Airline loses passenger’s dog at world’s busiest airport
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dog- ... index.html
It’s a nightmare scenario for anyone with a pet: taking them on a trip with you, and losing them.
Paula Rodriguez is currently living that nightmare, after her dog, Maia, was lost by airport staff who were bringing her to her Delta flight at Atlanta airport – the busiest in the world.
Rodriguez was flying from her home in the Dominican Republic for a two-week vacation in California with her six-year-old dog, Maia, on August 18.
Flying Delta Air Lines with Maia in the cabin with her, Rodriguez’s journey included a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, before continuing to San Francisco.
But on arrival at Atlanta at 6.55 p.m. Friday, Rodriguez says that border force staff informed her that she “didn’t meet the requirements” of her tourist visa – so they canceled it, telling her that she’d have to return to home on the next flight.
When they realized that wasn’t until the next day, they said she’d have to spend the night in a detention center – but that her dog couldn’t come with her.
“They called a Delta agent, who took Maia from me,” Rodriguez told CNN.
“I started asking questions about where she’d be spending the night, and told him she’d been in a lot of distress on the flight. When we’d got there [to Atlanta] she’d puked with distress and had diarrhea.
“He told me not to worry, that she’d be taken to a facility with staff trained for that. That they’d give her food and water and take care of her. It wasn’t my wish, but I understood. There was nothing I could do, and I trusted him.”
A reunion that never happened
Rodriguez’s flight back to the Dominican Republic was scheduled for 10.20 a.m. the following day, and border staff told her that they’d pick her up from the detention center one hour and 45 minutes before her departure, to take her to the gate, where her dog would be waiting.
“I asked everyone – I told them I needed time to locate her, that she was sick and I wanted to clean her kennel, and they said, ‘Let’s go to the gate, she should be there,’” said Rodriguez.
Passengers were already boarding as they arrived. But Maia wasn’t there.
“The gate staff started making calls. A manager came and said they were looking for her, that she should be in the facility but they didn’t have time to look and I should get on a plane,” said Rodriguez.
“I started panicking and said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t get on when you’re telling me you don’t know where my dog is.’”
Half of the world's 10 busiest airports for 2022 are in the United States
They shifted her to a flight an hour later, leaving for Punta Cana, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away from Santo Domingo. Rodriguez was happy to switch destinations, and assumed that it was a simple mixup and Maia would make the next flight.
But Maia didn’t show, and border agents told Rodriguez that she couldn’t be in the US for more than 24 hours without a visa. She had to leave on that flight to Punta Cana – without the dog.
Desperately seeking Maia
Rodriguez says she had a panic attack on the three-hour flight to Punta Cana. She and Maia have barely spent minutes apart from each other since Rodriguez, who used to rescue street dogs and rehome them, found her as a month-old puppy and couldn’t bear to part with her.
“Everyone who knows me knows what she means to me. I don’t go anywhere without her. She’s so well behaved that I take her to restaurants, literally everywhere. She’s my partner in everything,” she told CNN.
Upon landing at Punta Cana, she filed a report. Meanwhile, her mother went to Santo Domingo in case the dog had ended up there without anyone realizing.
“I called Delta, Atlanta airport, even San Francisco. I filed every claim possible. I called all the shelters and veterinary surgeries I could in Atlanta. I was in agony for two days with no answer,” said Rodriguez.
On the Monday, two days after the dog went missing, she says she was called by a Delta representative in Santo Domingo.
“He said that she was being transported [to the plane] on the runway, and staff had opened her kennel, and she had got out of the car and escaped into the middle of the runway,” she told CNN.
“Planes were taking off and coming in. He said they chased her but she ran faster and faster and she escaped. That’s all I know.”
The following day, she was called by another Delta representative, informing her that he’d be handling her case.
The surprising reasons why Atlanta's airport is the world's busiest
“I’ve called him several times a day but he has no updates,” she said.
With her US visa canceled, Rodriguez isn’t allowed to fly back into the United States to search for her dog. Instead, on August 24, six days after she last saw Maia, Rodriguez’s mother was flow out to Atlanta to represent her.
“They’re giving her a tour, and showing her the tapes, but she says there’s nothing – no leads,” said Rodriguez.
“The thing is, that airport has more than 4,000 acres. My mom told me it’s scary dimensions – it’s definitely a possibility that she’s hiding in the airport, but she could be in a lot of places.”
Hartsfield-Jackson was ranked the world’s busiest airport earlier in August by aviation analytics firm OAG.
‘Living a nightmare’
Maia is microchipped, and Rodriguez says that she and Delta have notified every animal shelter and veterinary surgeon in the county, and sent them photos of her – which is why she thinks Maia might still be in the airport.
