Severe cat allergy- cats allowed on plane!!

[goofy4tink]

According to Delta's website, pets may still be shipped as cargo during this time period, just not handled as checked baggage.

Thanks for that link....seems I was getting some dates confused as well. Good to have the correct info.

 

[Lewisc]

Here is an interesting read. Note that many US carriers DO want to be advised of an allergy in advance, and DO NOT make announcements.

http://www.allergicliving.com/documents/airlines.asp

Thanks for the link. According to your link most airlines won't ask other passengers to refrain from consuming any food they bring on board. You might want to print the section as it relates to airlines you fly. As we suspected passengers with severe peanut allergies probably shouldn't fly. I feel sorry for those few people. They probably can't go to a movie theater, ball field, most restaurants etc.

 

[bavaria]

Thanks for the link. According to your link most airlines won't ask other passengers to refrain from consuming any food they bring on board. You might want to print the section as it relates to airlines you fly. As we suspected passengers with severe peanut allergies probably shouldn't fly. I feel sorry for those few people. They probably can't go to a movie theater, ball field, most restaurants etc.

Unfortunately the US carrier I fly most is the one which will restrict items. (And I have no interest in switching allegiance to American Airlines )

Note however that at least one carrier said as you do that it may not be prudent for some people to fly at all...

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Unfortunately the US carrier I fly most is the one which will restrict items. (And I have no interest in switching allegiance to American Airlines )

Note however that at least one carrier said as you do that it may not be prudent for some people to fly at all...

It also points out, once again, that each airline has very different policies and the cheapest flight might not be the best choice for a particular passenger. -- Suzanne

 

[sgtdisney]

Looks like somoene is launching an airline for your pets.

Pet Airways is taking flight.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-pet-airline-florida-c041609,0,1748996.story

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

No, it's not.

That's simply wrong.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

You know it's time to stop posting when you break out into a slight sweat after logging back into the Disboards and you see the private message notifications.... and just pray one isn't from a moderator.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

You know it's time to stop posting when you break out into a slight sweat after logging back into the Disboards and you see the private message notifications.... and just pray one isn't from a moderator.

Been there, done that.

Some days I need to look at the calendar before I post anything...

 

[Captain Blue Sky]

Pets are traveling in cabins more than you realize.

Some passengers try to "smuggle" them onto flights and some passengers declare them, pay the appropriate fee, and contain them in an FAA approved in-cabin carrier.

Generally speaking, people with peanut allergies cannot be accommodated on aircraft where peanuts have been housed. The cleaning costs alone would drive the airline into ruin. These customers are advised to fly another airline.

The poster making the comment about service animals makes an excellent point. Service animals trump any other priority in the cabin and must be boarded per the FARs.

If an allergy is that severe, why take risks? Choose a different form of transportation...

 

[TheWog]

You know it's time to stop posting when you break out into a slight sweat after logging back into the Disboards and you see the private message notifications.... and just pray one isn't from a moderator.

step away from the keyboard.

 

[goofy4tink]

You know it's time to stop posting when you break out into a slight sweat after logging back into the Disboards and you see the private message notifications.... and just pray one isn't from a moderator.

I feel your pain...there are days when I look at the notifications and hope to all that's holy it isn't someone, yet again, complaining about something I said or something I deleted. It's not an easy thing to be an overly sensitive moderator you know!!!

 

[LuvsEpcot]

Is someone just looking to start a fight???

Cat Fiiiight!

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Strapping on my flame-proof panties:

With the exception of service animals, anything with 4 legs should be below in the cargo hold, period. Next thing you know there will be chickens and sheep roaming the aisles like on buses in 3rd world countries. If the cabins of planes were designed for animals, there would be kennels instead of overhead compartments. Leave Fido and Fluffy at home or drive.

TTFN

And you should put on the flame-proof clothing because there is NO WAY IN HELL I would ever put my cat down there. Animals die way too much down in those things. Would I rather jeopardize the health of the people sitting next to me over my cat living? YES! I don't know this person, I don't care what he/she has an allergie to- it's not my fault nor is it my problem.

