Severe cat allergy- cats allowed on plane!!

[son3disfan]

Just a warning to those with allergies to animals.

I was not aware that animals are allowed to be brought on to the plane.
(We only travel once a year).

My 10year old has a severe allergy to cats (I carry an epipen for it- he had an anaphalatic reaction already-stange I know-it's usually only with food).

To my horror while we were waiting to board, I saw 2!!! cats in their carry on's ready to board.
They were seated at the back of the plane, we were in row 8, but I was just shocked that this was allowed.

Thank goodness I carry his epipen, and benedryll in my purse. He was OK, no reaction, but I just thought I would let other know who are not aware that animals are allowed.

I know peanut allergies are a big worry on airplanes.... I just never thought of animals!

 

[locolala]

Why wouldn't they be allowed though? People move all the time and take their pets with them on trips, so it's fairly common to have a pet on your flight.

 

[natmurr]

I just read that small pets are now allowed in the cabin on Southwest flights

I'm allergic to cats - not a severe allergy thank goodness but enough to make my life miserable for the duration of cat exposure.

What if a cat or dog on board freaked out, peed/messed its kennel. I would NOT be a happy traveller if I had to smell that for the entire trip.

I will have to do some more research into which airlines allow pets in the cabin because I will certainly NOT be flying those airlines.

 

[kevgraub]

I just read that small pets are now allowed in the cabin on Southwest flights

I'm allergic to cats - not a severe allergy thank goodness but enough to make my life miserable for the duration of cat exposure.

What if a cat or dog on board freaked out, peed/messed its kennel. I would NOT be a happy traveller if I had to smell that for the entire trip.

I will have to do some more research into which airlines allow pets in the cabin because I will certainly NOT be flying those airlines.

My guess is that you will probably NOT be flying much then. Almost all airlines allow pets on board. Most have allowed it for years, and SW just recently started allowing them.

This is most definitely not something new. Most people have probably flown with pets on their plane one time or another and never knew anything about it.

Now that SW has changed its policy, does anyone know of airlines that do not allow pets? There are probably a few out there, but I can't think of any off the top of my head.

 

[dioxide45]

Is someone just looking to start a fight???

 

[kevgraub]

Just a quick update, here are a list of the airlines that do allow pets in the cabin:

Airtran
Alaska
American
Contintental
Delta
Jet Blue
Northwest
Southwest
United
US Air
Virgin Atlantic

The only domestic airline I could find that did not allow pets in the cabin was Frontier.

 

[DebbieB]

I just read that small pets are now allowed in the cabin on Southwest flights

I'm allergic to cats - not a severe allergy thank goodness but enough to make my life miserable for the duration of cat exposure.

What if a cat or dog on board freaked out, peed/messed its kennel. I would NOT be a happy traveller if I had to smell that for the entire trip.

I will have to do some more research into which airlines allow pets in the cabin because I will certainly NOT be flying those airlines.

You are going to have a hard time because almost all (if not all) airlines allow small pets in the cabin.

As far as smell, it's no different than if a baby messed its pants. A coworker recently complained about a flight he was on sitting next to a baby with a poopy diaper whose mother did not go change it. Just like you would expect the parent to change the baby, I would expect the pet owner to clean it up.

 

[tessiesevin]

This has become a very touchie topic lately. Don't take it the wrong way but alot of people are panicking about it. I cannot imagine SW endangering anyones live to transport animals. I am an animal lover and do not have any allergies. But they do accomidate people with peanut allergies why wouldn't they accomidate people with pet allergies. I can't imagine SW would endanger anyone by not letting anyone know that there are pets on the plane and someone having an allergic reaction so many miles in air.

 

[DebbieB]

This has become a very touchie topic lately. Don't take it the wrong way but alot of people are panicking about it. I cannot imagine SW endangering anyones live to transport animals. I am an animal lover and do not have any allergies. But they do accomidate people with peanut allergies why wouldn't they accomidate people with pet allergies. I can't imagine SW would endanger anyone by not letting anyone know that there are pets on the plane and someone having an allergic reaction so many miles in air.

I've been on many flights with animals (not SW) and I've never heard an announcement. I only knew because I saw them boarding with a carrier.

 

[bavaria]

I've been on many flights with animals (not SW) and I've never heard an announcement. I only knew because I saw them boarding with a carrier.

Neither have I, in America or anywhere else in the world, and animals are often on my flight.

OP and anyone else with an allergy to animals must take personal responsibility and advise the airline at time of booking, just like anyone with a nut allergy. Many carriers will then flag the flight and not allow any sales to passengers with pets on that flight.

If one chooses not to take responsibility then one must realise that there may be consequences. The person with the allergy can opt to take a different flight if they failed to provide the airline with the information in advance. Personally, I think that if someone truly has a life threatening condition, they should be giving that information.

