The Friday before winter term started, I flew from my hometown with my newly-adopted cat. Before flying, I purchased a small soft carrier to abide by United Airlines’ 18 x 11 x 11 carrier restriction. Despite my efforts, after boarding the plane, I was told that since my carrier didn’t fit underneath the seat in front of me, and I needed to deboard the plane.
I kept asking why they were making me get off without any further explanation. Instead of answering any questions, I began to get threatened that if I didn’t get off the plane immediately – I would never be able to fly United again.
Before boarding, No employee mentioned that my carrier wouldn’t be able to fit under the seat. After realizing I was being thrown out, I was sent into a panic attack from this harsh display of authority as I tried to stay calm.
At one point, an employee grabbed my suitcase and refused to let me go back to my seat to retrieve my wallet until I asked him hysterically if he was serious. None of my questions were being answered until I left the aircraft. I ask the question now: why did they let me on with no warning whatsoever?
This event traumatized me and influenced me to avoid flying with United from now on. Many others have experienced similar issues while traveling with their pets. University of Oregon junior Taylor Neff shared her experience traveling with her own cat.
“My cat, Ozzy, and I have flown several times together with American Airlines. The most daunting part for me is dealing with TSA agents and security. The cat has to come out of the carrier to go through the screening process, and I’m pretty sure I would never see Ozzy again if I tried to take him out in the security line. I ask for a private screening room; most agents are nice, but some treat me like I’m ruining their day while causing my cat and I more stress through such a scary part of the flying process,” Neff said.
The environment of airports and the plane ride itself is daunting for both the passenger and the pet.
“As for actually getting on the plane, it’s definitely a little stressful for both of us. Ozzy doesn’t know where he is and screams under the seat until after take off. He is always given anxiety meds to cope. But that in itself is stress inducing as we always have a connection, and I have to quickly find a bathroom or somewhere private to give him his second dose before we leave for our second flight of the day,” Neff continued.
United specifically states in their “Traveling with pets” section that “some of our planes have limited space under the middle seat.” There is no list specifying which aircrafts may not fit a carrier – highlighting their negligence for passengers who may need to fly with their pet.
When I boarded the plane, a passenger in front of me had a cat travelling with her and was asked to leave the aircraft as well. I remember her telling me that this had never happened to her before flying on United. Is this a new issue or was my experience just a misfortune?
Another junior attending UO, Lexi Kummer, said,“I’ve had a few interesting experiences flying with my kitties. I’ve always flown Southwest and originally bought a carrier that the airline sold because I knew it would fit under the seat, but when I got it, it was so small my cat couldn’t really fit in it comfortably. Then I ended up having to buy another one that was a bit bigger, but it barely fit under the seat while still being super cramped for my kitty.”
Kummer also stated that Southwest Airlines does not allow you to pay for a pet plane ticket until arriving at the airport. This creates even more problems with airports being busy and contributes to greater stress to travelling with pets.
Overall, it seems United Airlines isn’t the only airline at fault for creating high stress for people traveling with pets. Flying is anxiety-inducing enough, and it’s up to the airline industry to take care of its passengers — and that means all passengers.