“If anyone had found her, they’d have taken her to a shelter and she’d have been scanned. My information is right there. The highest possibility is that she’s still there, hiding,” she said.
A Delta spokesperson told CNN in a statement: “Delta teams have been working to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates. Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we’re committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders.”
Meanwhile a spokesperson for the airport told CNN: “ATL’s operations teams conduct runway and airfield inspections throughout the day. At this time they have not encountered the dog, but will continue to remain vigilant should she appear. If she is seen, ATL’s staff will attempt to capture her and return her to the airline and her owner.” They did not respond when asked how the dog was allowed to escape in the first place.
In 2019, a dog escaped its cage while being transferred at Atlanta. Gale, an American Staffordshire Terrier, was found after a four day search. Pilots noticed her on the runway, and a trap was laid with food to lure her in.
For Rodriguez, the wait for news is painful.
“I’m in agony,” she said. “I’ve been living a nightmare since Friday, knowing my baby is out there somewhere scared, or might be injured. All kinds of thoughts come into my head and I can’t do anything. Every minute feels like a day.”
PP
Airlines Behaving Badly
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Karearea
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
^ Poor dog and owner! Hope they are reunited soon.
Around the world thoughts shall fly In the twinkling of an eye
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OneHungLow
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Another shoddy US based outfit.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-airl ... CBS%20News.United Airlines has settled a lawsuit with the family of a quadriplegic man who was left brain-damaged following an incident while he was being deboarded from the plane in 2019, as per a report in CBS News. The family of Nathaniel Foster Jr. claimed that the airline "failed to abide by the standard of care owed to disabled passengers" after an employee "aggressively" pushed his wheelchair while helping him with deboarding. According to the complaint, the man suffered "significant" and irreversible brain damage as a result of the same.
The family's attorneys said in a lawsuit filing that the 26-year-old, who was using a wheelchair, ventilator, and tracheal tube at the time of the incident, "jerked forward and back" and slouched in his chair after it was "forcefully" pushed when he disembarked. He was travelling to attend a funeral with his family. He appeared "frightened" and said, "I can't breathe," but a gate agent, according to the complaint, "giggled" and assured a doctor who offered to assist him that "we got this." Mr Foster then had a heart attack and a medical professional noticed that he had no pulse.
According to the lawsuit, Mr Foster's life expectancy has decreased from 39 to 31.5 years as a result of the incident, leaving him unable to speak or eat solid foods.
The airline reached a settlement on Tuesday after a one-day trial. According to Reuters, out of the $30 million settlement, about $12 million will go towards legal fees and $3 million towards additional expenses.
The observer of fools in military south and north...
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Karearea
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
What an appalling thing to happen!OneHungLow wrote: ↑Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:41 amAnother shoddy US based outfit.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-airl ... CBS%20News.United Airlines has settled a lawsuit with the family of a quadriplegic man who was left brain-damaged ...
Around the world thoughts shall fly In the twinkling of an eye
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OneHungLow
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
It beggars belief. I must admit that I have a personal antipathy to United Airlines, which I won't go into here.Karearea wrote: ↑Mon Aug 28, 2023 2:24 amWhat an appalling thing to happen!OneHungLow wrote: ↑Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:41 amAnother shoddy US based outfit.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-airl ... CBS%20News.United Airlines has settled a lawsuit with the family of a quadriplegic man who was left brain-damaged ...
The observer of fools in military south and north...
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Air Canada apologizes after passengers told to sit in vomit-covered seats
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/air- ... index.html
Air Canada has issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.
Details of the incident, which occurred on board a flight from Las Vegas to Montreal on August 26, were posted online by passenger Susan Benson.
“There was a bit of a foul smell but we didn’t know at first what the problem was. Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area. Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean,” Benson wrote in a Facebook post published August 29.
“They placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume to mask the smell. When the clearly upset passengers tried to explain to the flight attendant that the seat and seatbelt were wet and there was still visible vomit residue in their area, the flight attendant was very apologetic but explained that the flight was full and there was nothing they could do,” she added.
The passengers and crew “argued back-and-forth for several minutes,” wrote Benson, before a supervisor came over and reiterated that the passengers would have to stay in the vomit-covered seats as the flight was full.
Benson goes on to relate how a pilot then came down the plane to speak to the passengers, telling them that “they could leave the plane… and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list!”
The explanation was that they had been “rude” to the flight attendant, but Benson disputes this.
“They were certainly not! They were upset and firm, but not rude!” she wrote.
Even though a fellow passenger tried to explain the situation, the pair were then escorted from the plane by security.
