Sorry, we're full!" When a pax's health could be endangered, that's unacceptable.

I wonder if asking a second FA on the flight would have gotten a different response.

The FA in this instance was lacking, and it should be brought to the attention of the airline.

It is interesting that Sea World animals get to travel on WN (if you look at the Sea World website, WN is a "partner company") because, other than service animals, you are not allowed to bring ANY live animals with you--in the cabin or in the cargo hold.

From the WN website:

Southwest Airlines does not accept live animals in the aircraft cabin or cargo compartment other than fully trained service animals accompanying a person with a disability or being delivered to a person with a disability.

I am mildly allergic to almost all dogs and cats, and terrifically allergic to a few breeds. I can get into pretty severe respiratory distress in about 15 minutes, and back out of it in another 15 if I get away from the allergen. I've never traveled with allergy meds because in my case it suffices to get away from the animal, and I've never had a problem traveling. But in a situation like the OP's daughter's it would have been a choice between reseating me and a medical diversion, and I would have told the FA exactly that.

I'm very sorry your daughter had to suffer during her flight. The FA should have moved her and I would complain to the airline. However as a dog owner that flies with my dog during the holidays...I have to disagree with pets being banned from the cabin. It is cruel to place any animal under the plane and the airlines DO NOT allow us to buy them seats. I see no difference between my dog and a little child (yes, I'll get flames on this...) but given that I often have to pay more to fly my dog than for my ticket, I'd much rather pay for a seat than to place him on the floor.
Now for allergies, any pet dander/hair will be on the owner's clothes provoking allergies as well. So banning pets doesn't really solve the issue. and even on airlines that do not allow pets to fly in the cabin (Southwest is one), they cannot ban service/companion animals as that is discrimination.
It is my understanding that airlines don't make announcements about pets on flights as they don't want to draw attention to it. I don't want to draw attention to myself when I have my dog and would feel odd if the airline announced "there's a passenger in 18B with a dog..." b/c more often than not, it's added stares and "let me sees and what's his name" etc. when I'd rather be left alone.
But...I'm sorry that your daughter felt awful during her flight...complain about the FA, NOT about pets in the cabin. Please.

Pets are supposed to be under the seat not in the lap so the FA should have instructed the owner to do so.

People shouldn't have to sit beside pets if they don't want to. However dander would have been on the person's clothes and would likely have caused a reaction as well in someone highly allergic. I get severe headaches from smokers and wish I had the option of not sitting beside a smoker. Many people have reactions from perfumes, etc. I know I'll never hear an FA call out "13F stinks, would someone change places with 13D?" but I think someone whose health is at risk should have the right to ask to switch seats.

Most airlines have a limit on the number of pets on board and the pets have to have the window seat. AC limits two pets per plane and I think it would be much easier to find someone to switch seats to sit beside a pet than to sit beside a person holding a toddler, a screaming child or in front of a child who kicks your back the entire journey. I fly quite a bit with my dogs and more often than not, no one knows they are there.

There is a risk in flying pets cargo. Not only is it more traumatic, being in the dark with all the noise, the risk of losing pets, having them escape or of pets dying should not have to be taken unless absolutely necessary. Weather also restricts when pets can fly cargo.

It is important to be able to fly to with pets not only so that we can have our pet with us but it is essential to compete in the shows nationally and internationally, and for the preservation of breeds. I have a old breed (thought to have emerged in Mesopotamia around 4000 to 5000 BC) that was nearly wiped out by the world wars. Dog shows allow us to determine whether or dog has type enough to breed. Our gene pool is small and imports lessen the chances of genetic diseases. Frozen AI does not work in our breed and even if customs was cooperative, the travel time is limited. Most (responsible) breeders breed to prevent extinction and to preserve the breed; travel is vital to this.

I agree that the F/A should have asked if someone would switch seats. You could even sweeten the deal by offering to buy the person a drink. I don't have allergies so as long as the pet is well behaved (not barking/yowling), I'd switch.

I think the difference between peanuts and pets is that peanuts can cause death. Are pet allergies that severe?

My husband's cousin died of an asthma attack brought on by dog allergy, and my son's asthma is triggered by being around dogs. Yes, there is no question that pet allergies can be as severe as nut allergies and can cause death.

Ok not to start a war, but if the person with the allergy lets the TA's know they are allergic shouldnt the PET be rebooked not the "normal" traveller????? They dont tell the person with the peanut allergy to fly later, they remove the source of the allergen. I would think accomodating the pet should require the schedule change not the allergic person. But this is my point from my earlier post, they do not announce or let other passengers know there will be a pet on the flight so how would she even know to ask to be rebooked?

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The problem would be that the plane with the pet on it (if the pet has already boarded) and human with the pet would be contaminated with pet dander/fur - so that still might not be safe for the highly allergic. Yes, the next plane might have had a pet on the it in the past that left some residue behind, but odds are it would a lower risk level than actually being near the living animal.

According to
http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/animalallergy/
10 million people in the US are allergic to cats. (I have read 30 million elsewhere, but I'll use the conservative number here.)

Should all 10 million be forced to buy medication just so they can avoid the rare possibility that someone has brought a cat on the flight? Most have never purchased such medication--as has been pointed out, cat allergy is not a problem if you can get away from the cat, so it's not a big deal in most situations. But on a plane, by the time you find out the cat is there, it's too late.

I agree with the poster who said that the person who is bringing the animal into the cabin should be rebooked if another passenger complains.

And no, being exposed to dander or cat hair that got onto a fellow passenger's clothes or residue from an earlier flight is not the same as being exposed to the animal itself.