I’ve never flown with pets, but I have flown a number of times with autistic people, when I worked in supported living. The airlines treated us like royalty, and did everything they could to see that my clients had enjoyable flights. For the most part, they were not especially “high” functioning (which is to say, they didn’t have good language skills, although I communicated well with them, which was why I flew with them).
These were different airlines, and these experiences have made me a big fan of air travel in general.
FWIW, it wasn’t just on the flights that we were treated well, it was everywhere-- by the TSAs, and everyone.
The OPs paranoia about airlines and their evil scheming is, I think, unfounded. I don’t know if this eases any of the worrying about the cats, but I’ve heard it said that you can judge an entity but the way it treats “animals and the disabled,” I don’t know about the first, but I know a bit about the second.
And I can also throw in the fact that when flew recently, there was a woman flying who was a recent lower leg amputee. The airline wanted to get a 1st class seat for her, and was offering people in first class a free ticket anywhere to give up their seat to this woman and fly in coach. They promised to still give them the “amenities” of first class (which I understood to mean free drinks), they just didn’t get the nice seat. They did find someone to change, because I saw the woman in 1st later.
I have never flown with pets, but as a taxi driver who love animals, I have often picked animals up from the Copenhagen Airport (with their owners).
They have always been very happy to see their owner, and the dogs have the described “pee now” reaction, but I have never seen an injured or dead animal.
Last month I did drive 3 cats who had come all the way from Japan. They were fine even after the flight from Japan to CPH which is longer than Hawaii to mainland USA. Don’t worry too much.
Please be aware that having them in the cabin with you doesn’t mean you can take them out of the crate & play with/comfort them whenever you like. Your fellow passengers and flight crew really don’t want a pair of pissed off/freaking out cats running through the plane.
Well of course not. If I took one out it would run off and prolly get stuck somewhere and something awful would happen. They aren’t going to be happy either way. I only want them with me so that if we get kicked off the plane, or a plane stops in a surprise place, or we get delayed, or whatever happens I won’t have to worry about where they are or getting them back.
I was surprised by the earlier story shared about the person in first class getting kicked out of their seat for the amputee. I’d wrongly assumed paying for first class would prevent them from doing that. Luckily, someone “volunteered” so they didn’t have to call the cops.
No one was being kicked out of a first class seat. The airline was offering incentives to get someone to choose to swap, and someone accepted their offer.
I assume you have some sort of anxiety disorder, and my heart goes out to you. It must be horrible to worry about improbable catastrophes as if they were probable and imagine people as being heartless and manipulative. This post alone is full of worst-case-scenario thinking. I understand that’s the way your mind works and that logic and probability don’t relieve your fears, but none of the scenarios you imagine here are anything but extremely remote to impossible: there’s no place on the plane the cat would get irretrievably stuck; you’re not going to do something bad enough (Right?) to get kicked off a plane; the plane isn’t going to have to land in some “surprise” place; and if the flight gets delayed, the cats get delayed, too, and would be attended to.
As for this…
I was surprised by the earlier story shared about the person in first class getting kicked out of their seat for the amputee.
…nobody was “kicked out” of their seat for the amputee. They DID volunteer. If they hadn’t, either the airlines would have found another flight for her or seated her in the bulkhead seat or made some other arrangements. I assume you’re thinking of the news story where the man refused to give up his seat and was forced off the plane, but that was a case where the flight was overbooked: there literally were not enough seats for everyone aboard the plane. The amputee case was completely different and shows both the airline personnel and other passengers were (and are) reasonably compassionate people.
I wish you serene anticipation of a serene journey, no matter where the cats make the trip, and I wish you all the best in your life back on the mainland.
Yes, thank you, I do have a pretty severe anxiety disorder. My brain is a terrified twisted, and tangled tower of brokenness.
It’s actually illegal to disobey a flight attendant which basically puts them on the same level as a cop. So if they decide you have to switch seats, or give up your seat you have no choice in the matter. I don’t know if in the story above they would have made the seat switching an order if no one “volunteered”, but legally they could. That’s why it doesn’t really seem like volunteering to me. If a cop says, "please go away and I’ll give you a dollar. If you refuse and don’t take the dollar you end up in jail. Not that cops ever say please or offer people money, so flight attendants at least try to be nice about it first. And I don’t think they carry guns. Just the air marshalls, and I’m not sure if every flight has one of those. And airlines overbook all the time on purpose, so I’d think your chances of being ordered to give up your seat are pretty high. But of course with as many people flying every day as there are it’s probably not an every flight occurrence. It’s really just the fact that flight attendants have that power over you that bugs me the most. I don’t like being helpless and trapped inside a tiny box. But then I feel helpless and trapped in general, which is why it feels a much bigger deal to me than to most people.