“For what? Refusing to sit in vomit for five hours!,” wrote Benson, who said the airline “literally expects” its passengers “to sit in vomit or be escorted off the plane and placed on a no-fly list!”
She then conceded that she didn’t know whether the passengers were in fact placed on a no-fly list.
“I am ashamed to be a Canadian and ashamed of Air Canada,” she wrote. “Shame on you Air Canada! shame on you!”
CNN has contacted Benson for further comment.
Air Canada told CNN in a statement that it had issued an apology to the customers “as they clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.”
“We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance,” the statement continued.
“We remain in contact with them about this matter,” the airline added.
This is not the first incident involving bodily fluids on planes in recent months.
In June, Habib Battah was flying from Paris to Toronto on Air France when, shortly after takeoff, he noticed a strange smell coming from the footwell under his and his wife’s seats.
“It smelled like manure,” he told CNN.
Battah then noticed a wet stain on the floor. Staff provided him with cleaning wipes, and as he used them to rub at the stain, they kept turning red.
A flight attendant informed her coworkers, and the captain radioed Paris, asking what the stain under seats 30A and 30B was.
The news came back from Air France HQ: It was human blood. The previous day, a passenger had suffered what Battah said the crew described as a “hemorrhage.”
Three days after his flight, Battah was called by Air France and told that the blood had been mixed with feces.
Air France told CNN it “understands and regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation” and that it was in touch with Battah.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/air- ... index.html
Air Canada has issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.
Details of the incident, which occurred on board a flight from Las Vegas to Montreal on August 26, were posted online by passenger Susan Benson.
“There was a bit of a foul smell but we didn’t know at first what the problem was. Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area. Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean,” Benson wrote in a Facebook post published August 29.
“They placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume to mask the smell. When the clearly upset passengers tried to explain to the flight attendant that the seat and seatbelt were wet and there was still visible vomit residue in their area, the flight attendant was very apologetic but explained that the flight was full and there was nothing they could do,” she added.
The passengers and crew “argued back-and-forth for several minutes,” wrote Benson, before a supervisor came over and reiterated that the passengers would have to stay in the vomit-covered seats as the flight was full.
Benson goes on to relate how a pilot then came down the plane to speak to the passengers, telling them that “they could leave the plane… and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list!”
The explanation was that they had been “rude” to the flight attendant, but Benson disputes this.
“They were certainly not! They were upset and firm, but not rude!” she wrote.
Even though a fellow passenger tried to explain the situation, the pair were then escorted from the plane by security.
“For what? Refusing to sit in vomit for five hours!,” wrote Benson, who said the airline “literally expects” its passengers “to sit in vomit or be escorted off the plane and placed on a no-fly list!”
She then conceded that she didn’t know whether the passengers were in fact placed on a no-fly list.
“I am ashamed to be a Canadian and ashamed of Air Canada,” she wrote. “Shame on you Air Canada! shame on you!”
CNN has contacted Benson for further comment.
Air Canada told CNN in a statement that it had issued an apology to the customers “as they clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.”
“We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance,” the statement continued.
“We remain in contact with them about this matter,” the airline added.
This is not the first incident involving bodily fluids on planes in recent months.
In June, Habib Battah was flying from Paris to Toronto on Air France when, shortly after takeoff, he noticed a strange smell coming from the footwell under his and his wife’s seats.
“It smelled like manure,” he told CNN.
Battah then noticed a wet stain on the floor. Staff provided him with cleaning wipes, and as he used them to rub at the stain, they kept turning red.
A flight attendant informed her coworkers, and the captain radioed Paris, asking what the stain under seats 30A and 30B was.
The news came back from Air France HQ: It was human blood. The previous day, a passenger had suffered what Battah said the crew described as a “hemorrhage.”
Three days after his flight, Battah was called by Air France and told that the blood had been mixed with feces.
Air France told CNN it “understands and regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation” and that it was in touch with Battah.
PP
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Delta passenger’s dog who went missing at Atlanta airport found safe after 3 weeks 
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lost ... index.html
After enduring nearly a month of heartache and anxiety, a dog owner can finally rest after her missing dog was found safely at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Saturday, according to airport officials.
Delta Air Lines passenger Paula Rodriguez’s 6-year-old dog, Maia, was lost in August at the airport, which is considered the busiest in the world.
The airport’s operations team found Maia hiding near the north cargo facilities, according to a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home soon,” airport officials said.
On August 18, Rodriguez and Maia embarked on a journey from their home in the Dominican Republic to California for a two-week vacation.