And remember, an airline has the right to deny boarding to a passenger if they feel that their health is being compromised, or in danger. So the allergic passenger who fails to make advance arrangements may find themselves denied boarding, while the passenger who paid a pet fee is allowed to fly.

That is not discrimination against those with allergies, it is simply common sense and being responsible. I myself have many times chosen to deboard, or not board, and take a later flight at my own time and cost.

 

[tessiesevin]

Does anyone think SW knows something about the air quality or something that we don't.

 

[natmurr]

Neither have I, in America or anywhere else in the world, and animals are often on my flight.

OP and anyone else with an allergy to animals must take personal responsibility and advise the airline at time of booking, just like anyone with a nut allergy. Many carriers will then flag the flight and not allow any sales to passengers with pets on that flight.


This is good to know - I'll make sure to advise the airline of my allergies the next time we fly out of the US.

FYI - Air Canada doesn't allow pets in the cabin.

Now if only we could get a ban on stinky perfume

 

[bavaria]

Remember though that service animals are permitted in the cabin, even on AC, and that the service animal will trump all others. Those with allergies or other concerns will be advised to take a later flight if there is a service animal on board.

 

[Brian Noble]

Luckily, there aren't many service cats.

 

[natmurr]

Luckily, there aren't many service cats.

 

[son3disfan]

That is not discrimination against those with allergies, it is simply common sense and being responsible.

My point was not to debate the idea.

WE DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE ALLOWED. So how could we inform them? I let them know once we were there and gave my son some benedryl. And this was a NEW policy for Airtran- within the last 4 months, I was told. No where did it say animals would be in the cabin on their booking page, not something I ever saw before-or would ever think of. AGAIN , we travel once a year: )

This post was to let other know if they are in the same situation as we were to be prepared.

 

[CarolMN]

My point was not to debate the idea.

WE DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE ALLOWED. So how could we inform them? I let them know once we were there and gave my son some benedryl. And this was a NEW policy for Airtran- within the last 4 months, I was told. No where did it say animals would be in the cabin on their booking page, not something I ever saw before-or would ever think of. AGAIN , we travel once a year: )

This post was to let other know if they are in the same situation as we were to be prepared.

I didn't know, either, so thanks for posting.

I knew that service animals were allowed, of course, but thought all other pets had to ride in a special area under the plane, near the baggage compartment.

I'm glad that cats aren't service animals, LOL, even though my allergy to them is not life threatening. It just makes me miserable.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay....generally speaking, you most likely wouldn't even know there was a cat in the plane with you, unless it started crying. I have a friend who is very allergic to cats..to the point that he stopped visiting me due to the cat in our house. But, according to him, it was the build up of dander in the house, not the actual cat, that caused the reaction. I would imagine this is also the case on a plane. I flew my ds's cat down to him a few years ago. That cat meowed a few times upon takeoff and then a few times as we landed. Other than that the poor thing just huddled in the back of her carrier. Most carriers can be closed off...that way only one 'window' is open, not all sides. This is what I did when I flew with the cat.
I really don't think that it's a huge deal to have a pet on board, as long as that animal is confined to it's carrier, underneath the seat. Once someone brings a cat out of the carrier and sits there, stroking the animal, the fur will start to fly....in more ways than one!!! Then you have something to complain about.


The vast majority of airlines allow small pets in carriers on their flights. The passenger is charged for this...it is not free. If you have an allergy then you need to inform the airline when you book your flight. There may already be an animal on it, so you would then be able to choose another flight. Or, if after you booked your flight, someone came along and wanted to fly with their sweet little Bootsie, they would be told that no, they had to choose a different flight since there was an allergic person on board that flight.
I am not trying to minimize anyone's allergy issues, but one person's allergy issues do not trump another person's right to fly with their pet or to eat their peanut butter crackers. Let's not go down that street again.

 

[jsilvers]

Luckily, there aren't many service cats.

Not necessarily a joke. The Department of Transportation rules for disabled passengers note that service animals come in many forms - i.e., there are seeing eye miniature horses and service monkeys, as well as a category of "emotional support animals" which potentially could include cats.

 

[TDC Nala]

Not necessarily a joke. The Department of Transportation rules for disabled passengers note that service animals come in many forms - i.e., there are seeing eye miniature horses and service monkeys, as well as a category of "emotional support animals" which potentially could include cats.

Until the other thread on this subject I had never heard of "emotional support animals" which apparently can travel in the cabin with the person who uses them only after a whole lot of documentation from mental health professionals, so there must be some way of handling them apart from methods of handling other small animals (possibly they may be permitted outside their carrier) - or in fact the documentation may be to establish them as a service animal so they can be flagged and allergic passengers not booked for that flight. Those could indeed well be cats.

Now that you know, whenever you fly make sure the airline knows of the allergy. As Bavaria said they will flag the flight (perhaps unless there are already animals aboard) and not sell any tickets to passengers accompanied by animals on that flight. You could be trumped by a service or emotional support animal but the likelihood of that isn't high.