United has the highest rate of pet deaths

Oxman

Oxman

Well-Known Member
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/...nes-united-has-the-highest-rate-of-pet-deaths

For pets, the skies of United Airlines lately have not been so friendly.
It's not just the French bulldog that died on a Houston-to-New York flight Monday after a United flight attendant told its owners to put the dog in an overhead bin.
Data from the US Department of Transportation show that three times as many animals died on United flights last year than on all the other US carriers put together. As you can see from this chart, 2017 wasn't an exception.
United has had the highest rate of pet deaths of any US airline for the past three years.
In fairness, the airline in recent years has also been the largest transporter of animals -- mostly dogs and cats, but also more exotic pets such as birds and geckos. Also, according to the DOT report for 2017, several of the animals had pre-existing health issues such as heart disease. (The report did not specify how many animals were flown in the cargo hold as opposed to the plane's cabin.)
But even when accounting for their larger volume of animal passengers, United still leads all other airlines in rate of deaths per 10,000 pets.
United did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. But spokesman Charlie Hobart told CNN on Tuesday that the airline is investigating the French bulldog's death "to prevent this from ever happening again."
As for the 2017 report, he said, "The overwhelming majority of the incidents were attributed to animals not being acclimated to its crate or the animal having a pre-existing condition we weren't aware of. Any time there is an incident with animals we do a thorough review."
 
Oh, like always when it's played out in the media, there's more to this story!

My guess is that the dog carrier was to big to go under the seat. the conversation probably was more along these lines:

FA: "Excuse me ma'am, your pet carrier has to be tucked away for takeoff and landing."

Irresponsible pet owner: "It won't fit under because this awful airline makes the seat so low I can't fit my refrigerator box underneath it"

FA: "Yes, ma'am those pesky design engineers are like that sometimes. Maybe try to turn it sideways?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "My dog can't travel sideways, it gets motion sick that way."

FA: "Ma'am, the carrier is required to be under the seat, in the overhead, checked as baggage or you'll have to depart the plane. We can't have it under your feet like that during takeoff and landing, Ma'am."

Irresponsible pet owner: "Fine, you heartless bitch, put it up there then!!!"

FA: "OK, ma'am this is for takeoff and landing ONLY. I'm just going to put it right here so you can get to it, OK?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "Whatever!!!!!
 
dustoff17 said:
Oh, like always when it's played out in the media, there's more to this story!

My guess is that the dog carrier was to big to go under the seat. the conversation probably was more along these lines:

FA: "Excuse me ma'am, your pet carrier has to be tucked away for takeoff and landing."

Irresponsible pet owner: "It won't fit under because this awful airline makes the seat so low I can't fit my refrigerator box underneath it"

FA: "Yes, ma'am those pesky design engineers are like that sometimes. Maybe try to turn it sideways?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "My dog can't travel sideways, it gets motion sick that way."

FA: "Ma'am, the carrier is required to be under the seat, in the overhead, checked as baggage or you'll have to depart the plane. We can't have it under your feet like that during takeoff and landing, Ma'am."

Irresponsible pet owner: "Fine, you heartless bitch, put it up there then!!!"

FA: "OK, ma'am this is for takeoff and landing ONLY. I'm just going to put it right here so you can get to it, OK?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "Whatever!!!!!
Click to expand...

Per carrier in question

X-ZONE PET Airline Approved Soft-Sided Pet Travel Carrier for Dogs and Cats, Black (Large) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075B4FSPZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UoOQAbHVFSYGY

Also you left out the part where the FA threatened to kick them off the flight (per witnesses). And the part where putting pets in the overhead is a violation of company policy
 
dustoff17 said:
Oh, like always when it's played out in the media, there's more to this story!

My guess is that the dog carrier was to big to go under the seat. the conversation probably was more along these lines:

FA: "Excuse me ma'am, your pet carrier has to be tucked away for takeoff and landing."

Irresponsible pet owner: "It won't fit under because this awful airline makes the seat so low I can't fit my refrigerator box underneath it"

FA: "Yes, ma'am those pesky design engineers are like that sometimes. Maybe try to turn it sideways?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "My dog can't travel sideways, it gets motion sick that way."

FA: "Ma'am, the carrier is required to be under the seat, in the overhead, checked as baggage or you'll have to depart the plane. We can't have it under your feet like that during takeoff and landing, Ma'am."

Irresponsible pet owner: "Fine, you heartless bitch, put it up there then!!!"

FA: "OK, ma'am this is for takeoff and landing ONLY. I'm just going to put it right here so you can get to it, OK?"

Irresponsible pet owner: "Whatever!!!!!
Click to expand...

First of all do you not believe you could have a rude/power-tripping FA use a scary tone and make the passenger uncomfortabe about fighting back? If so you haven’t been on many planes in the last ~17 years. Secondly at least in our policy it says that animals can never go in the overhead bin. Simple as that. Find another solution.
 
thevideographer said:
First of all do you not believe you could have a rude/power-tripping FA use a scary tone and make the passenger uncomfortabe about fighting back? If so you haven’t been on many planes in the last ~17 years. Secondly at least in our policy it says that animals can never go in the overhead bin. Simple as that. Find another solution.
Click to expand...
Fair enough...
Edit earlier conversation to include the following:

FA: "Look you irresponsible pet owner, how stupid can a human be? I'm amazed that you have the mental capacity to have a pet in the first place. I am solely responsible for this cabin, it's mine, I am the Cabin God! Bow down to me to insignificant carbon-based blob!
The airline policy is that you can NOT under any circumstances have ANY bag under your feet during takeoff and landing. The policy does NOT have an exclusion for pets. Also, our policy won't allow me to put the dog in the overhead area. Therefore since YOU are making the choice to not move your oversized purse to the overhead in order to put your dog under the seat, then you need to get your butt off of this plane!!"

I'm pretty sure the media frenzy and stupid people supporting this irresponsible pet owner would have been the same. Sucks to have been the dog but the blame lands on the irresponsible owner.
 
Overhead bins don't exactly seem airtight or a significantly different temperature from the rest of the cabin. Methinks there's much more to this story.
 
Years ago I had just boarded with a service dog, sat down and had her lie on the floor under my feet before pushback. Nobody is seated next to me. The FA blazed down the aisle giving quick glances left & right, and said, "That's gotta go all the way under the seat." She came back a minute later, glanced over, said "Sir - I said that has to go...oh. Sorry - never mind."

I imagine that it was a similar exchange last week, but the pax didn't ask the FA to clarify the instruction.
 
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I remember once a soldier was flying a combat vet German Sheppard from FRA-SFO-RNO. It had a huge kennel, and the SFO-RNO segment was a CRJ-200. No way it was going to fit. Mainline United rolled up with it and I said no way Jose. The guy called his supervisor and they said just to bring the dog back and close the flight. Both myself and the mainline ramper were appalled by that, "Well, what about the passenger?". "The flight is going to take a delay if he gets off, we can get the dog to Reno by tonight".

OK. No. We took the delay, the pax got off, which is when I learned about the dog's profession and that he actually knew what a CRJ was and argued in FRA that it probably wouldn't fit in the plane and the UA agents there insisted it would fit in "All United Aircraft" and they would not allow it in the cabin for an international longhaul trip for whatever reason(is that standard?). The Skywest manager, in contrast, refunded his entire ticket and gave him a $150 credit on UA for the trouble. They also helped him rent a car.

The way people think, D:0 is like freggin heroine to a lot of these airline folks.
 
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