However, when they arrived in Atlanta for a layover, Rodriguez was informed by border patrol staff that her tourist visa did not meet the necessary requirements. They canceled her visa and told her she would need to return home on the next flight, Rodriguez previously told CNN.
With the next flight to Punta Cana scheduled for the following day, Rodriguez faced the distressing reality of spending the night alone in a detention center, separated from her beloved canine companion.
“They called a Delta agent, who took Maia from me,” Rodriguez told CNN.
The next day, Rodriguez arrived at her flight’s gate early, eagerly awaiting her reunion with Maia. To her dismay, Maia never arrived.
Unable to remain in the United States for over 24 hours without a visa, Rodriguez was left with no choice but to board her flight to Punta Cana without Maia, an experience that she said triggered a panic attack during her journey home.
“Everyone who knows me knows what she means to me,” Rodriguez said of her beloved pet. “I don’t go anywhere without her. She’s so well behaved that I take her to restaurants, literally everywhere. She’s my partner in everything.”
Two days after Maia went missing, a Delta representative contacted Rodriguez to share unfortunate news. “He said that she was being transported (to the plane) on the runway, and staff had opened her kennel, and she had escaped into the middle of the runway,” Rodriguez told CNN.
Despite Rodriguez’s relentless calls to Delta for updates, weeks went by without receiving any new information.
A Delta spokesperson previously told CNN in a statement: “Delta teams have been working to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates. Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we’re committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders.”
With the cancellation of her tourist visa, Rodriguez sent her mother to Atlanta to join the search efforts in the vast 4,000-acres of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Rodriguez shared the agonizing toll that Maia’s disappearance had taken, describing her experience as “living a nightmare,” she previously told CNN.
Her worst fears faded on Saturday when Atlanta Airport officials announced Maia’s discovery three weeks after she was lost.
CNN has contacted Delta Air Lines regarding the circumstances of Maia’s escape.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lost ... index.html
After enduring nearly a month of heartache and anxiety, a dog owner can finally rest after her missing dog was found safely at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Saturday, according to airport officials.
Delta Air Lines passenger Paula Rodriguez’s 6-year-old dog, Maia, was lost in August at the airport, which is considered the busiest in the world.
The airport’s operations team found Maia hiding near the north cargo facilities, according to a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home soon,” airport officials said.
On August 18, Rodriguez and Maia embarked on a journey from their home in the Dominican Republic to California for a two-week vacation.
However, when they arrived in Atlanta for a layover, Rodriguez was informed by border patrol staff that her tourist visa did not meet the necessary requirements. They canceled her visa and told her she would need to return home on the next flight, Rodriguez previously told CNN.
With the next flight to Punta Cana scheduled for the following day, Rodriguez faced the distressing reality of spending the night alone in a detention center, separated from her beloved canine companion.
“They called a Delta agent, who took Maia from me,” Rodriguez told CNN.
The next day, Rodriguez arrived at her flight’s gate early, eagerly awaiting her reunion with Maia. To her dismay, Maia never arrived.
Unable to remain in the United States for over 24 hours without a visa, Rodriguez was left with no choice but to board her flight to Punta Cana without Maia, an experience that she said triggered a panic attack during her journey home.
“Everyone who knows me knows what she means to me,” Rodriguez said of her beloved pet. “I don’t go anywhere without her. She’s so well behaved that I take her to restaurants, literally everywhere. She’s my partner in everything.”
Two days after Maia went missing, a Delta representative contacted Rodriguez to share unfortunate news. “He said that she was being transported (to the plane) on the runway, and staff had opened her kennel, and she had escaped into the middle of the runway,” Rodriguez told CNN.
Despite Rodriguez’s relentless calls to Delta for updates, weeks went by without receiving any new information.
A Delta spokesperson previously told CNN in a statement: “Delta teams have been working to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates. Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we’re committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders.”
With the cancellation of her tourist visa, Rodriguez sent her mother to Atlanta to join the search efforts in the vast 4,000-acres of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Rodriguez shared the agonizing toll that Maia’s disappearance had taken, describing her experience as “living a nightmare,” she previously told CNN.
Her worst fears faded on Saturday when Atlanta Airport officials announced Maia’s discovery three weeks after she was lost.
CNN has contacted Delta Air Lines regarding the circumstances of Maia’s escape.
PP
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Karearea
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
^ Thank goodness for that!
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Woody
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Must’ve been on staff travel
Air Canada has issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.
When all else fails, read the instructions.
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tango15
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Well, there are two takeaways from the Atlanta dog story. One is that it's the world's busiest airport, as they kept reminding us, and the other is that their staff are not very well trained. I was taught long ago, that you never ever open the cage of any animal. If there is a problem, then you get the local animal handlers to deal with it. Surely the world's busiest airport has an animal handling center?
