In a viral Reddit thread, some travelers are calling for stricter limits for pets on planes.
Apparently, some people on the internet (not me!) think airlines are, in fact, becoming a little too welcoming when it comes to dogs on board.
In a viral Reddit thread posted in r/delta, one indignant plane passenger sparked quite the dog-centric debate. “Dog culture on [planes] [is] out of control. Today spotted on Delta flight,” read the title of the post, which featured a photo of a dog (on a leash) sitting next to their owner and taking up a not insignificant amount of space in the aisle. The poster continued, “At least kudos for not pretending to have the fake ‘Service Animal’ badge from Amazon, and just owning the self-righteousness.”
The top comment backs up the original poster’s argument, and chimes in on the issue, citing safety concerns. “That’s a safety issue if an evacuation is needed and should not be allowed,” reads their comment. However, as another poster notes, the photo might have been taken during boarding or early deplaning, since some other passengers are still standing.
The main issue, apparently, seems to be that many travelers wonder if the “service animal” claim is just an excuse for passengers to bring their dog aboard, and are worried that if that is the case, on-board animals might become more of a problem than a benefit.
“I’ve seen so many of these posts,” reads another comment. “How do people bring their dogs on board when there’s a policy? Is it as easy as people just saying ‘service dog’ and they let them on board?”
According to another Reddit user, the answer is closer to “yes” than “no.” “Rejecting a legitimate service animal can get you in a lot of trouble from the government,” their comment reads. “It’s illegal to ask someone what their illness is, but you can ask what the dog is there to do. If you can give a legitimate sounding reason, they aren’t likely to say anything.”
However, dogs—as much as one may love them—can reportedly be of nuisance to others if brought on a flight. In the same thread, some travelers make examples citing dogs howling and barking at one another for the entire duration of the flight. Others, instead, bring up the issue of allergies.
Current policies for pets on planes
If it seems like suddenly there’s a lot of conversation around dogs on planes, you’re not wrong. Earlier this month, American Airlines announced a significant policy change that is making it easier for people to travel with their small pets, including small dogs. BarkBox also just announced it is launching a new charter flight offering for dogs called—you guessed it—BarkAir. And one particular dog recently made its presence very known on a United Airlines flight when it pooped on the plane and caused the flight to divert from its intended destination of Seattle to Dallas instead.
At the end of the day, though, this matter is not any passenger’s decision to make. As Thrillist recently reported, it is up to the airline to decide whether or not an animal can make it to a plane’s cabin or not. TSA, for example, doesn’t have much say when it comes to what pets you should be allowed onboard. “Pet travel restrictions vary by airline and airport, so it is important to check with the air carrier before traveling with a pet,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein previously told Thrillist.
Preference for pet passengers
While dogs can potentially create issues (such as stinky poop) during a flight, other Redditors claim they’re not the only ones. In the thread, other users say that while dogs may bark, small children may cry loudly and create the same level of discomfort for other passengers. This is a widely-accepted statistic—Reportedly, the majority of travelers would rather sit next to a pet than a child on a plane, according to a recent study.
Other users in the Reddit thread above, though, don’t even target children specifically when it comes to their pets-on-planes preferences. “I vastly prefer the dogs I meet on flights to most of the people I meet on flights,” reads another popular comment.
