I’ve flown with a lot of dogs over the years, but recently experienced a loud one for the first time.
This was once again my Turkish Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Istanbul last week. I did not mention it in my earlier post on the flight so I could dedicate an entire post to it.
> Read More: First Impressions of Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class
I never saw the dog board and I never saw the dog once onboard, so I assume it was a small one. As I finished my meal and turned in for bed, I had no idea that one row in front of me a dog would become impatient.
Suddenly, in the middle of the flight halfway over the Atlantic, the dog began barking. Repeatedly. Loudly.
It went on for about five minutes before the owner was able to calm it down. Thankfully, I fell right back asleep. During that time, no FAs intervened.
Obviously, it could have been much worse. Imagine if the dog had barked the entire flight…?
Even upon landing the dog was quiet.
In the lounge, however, a pair of dogs began barking back and forth at one another and this continued (off and on) for over an hour. That was even more annoying. I cannot say if one of the dogs was the one on my flight.
CONCLUSION
This was also the flight featuring the drunk seatmate I wrote about yesterday. Too much drama for one flight, I think!
Have you ever encountered a dog onboard a flight that would not stop barking?
Should FAs intercede? If so, how fast?
Dogs belong in cargo.
I thought only US domestic flights had these stupid rules to allow people to bring animals onto the planes? I thought foreign airlines all used the common sense to ban them along with other tho vs that irritate paying guests like smoking…
I would think, and hope, that an owner would do whatever they could to keep their animal settled. If they can’t, do you think a stranger, such as the FA, could do better?
Yes, more than a couple of times. Worst was on a United flight from BIL-DEN sitting up front next to this woman who had a smallish dog (mutt, about 25 pounds) that would not start barking. Barking started at the gate and people were saying they pitied the person sitting next to the dog. FA asked if I would like some wine; I said, yes, and she said I think i will join you. At this point everyone in the forward cabin was looking at the dog, making remarks, etc, and the FA was telling the dog owner she’d have to calm the dog down. The woman told me she had given the dog something like 20 mg of Prozac and she gave it another 20 mg. We pushed back and started taxiing and there was a discussion between the first FA and the captain about the dog, just short of turning on to the runway. Clearly he was not happy with the ruckus it was causing. Suddenly, the dog stopped barking and keeled over. and shortly after that we took off. No, it was not dead but in a very deep sleep. It stayed motionless the entire flight and didn’t make a sound when we deplaned.
You sure it wasn’t dead?
@Styles: it was breathing 🙂
It is madness that Turkish allows animals in the passenger cabin! Unless they are working service animals, no animals (yes, even those of the nonsense emotional support variety) should be permitted to travel in the passenger cabin.
I’ll take the dogs and dump the screaming infants anytime.
I had a dog whining on my flight a few weeks back for a good chunk of the flight. Had J 787 from ORD-LAX (AA) and it woke me up. Its really annoying to hear a dog when you’re trying to sleep on a plane. Not much we can do about it though.
What exactly would a FA do? If the owner was trying to calm the dog down, FA intervention would be pointless and perhaps even counterproductive.
I think, perhaps, the majority of you people do not belong on an airplane. Perhaps, it is madness to allow you into the passenger cabin. How about we put each on of you in cargo. We will get you a roomy crate, lock you in and let you battle the elements!
You want to fly on a plane, in the passenger cabin, suck it up. You WILL fly with other people and just may have things important to them, like a dog, that may not be important to you. Respect that and quit whining.
No, let’s just put the dogs in the hold…
!!!! I have a dog and have heard A LOT of horror stories with animals in the cargo a lot of them even arrived dead! I want to take him with me when I’m moving to another country and am litterally doing anything I can for my dog to behave. He is trained and I even gave him medication but sometimes just like it is with people some dogs have fears and anxiety how would you react if a person was freaking out because its their first time on a plane??? Kick them out and get them in the cargo???