[Travelandtourism] Q & A.

[Reese]

Q. Let me state upfront that I am not anti-pets, but I do have a question 
about pets in the cabin on aircraft. The first leg of a recent flight 
included a dog in my row-the owner sat in the middle seat with the dog under 
the window seat. Although not severely allergic to dogs, being seated that 
close for hours (as well as having the human in what could have been an 
empty seat between us) was going to be a problem and I asked to be reseated. 
The flight attendant accommodated my request, but I discovered that there 
was a dog under my new seat! What are the rules with respect to pets in the 
cabin, particularly if someone onboard has life-threatening allergies to 
animals? Who has precedence, the person with the allergy or the pet owner 
(who has paid more to have the animal in the cabin)? Are the flight 
attendants aware of where pets are on each flight? In an incredibly bizarre 
coincidence, on the second leg of my trip, I was again seated next to a 
person with a dog. At that point, I was too tired and the plane was too full 
to bother moving!

A. You bring up good points. Airlines do have some indication in advance how 
many pets will be on board a particular flight, because usually pets are 
booked far in advance. JetBlue, for example, allows up to four pets per 
flight, and three of those spots are booked in advance by phone, while the 
fourth and final pet must be booked at the airport at the ticket counter on 
a first-come first-serve basis. But the airline might not know exactly where 
the pets are located until everyone is seated. You have every right to 
request a seat reassignment and it shouldn't be too hard finding an animal 
lover to trade places with you. If no one will trade in your cabin, you 
could ask to be seated in another cabin if available.

Shiloh's travel:
http://www.shilohstravel.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/shilohstravel
Email:
reservations at shilohstravel.com
Phone: 888-831-3180
404-419-6777