I’m so sorry you’re afflicted with such a difficult condition. It takes courage and determination to live with that much anxiety. I doubt the rest of us can fully comprehend just how tough every day life is with severe anxiety. In amongst that terrified, twisted brain are some admirable qualities. I hope you recognize them.
Let’s talk about flight attendants. No, it’s not illegal to disobey a flight attendant. It’s definitely illegal to disobey FAA regulations. The FAA says there must be a seat for each passenger. So if you’re defiantly smoking a cigarette at 30,000 ft., the flight attendant can tell you you must extinguish it (FAA regs). But what happens if you don’t? She can’t arrest you or shove you out the door or even get you banned from future flights. She CAN report the violation to the pilot, who’s ultimately responsible for the safety of all passengers.
One FAA regulation is that there must be a seat for every passenger. That’s only sensible. Airlines routinely overbook flights because there are usually passengers who don’t show, and there’s seldom a profit from empty seats, but **fewer than 1 in 10,000 **passengers is involuntarily bumped from a flight. Flight attendants don’t decide who gets bumped. They must tell the bumpee, but if he refuses to leave, they have to call in security personnel, who are more like police.
Flight attendants are not out to get you. They’re out to help you have a safe, reasonably comfortable flight so the airlines gets your future business. IOW, they’re on your side.
Thank you for being really nice. I tried to read your comment a couple of times to take it in and try to emotionally distance myself a bit. It does make more sense that their word isn’t law, they’re just acting as a messenger for the FAA which I guess is sky law. I didn’t know the pilot had to make decisions about rule breaking passengers and who deserves which seats. I thought they just flew the plane. That must be annoying for them. Well, I’d find it annoying if I was a pilot anyway. But I guess it’s just part of their job.
Interestingly I’m doing a google search about people being kicked off planes, and most of the time it seems to be because the passenger was being genuinely disruptive or abusive.
I’ve never been on a flight where someone was kicked off, or acting anywhere near outrageous enough to warrant getting kicked off. I have been on at least one flight where $$$ incentive was offered to encourage people to take a later flight. I’ve never taken it myself, as I’m usually trying to make a connection and can’t afford to miss it. Sorta kinda related, I’ve also been given the option of checking my bag for free, since I was planning to take it on the plane with me, but they ran out of space and were offering to basically valet your bags for you. That was pretty nice.
The only time I’ve ever had a seat change was when I was moved from coach to sort of a priority/stretch seating area (not a first-class thing, but where people who paid more and had member cards generally sat). A family had booked late and had young kids, so of course they wanted to sit together. I agreed to the move, because hey, I get more space! I also got to watch as everyone around me used their membership cards to view free entertainment and get free snacks. I was skipped over :smack:
I totally get anxiety - I don’t get it so bad when it comes to flying, probably because I’ve flown a decent amount, and many times by myself. I’m flying solo to North Pole this summer, and while there are some nervous twinges, I’m also excited as hell I tend to get more anxious over other things, and I know how much it can warp your thinking. It’s okay to ask questions, but don’t make assumptions where none are needed. Sure, there have been rude flight staff in the past. Yes, accidents have happened with animals. That doesn’t mean either are likely to happen to you or your pets. Just take this trip one step at a time, and do what you have to to take care of yourself and stay as low-stress as possible.
I’m the one who told the story. It was as Telemark said: the airline (American Airlines) was offering a free roundtrip to anywhere out of their own pocket, plus an extra set of amenities (the free drinks and better snacks) to someone who was willing to switch. I know the details, because I was in 1st class, and offered to switch, but I was in the first row, and that didn’t work-- they needed someone in one of the other rows to switch, because there is no under-the-seat-in-front-of-you space in the first row, and they were rigging something for her to prop up her upper leg, and needed that space, plus the eaxta inches of 1st class. Apparently she had booked the exit row aisle for the extra legroom, because she had to keep her stump elevated, but didn’t realize that she wasn’t allowed to sit there; you have to be physically able to open the doors, and assist other passengers, and she walked with crutches, and I believe was a very recent amputee, so probably was taking opioids.
The airline simply could have told her “Sorry,” can’t fly this trip; go book a 1st class seat on a later flight." Instead, they made it possible for her to stay on that flight, and probably made the person who switched pretty happy. I was flying 1st because it was a long flight, and I wanted to make sure that I had both my carry-ons with me, and for the free wifi-- also because it had been offered as a last-minute upgrade for just a few hundred dollars (the reason I was in the less-desirable front row). A lot of people fly 1st because they like being waited on and drinking a lot-- they don’t care that much about bigger seats. Whoever switched was probably very happy swilling free scotch in a smaller seat. And, IIRC, they refunded the 1st class portion of his ticket, but I don’t think they charged the woman who was bumped up extra.
So basically the airline took a hit for the goodwill.
Sure, it was nice of the airline to give the lady a better seat.
