United Airlines passenger displaced by guide dog: 'It's absurd'
One of the passengers flying with United Airlines was outraged that a dog took his seat on the plane. He shared his story on Reddit, stating, "It's absurd."
A United Airlines passenger claims he was forced to relinquish his seat for a guide dog. As the "New York Post" editorial notes, this is not the first peculiar situation involving dogs.
A guide dog took the passenger's seat
A traveller flying to Denver with United Airlines noticed that a large guide dog occupied his seat. "It was too large to fit on the floor," he commented on Reddit. He reported this to the cabin crew, but the response was unexpected. "A United staff member came onboard and spoke to the passenger but the dog remained," he added in the post.
The passenger tried to communicate with the dog's owner, but it was to no avail. He was concerned he might be removed from the plane. Ultimately, the man had to sit in another seat, and the guide dog occupied his chair for the entire flight.
"Totally absurd that an oversized dog can displace a paying passenger from their seat," wrote one Reddit user.
Animals can cause many problems
Travelling with animals on aeroplanes can be problematic not only for pet owners. An example is an incident in San Francisco where a passenger abandoned a dog due to a lack of proper documents. Airport staff had to care for the animal, which is typically outside their duties. However, this story had a happy ending, as the German Shepherd found new owners.
Animal-related emergency landings are rare but do occur. The New York Post also reports a situation in which a guide dog on board US Airways suffered digestive issues, forcing a landing in Kansas.
Another time, at Dane County Airport in the USA, a worker discovered a dog in a passenger's luggage, which had unknowingly been subjected to an X-ray.
