Flying with Fluffy

There is a new FAA travel regulation that gives passengers the right to bring along any animal. Yes, if a doctor approves an application stating that an animal provides a certain level of emotional comfort, the airline is required, by law, to provide transportation. This was the case of the in-flight pig that caused a ruckus not so long ago, and the Shetland pony who is now a frequent flier on SkyWest.

There is a flight attendant I know who has a second job transporting pets. The money is secondary as she has a real passion for animals and would rather see a reunited pet as opposed to a newly inducted member of the animal shelter.

What was her most embarrassing moment? A snake that got out of its carrier in-flight and was spotted slithering down the toilet. This was after the blood curdling screams from a rather large half-dressed woman who came rushing out of the lav.

Luckily, for the pet courier, the snake was recovered alive, albeit blue and smelly, during the emptying of the septic tanks.

There is a well known story in the airline industry about a bizarre pet occurrence. One day as the baggage workers were offloading bags from a flight, they discovered a dog kennel containing a dead golden lab puppy.

They felt awful about it and noticed that it was connecting on a flight more than three hours away. A couple of the men went out on their lunch break, purchased a new puppy and substituted it for the dead one. Their hope was that some small boy waiting for his beloved pet would not notice the switch and be happy at their reunion.

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At the final destination, great cheers rang out, along with “It’s a miracle, it’s a miracle.” The family of the golden lab was convinced of a higher being’s intervention.

Apparently, the puppy had died during their vacation, and they were merely transporting it home to be buried.

An investigation quickly followed. This was mainly to prevent the misconception that transporting dead animals at 40,000 might bring them back to life.

The responsible workers were at first given two weeks suspension with pay, but which quickly became a “Reward for Honorable Service,” after the airline received a great deal of positive press for their deed.

James Wysong has worked as a flight attendant with two major international carriers during the past fifteen years. He is the author of the "The Plane Truth: Shift Happens at 35,000 Feet" and "The Air Traveler's Survival Guide." For more information about James or his books, see his web site or e-mail him. Want to sound off about one of his columns? Try visiting Wysong's forum.