What isn’t nice is stealing money from someone else so they can do that nice thing. That was the part that bothered me. There is a HUGE price difference between a crummy coach seat and a nice first class one. And so to me the only thing that matters is that the airline would be stealing from the poor sap who “volunteered”. Of course if he was a rich guy, hundreds of dollars might mean nothing to him, and he might consider it a charitable contribution or something. And maybe he does only care about being allowed to drink, and as long as he could do that he didn’t consider his money stolen. I don’t know. But for me, since I don’t drink, I would very much feel robbed.
But then you clarified that you thought the airline did give the guy his money back, and if they did then no big deal. It’s annoying but nothing else.
And I suppose if the voucher thingy was also for the same amount being taken then that might balance the books, as well. But I definitely wouldn’t consider that them being nice since they’ve already stolen money. If the voucher was equal to the stolen money then it’s simply belated restitution. If it’s less then it’s not even that. No thank you’s from me.
Once they’ve given the money back then it doesn’t matter the amount of the voucher because then it could actually be considered extra. I still probably wouldn’t say thank you though because it’s still them trying to apologize after taking something from me. Even if they gave the money back. Now we’re simply even and whatever.
I guess technically it’s still a loss for the airline since after giving the guy his money back they are out one first class fare, but that was their choice, and airlines are really really rich so I doubt they’d even notice what would amount to pennies to them. And then I guess they might end up being out one additional fare for the voucher, unless they kick someone else who paid off some other plane to accommodate the voucher guy. This could go on for quite some time, but eventually there would probably be an unpaid for seat somewhere. But again, it’s still pennies for them.
But at least the story seems to have worked out well in the end for everyone. So yaays, I guess.
Now the amputee lady she lost her leg and had to pay the doctor for taking it. That must have sucked. Even if losing the leg might have let her keep her life, I’m sure she would have rather kept her life and her leg and her money. So that’s a situation that cannot be balanced ever.
You’re having a difficult time understanding the situation. No one stole from anyone. The person who bought a first class ticket was being compensated by getting free future flights, cash, and/or upgrades. They don’t force anyone to give up their seats in these situations, they keep raising the compensation until someone thinks it’s worth it to them.
You seem to have it in for airlines, when in fact there are no losers in this scenario. I don’t know why you insist that there’s a bad guy in this?
Please read this again, TheMysteryWriter. And to add, there are people who jump at the chance to bounce a flight so they get compensation and ultimately end up on top. Just because one or two passengers have been dragged out (because there are safety reasons why a plane CANNOT fly when it’s overloaded) does not mean that’s what typically happens. It’s exceedingly rare.
And to chime in, I have a friend who lives overseas who LOVES overbooked flights. She’s gotten many free trips and upgrades that way and has used them for fun trips to places she’d like to go.
I’m going to urge you to seriously rethink your attitude towards airline personnel before you make the trip. Anxiety + hostility/ defensiveness is a bad combination for you and for the people trying to give you and your fellow passengers a safe and smooth flying experience.
I wouldn’t call the airline in the example scenario a bad guy since we’re assuming they gave him his money back. And something extra he might have been happy with. And they did something nice for the lady.
I guess “steal” isn’t the right word since the guy in that story agreed to switch.
It’s only stealing when the move is forced, but most of the time it’s not forced because peeps are nice and volunteer. And sometimes they’re even happy about it. And even when forced they usually get their money back eventually, and are given something extra.
I don’t really understand being happy about any of that, but my brain detests change and unpredictability. I just want to sit in the seat I paid for and get to where I’m paying you to take me on time. And I hate changes and delays waay more than I’d like a free flight or cash or whatever.
But I accept that other people don’t think like that and feel differently.
I am more like you - I have a plan laid out and I want to get there when I’m planning on getting there. Totally get that That said, for certain trips (like, say, where you aren’t expecting a layover and you can arrive at any time, no issues), it could be totally worthwhile to take a cash incentive or offer of miles. It can be especially beneficial for people who travel a LOT, and less so to someone who hardly ever flies.
I tried to read your comment a couple of times to take it in and try to emotionally distance myself a bit. It does make more sense that their word isn’t law, they’re just acting as a messenger for the FAA which I guess is sky law. I didn’t know the pilot had to make decisions about rule breaking passengers and who deserves which seats. I thought they just flew the plane. That must be annoying for them. Well, I’d find it annoying if I was a pilot anyway. But I guess it’s just part of their job.
I tend to get more anxious over other things, and I know how much it can warp your thinking. It’s okay to ask questions, but don’t make assumptions where none are needed. Sure, there have been rude flight staff in the past. Yes, accidents have happened with animals. That doesn’t mean either are likely to happen to you or your pets. Just take this trip one step at a time, and do what you have to to take care of yourself and stay as low-stress as possible.