That said, there was a case at Liverpool many years ago, when one of the loaders let loose a greyhound (he reckoned the door was partially open and he was trying to close it again). The greyhound legged it to the far side of the airport, where there were large colonies of rabbits. The dog was found several days later, as fat as a pig and of course totally useless for racing.
Interesting story, which I hadn't read elsewhere. Thanks PP.
That said, there was a case at Liverpool many years ago, when one of the loaders let loose a greyhound (he reckoned the door was partially open and he was trying to close it again). The greyhound legged it to the far side of the airport, where there were large colonies of rabbits. The dog was found several days later, as fat as a pig and of course totally useless for racing.
Interesting story, which I hadn't read elsewhere. Thanks PP.
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
When we left Bahrain, our two rescue cats came with us. Because we were stopping off in the UK for a couple of weeks, my ex-flatmate very kindly sent the cats.
The plan was that they would join our flight at LHR. When we got to Pensacola and went to the baggage claim-no cats. Nobody knew where they were. They had travelled BA from Bahrain and should have been transferred to our Delta flight. After two agonizing days I got a call from BA, that they were in Tampa. They were being looked after by the local BA staff there. They finally arrived a week after they were due. I was beside myself with worry for those two days. No explanation or apology were forthcoming from BA. I was just thankful they were found and alive. I have never used BA again, nor will I.
The plan was that they would join our flight at LHR. When we got to Pensacola and went to the baggage claim-no cats. Nobody knew where they were. They had travelled BA from Bahrain and should have been transferred to our Delta flight. After two agonizing days I got a call from BA, that they were in Tampa. They were being looked after by the local BA staff there. They finally arrived a week after they were due. I was beside myself with worry for those two days. No explanation or apology were forthcoming from BA. I was just thankful they were found and alive. I have never used BA again, nor will I.
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Couple livid after sitting next to farting dog on 13-hour flight
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/coupl ... our-flight#
A couple from New Zealand is demanding a refund after they sat next to a smelly dog on their 13-hour-long Singapore Airlines flight.
Gill and Warren Press were headed back to New Zealand from Paris in June when they were surprised to see a dog with a passenger in the seat next to them, according to New Zealand news outlet Stuff.
Gill Press said she "heard this noise – a heavy snorting."
"I thought it was my husband’s phone, but we looked down and realised it was the dog breathing," she said. "I said, ‘I’m not having this sitting next to us the whole trip’."
The woman said she overheard the dog's owner saying to another passenger that he gets nervous on planes and needs the pet by his side.
The couple decided to stay in their premium economy seats after speaking with a flight attendant, who said the only other available seats were located in the back row of the economy section.
However, about halfway through the flight, the dog began farting, according to Press, who added that it was occupying her husband's legroom.
"[The passenger] couldn’t have the dog out in the aisle because they couldn’t get the trolleys through, so it had to come in further, which meant his head was under my husband’s feet," Press said.
"My husband was in shorts, and was getting the dog’s saliva goo on his leg," she added.
The couple spoke to the flight attendant and were moved to an economy seat that was earlier reserved for staff. They were told that an incident report would be filed and the airline would contact them.
A week went by, and Press still didn't hear from the airline.
The airline emailed back two weeks later and got an offer of a $74 gift voucher for Singapore Airlines's KrisShop website.
She responded that the offer didn't reflect the difference in value between their original premium economy seats and the economy seats that they relocated to.
The airline then offered a travel voucher of $200 per person, which Press said still wasn't acceptable, and is demanding a full refund of that leg of the trip.
"We didn’t receive the experience we paid for," she said.
A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines apologized for the inconvenience experienced by the couple in a statement to the outlet.
"Singapore Airlines endeavours to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog prior to boarding the flight. We sincerely apologise that this did not occur in this case, and will work with our airport teams to ensure that this lapse does not occur in future," the airline spokesperson said. "In circumstances where customers seated next to an assistance dog request to be moved, Singapore Airlines will assist to re-seat customers within the same cabin where space permits."
Fox Business reached out to Singapore Airlines for comment.
No mention in the article if the dog was fFrench.
PP
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/coupl ... our-flight#
A couple from New Zealand is demanding a refund after they sat next to a smelly dog on their 13-hour-long Singapore Airlines flight.
Gill and Warren Press were headed back to New Zealand from Paris in June when they were surprised to see a dog with a passenger in the seat next to them, according to New Zealand news outlet Stuff.
Gill Press said she "heard this noise – a heavy snorting."
