A Bengaluru man’s much-anticipated fun trip with his pet dog and family was ruined when an Air India pilot refused to allow the poodle to board the flight. The man posted a video on Twitter claiming that despite having a boarding pass, the airlines refused to allow his pet dog on board.
The man, Sachin Shenoy, stated in the video that he flew with his family from Bengaluru to Delhi and then to Amritsar on AI 503. He stated that he and his wife and daughter were planning a 12-day trip to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and had purchased their tickets in advance.
“We were in constant touch with Air India regarding flying their pet dog, Fluffy, with them, as per the rules and procedures laid down by the airlines,” he said in the video, which has now gone viral on social media.
He stated that the dog weighed less than 5 kg and that, according to the rules, she was permitted to fly inside the cabin. “She got all the checks done and was issued a boarding pass today,” he said in the video, adding that the pet was not a bother at the airport.
He stated that despite waiting for more than four hours, their pet did not make a fuss and was petted by nearly 250 people at the airport.
“The pilot, Captain Chopra, denied entry to us or that is what was told to us,” he can be heard saying in the video. He also stated that the flight appeared to be overbooked.
“We were told that you can leave your pet and go…It is as good as leaving your kid and flying,” he said, recounting his ordeal. He went on to claim that he had suffered significant losses since making all hotel and travel reservations in his destination city three months prior.
The rules state that the pet must be brought to the airport and a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate must be issued. The pet must weigh less than 5 kg.
Air India Responded
After the video was shared by several netizens with many labelling the airlines as ‘anti-pet’, Air India issued a response and said, “Sir, we love our furry friends as much as you do. Our Bengaluru Airport team has extended all support to ensure your Fluffy could fly with us on board.”
According to the airline,”the commander of the flight was not fully satisfied with the cage and muzzle of the pet” so they were denied boarding.
In response, Shenoy stated, “This is false information, if this was the case your team would not have given her a boarding pass. We went through all the verification of the qualification of Fluffy’s travel eligibility and fitness 4 hours before the flight. Please stop pedalling white lies.” (sic).
“Our laid-down Policy for the Carriage of Pets on Domestic Flights clearly mentions that pet carriage is subject to the approval of the commander of the flight,” Another tweet mentioned the Tata-owned airline.
Air India also offered the family a revalidation of their tickets as a ‘goodwill gesture’ and asked the family to accept the offer.
“However, as a goodwill gesture, we are offering you a revalidation of your tickets for the entire journey tomorrow. Kindly accept our humble offer as we would love Fluffy to fly with us,” According to the airline.
However, the passenger claimed that no one from the airline contacted them and that they only responded on Twitter after a massive backlash.
“Where did you disappear, you wanted my number and details, after sharing no call nothing. This shows it was a response just to reduce the backlash,” He stated this in a tweet.