If it's severe enough, it would be noted on their airline reservation where they would not be seated next to me, and they wouldn't be stupid enough to not have an epipen.

I probably sound cold but people need to take personal responsibilty and stop crying about everything.




URGH THAT MAKES ME SO MAD!

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Sometimes it just isn't an option. As I said earlier, there are times of year the airlines will not allow an animal in the cargo area. Either too hot or too cold on the tarmac. Besides, I won't put my pet in cargo...way too much room for error.
This whole discussion about person A's rights vs person B's is just silly. There just aren't that many people with deathly allergies to animals. Uncomfortable? Yes. I'm allergic to cats...can't touch one and then touch my face. I break out in a horrible rash, eyes swell up, trouble breathing. BUT...I choose to have 3 cats but remember to wash my hands after petting them.
I fully realize this isn't an option for some people. But....my issue is this..if I book my seat on a plane, 6 months before I travel, if I pay to have my cat/dog with me, under the seat in an approved carrier, then why in God's name should I be bumped in order for someone with an allergy to be able to fly 'safely'?? Sorry but that just isn't fair. That person should be alerted to the fact that there is already a cat/dog on that flight and then they can choose to take another flight or take a chance on the cat/dog flight. I do appreciate that there are people with health concerns and they should have their rights respected. But what about the rights of those with no issues??? I book a flight months in advance and then am told I can't fly on that flight because someone 'may' have an allergy concern with my cat/dog that is 15 rows behind them??? Sorry but I think that's unreasonable.

Well put Diane, ita.

 

[3girls4me05]

But you are calling the airline in advance, and having them make the notation, right? That way they cannot sell a ticket to anyone with a pet, and they won't have to unblock the seat of another passenger at the last minute.

Very often that seat 'as far away as possible' from anything is the one I have chosen, and I have and do get moved at the last minute, often requiring that I deplane and take a later flight.

There is a very ugly but popular game called something like 'my disability is worse than your disability'. (or variants such as 'my problem is worse than your problem' or 'my issue is bigger than your issue') That is a game I certainly never want to win, or even come in the running for a medal. But it seems to be quite in fashion these days. We would all do well to remember that most people have some kind of burden to bear, and we don't know what that may be. Courtesy and respect go two ways.

I will now! I didn't know till this thread that cats may be on the flight. I also typically fly Southwest so until now it wouldn't have been happening anyways.

 

[son3disfan]

I will now! I didn't know till this thread that cats may be on the flight. I also typically fly Southwest so until now it wouldn't have been happening anyways.

And you are why I posted....

I didn't know either. So now that I know, I will be better prepared to let the airline know when we travel, and have everything I need for him just in case. That was the purpose of this thread - awareness.

Not to debate who has the right to travel and who trumps who, cat or human....everyone has their own opinions, so lets agree to disagree.


Perhaps the best thing I read on here was the poster who said someone sitting beside my son could have cat dander/hair on their clothes, and cause an alergic reaction anyway- and you are right. That is why he sits between us when we travel. It could happen anywhere, at anytime, and I am responsible for his well being. We were just totally taken off guard- and now we know, and wanted to share.
Enough said.

 

[Inkmahm]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/07/10/pets.fly.airlines/


By Stephanie Chen
CNN

(CNN) -- A few weeks ago, Tony Hoard, a 57-year-old manufacturing worker in Indiana, boarded a flight on Midwest Airlines to Las Vegas, Nevada, with his Australian Shepherd. The flight attendant smiled at the two and said, "Welcome aboard."


Midwest Airlines allows some of its canine customers to be seated in the cabin.

1 of 3 Hoard has flown with Rory, his furry 40-pound companion, in coach more than 15 times on Midwest, the Wisconsin-based airline that boasts "The Best Care in the Air." Each time they fly, Rory wears a harness and sits strapped into a seat.

"Rory gets the window seat," said Hoard, whose dog has won a series of Frisbee competitions. "He likes to look out the window when the plane takes off and naps the rest of the way."

