As of: February 20, 2024, 11:04 a.m
By: Franziska Kaindl
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A dog is said to have ruined their premium economy class flight - which is why a couple from New Zealand are now demanding their money back.
A sweet dog look enchants many a heart.
Often when he appears exactly where you don't expect him - like on a plane, for example.
Only small dogs under eight kilos are allowed in the cabin, provided they are in a transport box.
However, this doesn't apply to everyone, as it recently became clear: "I heard this noise - a heavy snorting sound," a New Zealand woman told the online portal
Stuff
.
“I thought it was my husband's phone, but we looked down and realized it was the dog breathing.” The couple hadn't expected the four-legged friend on their 13-hour flight from Paris to Wellington – and therefore didn't react happily when they discovered the person sitting next to them.
Annoyed by “drooling” dog: couple changes seats
The couple had specially booked two seats in premium economy class to enjoy a little more comfort on their long-haul flight with Singapore Airlines, as they reported, according to
Stuff
.
However, the dog's presence made them uncomfortable - especially because it was said to have drooled on their clothes and caused a smell.
He was too tall for the airplane seat and the aisle, which is why he had to be accommodated on the ground between the seats.
The husband is also said to have lost legroom.
A couple didn't expect a dog to sit next to them - and were therefore not happy.
© M. Litzka/Midjourney (machine generated*)
When they spoke to a flight attendant about the situation, she was initially only able to offer them a seat in economy class - which would have been a downgrade.
So the couple stayed in their reserved seats for the time being.
Later they were said to have had the opportunity to change in the front part of the economy cabin, in seats that were actually reserved for staff.
They ultimately seized this opportunity.
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Couple demands money back for flight
However, the matter was far from over for the passengers: the staff allegedly assured them that the airline would contact them about the incident after landing.
However, when nothing happened for a week, the couple said they filed a complaint with the airline via email.
Two more weeks are said to have passed before the airline responded with an apology.
The couple was offered a gift voucher worth around 125 New Zealand dollars (around 69 euros).
However, that wasn't enough for the passengers and so they were offered travel vouchers worth 200 New Zealand dollars per person.
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But the couple didn't agree with that either: "We didn't get the experience we paid for," they said, according to
Stuff
.
Therefore, they now demanded a full refund for this part of the trip.
According to them, it's not even that they don't like dogs - they own one themselves.
However, the couple believes that the airline should have informed them of the four-legged friend's presence ahead of time.
Instead, they felt abandoned.
Only trained assistance dogs are allowed on Singapore Airlines
A Singapore Airlines spokesperson apologized again to the couple, according to
Stuff
: “Singapore Airlines aims to notify customers seated next to a service dog before boarding.
We sincerely apologize that this did not happen in this case and will work with our airport teams to ensure this failure does not occur in the future." However, it is not clear whether the fare will be refunded.
Editor's note: This text has already appeared in the past. Many readers were particularly interested in it. That's why we're offering it again.
The affected four-legged friend was accompanied by his owner as emotional support.
This has actually no longer been allowed by the airline since April 1st, but passengers who booked their trip before this deadline and submitted the necessary documents are still allowed to take their dog with them.
Only dogs that have actually been trained as assistance dogs and support passengers with disabilities, such as guide dogs, are allowed to travel with you.
However, if possible, passengers who do not want to sit next to an assistance dog will be offered another seat in the cabin if there is an alternative, according to a Singapore Airlines spokesman.
*
The images were created using machine assistance.
A text-to-image model was used for this.
Selection of the model, development of the model instructions and final editing of the images: Art Director Nicolas Bruckmann.