"I thought it was my husband’s phone, but we looked down and realised it was the dog breathing," she said. "I said, ‘I’m not having this sitting next to us the whole trip’."
The woman said she overheard the dog's owner saying to another passenger that he gets nervous on planes and needs the pet by his side.
The couple decided to stay in their premium economy seats after speaking with a flight attendant, who said the only other available seats were located in the back row of the economy section.
However, about halfway through the flight, the dog began farting, according to Press, who added that it was occupying her husband's legroom.
"[The passenger] couldn’t have the dog out in the aisle because they couldn’t get the trolleys through, so it had to come in further, which meant his head was under my husband’s feet," Press said.
"My husband was in shorts, and was getting the dog’s saliva goo on his leg," she added.
The couple spoke to the flight attendant and were moved to an economy seat that was earlier reserved for staff. They were told that an incident report would be filed and the airline would contact them.
A week went by, and Press still didn't hear from the airline.
The airline emailed back two weeks later and got an offer of a $74 gift voucher for Singapore Airlines's KrisShop website.
She responded that the offer didn't reflect the difference in value between their original premium economy seats and the economy seats that they relocated to.
The airline then offered a travel voucher of $200 per person, which Press said still wasn't acceptable, and is demanding a full refund of that leg of the trip.
"We didn’t receive the experience we paid for," she said.
A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines apologized for the inconvenience experienced by the couple in a statement to the outlet.
"Singapore Airlines endeavours to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog prior to boarding the flight. We sincerely apologise that this did not occur in this case, and will work with our airport teams to ensure that this lapse does not occur in future," the airline spokesperson said. "In circumstances where customers seated next to an assistance dog request to be moved, Singapore Airlines will assist to re-seat customers within the same cabin where space permits."
Fox Business reached out to Singapore Airlines for comment.
No mention in the article if the dog was fFrench.
PP
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tango15
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Ural A 320 en route from Sochi to Omsk makes an emergency landing in a farmer's field:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 19971106-0
Captain: "This is captain. Is problem with aircraft. We will land in farmer field. Those in economy leave via left-hand side, where is planted cabbage. Business Class passengers leave by right-hand side where is planted artichoke . Your baggage will be delivered in three weeks' time after aircraft has been scrapped. Thank you for flying with Ural Airlines."
That aircraft looks to be fit only for the scrap heap anyway.
https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 19971106-0
Captain: "This is captain. Is problem with aircraft. We will land in farmer field. Those in economy leave via left-hand side, where is planted cabbage. Business Class passengers leave by right-hand side where is planted artichoke . Your baggage will be delivered in three weeks' time after aircraft has been scrapped. Thank you for flying with Ural Airlines."
That aircraft looks to be fit only for the scrap heap anyway.
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
This might be a better link.tango15 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 8:51 amUral A 320 en route from Sochi to Omsk makes an emergency landing in a farmer's field:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 19971106-0
Captain: "This is captain. Is problem with aircraft. We will land in farmer field. Those in economy leave via left-hand side, where is planted cabbage. Business Class passengers leave by right-hand side where is planted artichoke . Your baggage will be delivered in three weeks' time after aircraft has been scrapped. Thank you for flying with Ural Airlines."
That aircraft looks to be fit only for the scrap heap anyway.
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=50e4701a&opt=1
PP
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tango15
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 2464
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 12:43 pm
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- Age: 79
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Err, yes - definitely. I've no idea where the other one came from - I wasn't even looking that one up!PHXPhlyer wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 4:19 pmThis might be a better link.tango15 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 8:51 amUral A 320 en route from Sochi to Omsk makes an emergency landing in a farmer's field:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 19971106-0
Captain: "This is captain. Is problem with aircraft. We will land in farmer field. Those in economy leave via left-hand side, where is planted cabbage. Business Class passengers leave by right-hand side where is planted artichoke . Your baggage will be delivered in three weeks' time after aircraft has been scrapped. Thank you for flying with Ural Airlines."
That aircraft looks to be fit only for the scrap heap anyway.
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=50e4701a&opt=1
PP
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ExSp33db1rd
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 3237
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 1:51 am
- Location: Lesser Antipode
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- Age: 89
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Dogs on aircraft. During a short transit of Prestwick en route to the USA, I was walking through the cabin and one of the still seated passengers asked me if he could visit his Labrador dog in a cage in the hold, to see if it needed any more water ? I explained that wasn't possible, strangers walking on the apron etc. but offered to go look myself. Around the rear freight door was a bunch of loaders anxiously looking at the unlocked but still closed door, and I was told that there was a dangerous animal loose inside.