Blame America's pet obsession, but in recent years, more members of the airline industry are embracing dogs and cats on board. Midwest Airlines may be an extreme example, letting select dogs sit in the same seats as humans, but other airlines are relaxing their pet policies by letting smaller cats and dogs come into the cabin area.

About a year ago, Midwest began allowing certain "celebrity" dogs that appear in canine competitions, shows or advertisements to sit in seats.

"They are just passengers with four legs instead of two," said Susan Kerwin, who oversees the pet program at Midwest Airlines.

The pet travel frenzy has spurred the creation of an airline catering exclusively to pets. This month, Pet Airways, the nation's first pet-only airline, will begin flying in five major cities, including New York and Los Angeles, California. It's an alternative to shipping larger pets in the cargo area of a plane, where there have been pet injuries and even deaths. Chart: Compare some of the common airline fees

"The owners can check a bag with them," explained Alyse Tognotti, a spokeswoman for Pet Airways. "Or if they have a special blanket or toy, basically anything that will take stress out of traveling."

On each Pet Airways flight, services include potty breaks and experienced animal handlers checking up on the animals every 15 minutes. Nervous parents can track their pets online.

Southwest Airlines was the latest airline to join the pet-loving bandwagon in May, when it permitted small dogs and cats to travel in the cabin area. The pets must sit in an approved kennel that fits under the seat.

"I wasn't going to fly Southwest Airlines," said Katie Chapman, 37, of Louisville, Kentucky, who is mom to a friendly 18-pound Cairn Terrier that resembles Toto from "the Wizard of Oz." Since the airline has changed its policy, she plans to take her puppy on a Southwest flight to California this fall. "I'm so glad now that she will be able to go with me."

Each year, airlines transport hundreds of thousands of pets in the cargo and cabin areas. Continental reported moving 270,000 pets last year in cabin and cargo, more than triple the number moved before the airline's pet program officially kicked off eight years ago.

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The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't have restrictions on whether animals can be in the cabin area, but airlines must allow service dogs for the disabled on board. Only cats and dogs are allowed in the cabin areas on most airlines. In the cargo area, other pets like rabbits, birds and lizards can be stowed.

The cost of flying your furry friend ranges from $75 to nearly $300 each leg. It's a hefty price tag, but profit-bleeding airlines are happy to offer the option.

Pets can even rack up frequent flier miles. After three flights with Midwest, the pet can earn a fourth flight free. Continental and JetBlue Airways' programs credit the pet's trip on the owner's frequent flier account.

But one airline is catering to allergy-ridden customers who don't want pets in the cabin. Last year, Frontier Airlines banned pets from the cabin area because officials said pet allergies are common among their customers.

Ann Kerns, a 63-year-old teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, experienced continuous wheezing on a four-hour US Airways flight to Phoenix, Arizona. At the end of the flight, she was shocked to find that there had been a cat sitting under her seat.

"What would have happened if I went into an attack at 35,000 feet in the air?" she asked.

In 2008, the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology wrote letters to Congress expressing concern about pets riding in the cabin area after some patients became ill from their flights. The letters didn't go very far, officials said.

Airlines say they have had few allergy injuries on board. The airlines limit the number of pets in the cargo area to about five. The aircraft is disinfected and cleaned routinely, so dander and hairs aren't a problem, airline officials say.

But not every traveler has had smooth experiences with pets on board.

Terry Trippler, a travel expert, recalls an unpleasant incident years ago when a dog had diarrhea three rows in front of him.

"You could certainly smell it," he wrote in an e-mail. "The only real way to solve the problem is no pets in the cabin."

 

[TheWog]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/07/10/pets.fly.airlines/


The cost of flying your furry friend ranges from $75 to nearly $300 each leg. It's a hefty price tag, but profit-bleeding airlines are happy to offer the option.


"

If your dog only has 3 legs (like my BIL's) do you get a discount?????

 

[CarolA]

(Some threads refuse to die......)

 

[Inkmahm]

(Some threads refuse to die......)

I didn't want to start a new one. Figured this would save time.