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I'm glad to see Southwest make this change. I am a part of the cat fancy - ie., I show cats at cat shows. While this change is wonderful for us...we are not the majority of people who travel with animals.
There are a lot of individuals who just want to have their animal companion(s) travel with them. Their pet is a part of their family and the idea of leaving them home, boarding them, having to drive to their destination or worse not being able to travel at all is not acceptable.
For those people leaving negative comments...
The size of the carrier that will fit under a seat is relatively small. For an animal to be able to stand up and turn around in the carrier (one of the requirements of Southwest) they will have to be "small" (we're not talking about a german shepherd or even a cocker spanial - unless it's a young puppy). Even some cat fanciers will have a problem if they have a large cat (as the blog on "Jack Bauer" notes).
The people who are going to PAY to have their pet travel with them are not going to be bringing "smelly" animals on board...they will be well cared for, clean, well mannered pets or show animals.
A small, clean pet in a carrier (especially a soft side one with mesh inserts) does not release a lot of pet dander (dander is the cause of allergic pet reactions, not the hair).
I realize that there are some people who are allergic to cat or dog dander. I am allergic to the majority of perfume essences. Yet I still travel. I always have allergy medication with me and I make sure to advise the airline when I make my reservation.
I would suggest that Southwest find a way to ask all passengers when they purchase their ticket if they have ANY allergic issues. Then if they are booked on a flight that also has an animal on board, or someone who is awash in perfume, measures can be taken to decrease the risk to everyone.
Let's be reasonable people...we can work this out
Southwest, I applaud you on your decision.
Shay
I don’t think you will be surprised to hear me say that we are in the midst of one of the most challenging times in aviation history. In fact, it’s my opinion that this decade has been the most difficult in our industry’s 100-year history, and this year is arguably the most difficult we’ve seen this decade. While Southwest Airlines is prepared for these tough times, we are certa
Categories: Flying, Under the hood
Posted by: Gary Kelly | May 31, 2009 at 9:40 am |