I assumed that it might be the dog, and gently eased the door open and was immediately engulfed by an excited Labrador trying to lick me ! In attempting to hold on to it I fell down, but fortunately one of the loaders then secured the dog with a bit of handy rope so that it couldn't run off.
I went back to the pax. and he admitted that he had only made the somewhat flimsy wooden crate the might before, and obviously the dog had broken out in flight. I explained that the dog would have to stay behind until a proper cage could be obtained, and it could then be sent on to his destination, did he want to get off as well ? He had urgent business to attend to at the final destination, so reluctantly left the dog behind. In retrospct I guess we should have let him keep it in the cabin, but those certainly weren't the available options in those days.
On another of my flights a then well known female Hollywood film star ( British ) smuggled her small dog aboard in a carry-on bag. UK Customs found it, impounded it and refused it entry, so she and the now properly crated dog returned from whence they had come on the next flight.
I assumed that it might be the dog, and gently eased the door open and was immediately engulfed by an excited Labrador trying to lick me ! In attempting to hold on to it I fell down, but fortunately one of the loaders then secured the dog with a bit of handy rope so that it couldn't run off.
I went back to the pax. and he admitted that he had only made the somewhat flimsy wooden crate the might before, and obviously the dog had broken out in flight. I explained that the dog would have to stay behind until a proper cage could be obtained, and it could then be sent on to his destination, did he want to get off as well ? He had urgent business to attend to at the final destination, so reluctantly left the dog behind. In retrospct I guess we should have let him keep it in the cabin, but those certainly weren't the available options in those days.
On another of my flights a then well known female Hollywood film star ( British ) smuggled her small dog aboard in a carry-on bag. UK Customs found it, impounded it and refused it entry, so she and the now properly crated dog returned from whence they had come on the next flight.
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
On one of our flights we had the Guinness World Record Tallest Dog... Gibson, a Great Dane.
He was allowed in the cabin as his owner had him approved as an "Emotional Support Animal". It was simply a ruse to keep from having to have him crated and flown in the cargo compartment going to his many appearances.
The owner still had to buy a whole row for him and the dog.
The dog had his own website and when I got home from my trip I showed the website to my then small daughters and was a cool dad for a little while.
PP
He was allowed in the cabin as his owner had him approved as an "Emotional Support Animal". It was simply a ruse to keep from having to have him crated and flown in the cargo compartment going to his many appearances.
The owner still had to buy a whole row for him and the dog.
The dog had his own website and when I got home from my trip I showed the website to my then small daughters and was a cool dad for a little while.
PP
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Woody
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Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
There’s the time I nearly lost the American Ambassador wife’s poodle, was supposed to be loading it onto Concorde, but she didn’t lock the box properly after saying goodbye to it, she was a bit of a diva, fortunately the dog was so scared by all the noise it didn’t make a run for it before I noticed the unlocked door 
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Re: Airlines Behaving Badly
Plane takes off with passengers but not a single checked bag on board
https://www.cnn.com/travel/travel-news- ... index.html
AWOL at the airport
A Swiss International Air Lines plane took off from Zurich this past weekend filled with passengers but without a single checked suitcase on board because of a lack of ground staff. After an initial delay, Flight WK226, operated by SWISS on behalf of Edelweiss Air, set off for Bilbao on Saturday without checked baggage so the plane would be able to make its return flight to Zurich before the night-time flight ban kicked in.
“It was possible to deliver most of the luggage to Bilbao the following day,” a SWISS spokesperson told CNN, while the rest arrived on Monday. He added, “We deeply understand the frustration and anger of the passengers” and “are currently reviewing our processes.”
Air traffic controller shortages also continue to be a problem globally: US airline execs are warning that years of flight disruption lie ahead.
In happier news, a Delta passenger’s dog that went missing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport, has been found safe after three weeks.
And Japan Airlines has started a yearlong trial of a service that lets you rent a set of clothes and receive it at your hotel on arrival, which could be handy if your bags go on tour without you.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/travel/travel-news- ... index.html
AWOL at the airport
A Swiss International Air Lines plane took off from Zurich this past weekend filled with passengers but without a single checked suitcase on board because of a lack of ground staff. After an initial delay, Flight WK226, operated by SWISS on behalf of Edelweiss Air, set off for Bilbao on Saturday without checked baggage so the plane would be able to make its return flight to Zurich before the night-time flight ban kicked in.
“It was possible to deliver most of the luggage to Bilbao the following day,” a SWISS spokesperson told CNN, while the rest arrived on Monday. He added, “We deeply understand the frustration and anger of the passengers” and “are currently reviewing our processes.”
