Welcome to the un-friendly skies.
My most recent flying experience with United was definitely one for the books. Before The Corona and the world shutting down I used the travel all the time. I used to fly with puppies all the time too and I have never experienced such horrible service on any of my travels.
Reservations Issues
Booking the pet reservation was no easy task. Thankfully my travel agent (Mom) does all the bookings.
Not only did it take hours to reach anyone via their customer service line with the recording saying to just hang up and call back later if your flight isn’t in the next two days, but they repeatedly asked her if this was an emotional support animal even after she said it would be a paid for in-cabin pet.
The Airport Employees
Inside the airport, everything was all fine and as normal as it could be with everyone hidden behind their masks.
I got the typical Oooo’s and Ahhh’s, what breed is it, what is it? You know, the usual.
When we boarded the plane and the puppy had to go in the carrier is when he started to whimper and cry. Obviously, he didn’t like it in there. But the rules state that the carrier has to stay closed at all times.
He kept on whimpering and crying throughout the boarding process, which is very typical on their first flight. None of the noises he made were anywhere close to the despair crying that so many puppies have done in the past. He was just unhappy and making his unhappiness known.
Once boarding was complete, an airport employee came to talk to me about him making noise and asking if he would settle down. Not too out of the ordinary, people usually don’t fly with dogs and are genuinely curious.
I explained that yes, after take-off he would likely calm down and the noise of the plane should lull him to sleep. The airport employee didn’t seem to believe me, but still said okay and went on his way.
The Flight Crew
The puppy calmed down for a bit while the flight crew did their thing before closing the door. During that time, the puppy started making his unhappiness known again.
This time the pilot came to talk to me. He asked me if the puppy will be quiet because there are and I quote, “other paying passengers on the plane.”
Of course, I couldn’t be rude because in this era of weird we now live in, he could just have easily kicked me off the plane rather than deal with me. So I said yes and told him similar things that I told the airport employee.
It’s the “there are other paying passengers on the plane” that really got to me.
First off, I was a paying passenger. I even paid extra for the dog to fly with me in the cabin.
Secondly, tell me when anyone would tell a mother her crying child needs to be quiet because of “other paying passengers.” They wouldn’t. And if they did, there would likely be serious repercussions from their employer after the fact.
But the thing with a mother and an infant is the mother can hold the infant and soothe it to get it to calm down.
I am not allowed to take the puppy out of the bag. Some flight attendants even threaten me when I unzip the bag to put my hand on the puppy versus trying to pet it through the screen.
After my previous day of flying and something United did, they are at -2 points for flying with them again.
Eventually, the door closed and the plane pushed back.
I sat on the plane terrified the whole trip that someone would complain or that they would hear more whimpering and the pilots would put the plane down at some tiny regional airport in the middle of a cornfield between Jamestown and Denver. In this era of weirdness, I feel like they could have stopped the flight at any time without any regard for those “other paying passengers” to kick me off the plane because of a whimpering puppy.
The Obnoxious Children
I think if it would have just been the horrible comments, I would have gotten over it. People can be and are terrible sometimes.
In front of me was a young family of four, a mother and toddler directly in front of me, and the father with another toddler across the aisle from them.
The double standard in regards to how obnoxious human kids are allowed to be versus the noises allowed to come from a puppy on airplanes is almost sickening. The things people have told me and the looks I have gotten in the past when the puppy cries causes me to lose all hope for humanity.
Because I was in a mood, I made note of every obnoxious and annoying thing the toddlers in the row in front of me were doing. With no flight crew telling the parents to keep their kids quiet for the “other paying passengers.”
And I absolutely did rant about it on Facebook in realtime updating it the more obnoxious the children got.
Update Midflight:
The toddler in front of me is crying. Where is the pilot asking the mother to keep her kid quiet because there are paying passengers on the plane?? Meanwhile my puppy is SILENT just like I said it would be.
United: -3
It wasn’t just an isolated incident. This was a 2.5-hour flight.
Midflight Update #2
The children in front of me are watching movies… totally fine except they don’t have headphones in and the swords are clashing loudly.. I’d say it’s more obnoxious than a puppy whimper crying here and there. Where’s the flight crew telling them to be quieter because of other paying passengers on board?
United: -4
And it continued.
Midflight Update #3
The children in front are now ugly crying. Still no flight crew telling them to be quiet because of other paying passengers.
United: -5
The Second Flight
Because I was already in a mood and not too happy with United that day, the flight attendant quickly earned another negative point for United.
The kennel wasn’t all the way under the seat in front of me. There was about an inch to an inch and a half hanging out into my own foot space. The flight attendant said it needs to be all the way under the seat so people won’t trample the puppy when there’s an emergency.
Provided we even survived said emergency, I would be taking the puppy with me. There would be no risk of it being trampled or the carry-on kennel hindering anyone else’s attempt to leave the plane.
I challenge her to tell a mother to leave her infant behind in an emergency.
I’m sure that will go over well.
In Conclusion
United total points: -6
United does not deserve my money, business, or loyalty anymore.
Share this with any pet parents you know that travel with their fur babies. And don’t forget to PIN it to your pet Travel Board!
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