Air traffic controller shortages also continue to be a problem globally: US airline execs are warning that years of flight disruption lie ahead.
In happier news, a Delta passenger’s dog that went missing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport, has been found safe after three weeks.
And Japan Airlines has started a yearlong trial of a service that lets you rent a set of clothes and receive it at your hotel on arrival, which could be handy if your bags go on tour without you.
PP
Re:Spirit Schedule Meltdown Over A/C Inspections
Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of flights to inspect some of its planes, disruptions will last days
https://nypost.com/2023/10/21/spirit-ai ... ts-planes/
Spirit Airlines canceled about 100 flights on Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expects the disruptions to last several days.
Spirit did not describe the nature of the inspections and did not respond when asked for further information, but the Federal Aviation Administration said it involved inspection of brackets on the planes’ airframes.
By late Friday afternoon, Spirit had canceled 11% of its schedule for the day, easily the highest percentage of scrubbed flights among leading US carriers, according to tracking service FlightAware.
“We’ve cancelled a portion of our scheduled flights to perform a necessary inspection of a small section of 25 of our aircraft,” Spirit said in a statement. “The impact to our network is expected to last several days as we complete the inspections and work to return to normal operations.”
The FAA said it was aware of Spirit’s decision to pull the planes from service for a “mandatory maintenance inspection.”
The inspections are required to look for signs of cracking around fasteners that attach pressure panels to beams on the planes’ airframes, according to an FAA document.
If undetected, the cracks could lead to reduced structural integrity “and possible rapid decompression of the airplane,” according to the document.
Fatigue cracks in the frames of planes are a long-known risk.
The inspections that Spirit is conducting have been required by European and US regulators for many years and were last updated by the FAA in 2018.
The FAA said that for the Spirit planes, it “will ensure that the matter is addressed before the airplanes are returned to service.”
The inspections are required to look for signs of cracking around fasteners that attach pressure panels to beams on the planes’ airframes, according to an FAA document.
Spirit had 198 planes as of June 30, all of them variants of the Airbus A320 family, according to a company regulatory filing.
The airline told customers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport.
About half of the Spirit cancellations were at Florida’s Orlando International Airport, where Spirit is the second-largest carrier.
The inspections that Spirit is conducting have been required by European and US regulators for many years and were last updated by the FAA in 2018.
Spirit, which is based in Miramar, Florida, has canceled more than 3,600 flights this year, or 1.5% of its schedule.
That is lower than the 2% cancellation rate at Frontier Airlines, a similar budget carrier, and rates for JetBlue Airways and United Airlines.
PP
https://nypost.com/2023/10/21/spirit-ai ... ts-planes/
Spirit Airlines canceled about 100 flights on Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expects the disruptions to last several days.
Spirit did not describe the nature of the inspections and did not respond when asked for further information, but the Federal Aviation Administration said it involved inspection of brackets on the planes’ airframes.
By late Friday afternoon, Spirit had canceled 11% of its schedule for the day, easily the highest percentage of scrubbed flights among leading US carriers, according to tracking service FlightAware.
“We’ve cancelled a portion of our scheduled flights to perform a necessary inspection of a small section of 25 of our aircraft,” Spirit said in a statement. “The impact to our network is expected to last several days as we complete the inspections and work to return to normal operations.”
The FAA said it was aware of Spirit’s decision to pull the planes from service for a “mandatory maintenance inspection.”
The inspections are required to look for signs of cracking around fasteners that attach pressure panels to beams on the planes’ airframes, according to an FAA document.
If undetected, the cracks could lead to reduced structural integrity “and possible rapid decompression of the airplane,” according to the document.
Fatigue cracks in the frames of planes are a long-known risk.
The inspections that Spirit is conducting have been required by European and US regulators for many years and were last updated by the FAA in 2018.
The FAA said that for the Spirit planes, it “will ensure that the matter is addressed before the airplanes are returned to service.”
The inspections are required to look for signs of cracking around fasteners that attach pressure panels to beams on the planes’ airframes, according to an FAA document.
Spirit had 198 planes as of June 30, all of them variants of the Airbus A320 family, according to a company regulatory filing.
The airline told customers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport.
About half of the Spirit cancellations were at Florida’s Orlando International Airport, where Spirit is the second-largest carrier.
The inspections that Spirit is conducting have been required by European and US regulators for many years and were last updated by the FAA in 2018.
Spirit, which is based in Miramar, Florida, has canceled more than 3,600 flights this year, or 1.5% of its schedule.
That is lower than the 2% cancellation rate at Frontier Airlines, a similar budget carrier, and rates for JetBlue Airways and United Airlines.
PP