I’ve flown with my fair share of “service” dogs, but up until now I have never seen one actually consume a first class meal intended for human passengers. Until now.
Service Dog Enjoys First Class Meal On My United Airlines Flight To Denver
I had one heck of a flight from Los Cabos to Denver last week on United. Wait till you hear about all the passengers…and animals…onboard. Today, I just want to focus on the dog behind me.
First class departed with one open seat, 3B, in the row behind me. There was a man sitting in the window with his dog. The dog was wearing a red “service dog” vest and was thankfully quiet. I made no assumptions at the outset.
When boarding concluded and the seat stayed open, the man just placed his dog in the open seat. The little guy curled up and fell asleep.
Now, United’s rules concerning service animals are fairly clear:
Your dog should sit in the floor space in front of your seat. They can’t be in the aisle or the floor space of the travelers next to you
But I suppose he could argue that there is no explicit prohibition against dogs sitting in open seats…
A bit later in the flight the dog woke up. His owner signaled for the flight attendant and asked:
Are there any leftover first class meals for my dog?
The flight attendant kindly obliged…bringing him over a juicy chicken breast (the same meal I enjoyed, pictured below).
Yes, the dog quickly consumed the meal and you almost cannot blame him…the casserole dishes United uses do look a bit like dog bowls.
I’d like to be a kinder person in 2024, so I will hold back on my wrath for those who strap “service animal” vests on their untrained “emotional support” animals. It is quite clear to me that some people are very attached to their dogs…and that is fine.
But does this cross a line? Should a dog be eating first class food, from dishes that humans eat out of? On the one hand, the dishes are washed between flights and the food would just be thrown out anyway once we reached Denver. I hate to see waste and the chicken breasts were pretty darn good. On the other hand, it does seem like a bit much when the dogs start sitting in first class seats and wolfing down the first class chow (especially when economy class passengers were not fed…).
CONCLUSION
Should a “service” dog sit in an open first class seat and consume a first class meal? I find myself somewhat indifferent to this issue, thankful at least that the dog was quiet.
This was truly a wild flight…wait till you hear about the rest of it.
Dog lover here. You could also argue that since the owner PAID for the seat, regardless of passenger (human or dog), whoever has the seat is entitled on its benefits.
I see zero issues with this. The dog wasn’t causing a scene or disrupting the flight. Further, I’ve also never heard a dog delaying a flight or disrupting it. Could you say the same for people?
Just a point of clarification: the owner did not pay for the seat – it was an extra seat that did not sell.
If humans can be bumped to first class by steward, why can’t the dog be upgraded? Also people take over empty seats everyday, why can’t the man and his dog? The dog was quiet and didn’t talk to anyone. As for the meal, it’s up to the steward, not some voyeur on a flight with a slightly condescending tone.
Hmmm… one has to wonder why you would have such an opinion to a service dog. Emotional or companion support yes, they are not trained for life saving measures & tasks. But just like you wash your utensils & plates commercial dishwashers are far better. You should give this service dog the same respect as military, police etc….. it’s not a pet. He is a medical necessity.
Carol, if you read what I wrote, I said: “The dishes are washed between flights and the food would just be thrown out anyway once we reached Denver.” Not sure what your issue is with my analysis…
Hello Matthew,
Loved the piece. I did pay attention to what you wrote and I think it was fair. I’m a huge dog lover and have no problem with what occurred. I was a flight attendant for US Airways a long time ago and would have done the same. People have a habit of going crazy and not paying attention to the article. Again, very well done. You were just giving the different view points. God help up nowadays. People need to relax
Thanks Brian! I appreciate your comment.
If the service dog is sitting in an unsold seat and eating a leftover meal, why does it concern you? Mind your business and next time, ask the handler about taking the pups pic. If it wasn’t an issue, then why are you complaining?
Matthew you should mind your own business. Instead concentrate on how people behave badly on flights. So the economy seats were not fed, so what? We already know if you buy economy seats there is no food . So stay in your lane, stop complaining. The dog behaved better than you. You should write about what an A and upset I got when I saw a dog in First Class. You behaved poorly like a child.
LOL. You are hilarious.
Your entire post sounded condescending & like you were belittling the service some of these pets provide. They are considered medical equipment & some are dependent upon them. I totally agree that so many ppl “fake” it to bring their pets everywhere but unless you have proof that is the case, this dog is a necessity. He didnt hurt or even disturb you. Most dishwashers sanitize so no issues there either. So i don’t understand your complaint. If its because he sat it on an empty seat, many passengers would have snatched it so why cant he? Are you sure he didnt pay for that seat (i know many who do just to keep their pet away from others in case they dont like flying). Either way, if it was an issue, its for the flight attendant. It had zero effect on you. Yet, your post seethes with bitterness
Because a lot of people are full of it, and it is not for emotional support or medical reasons. You can clearly tell times when a “service dog” is not one. All one has to do is buy the best online, and that’s it. It is illegal to ask for papers to prove if it is actually one or not, and people take advantage.
Please don’t judge quickly. My brother fainting spells. His service dog actually is supposed to sit on the seat beside him or his lap so it is easier for the dog to recognize the onset of symptoms.
You have to provide paperwork/prescription for a service dog to fly.
Not sure how that is possible? There are 55 people on the upgrade list this morning. I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a flight to Denver with an empty 1st class seat.
This was a few days before Xmas – flight to LAX and SFO also had open seats in front cabin.
What a miserable little twit. Why was this little dog causing you such angst. Was the barking? Causing any issues? Running up and down the aisle? Preventing anyone from enjoying their flight? No. Just you. A miserable twit. Your resolution to be kinder in 2024 – I mean really what sort of person are you – has already failed.
It seems like you were obsessing about this from the moment you got on the plane. I’d much rather sit near a dog than most of the humans on the plane. If the airline did him a favor and kept the seat open for the dog, good for them. It’s one less drink they have to serve to an entitled passenger. The fact that you were viewing the seat chart at departure is very telling. You should not concern yourself with other people’s business.
I always look at seat charts – I write about aviation…I write about upgrades. I review flights. It’s something I do for every flight I take.
You’re not writing ‘about aviation” lol! You’re writing about OTHER PEOPLE’S BUSINESS on the same flights you are on. And you complain like a spoiled little kid sometimes, when the airline food is not up to your satisfaction, and other trivial matters.
That is NOT writing about aviation!!!
We thank you for your input.
Ok wait, as an economy passenger, can I just stroll into the first class section, take over an empty seat, and get leftover first class meals? That’s awesome!
Seriously though, I think they should just make the policy clear. If a first class ticket entitles you to bring a service animal which can then sit in an empty first class seat and get leftover meals, then it’s all good, as long as they’re consistent about it.
Your a classic dog nutter with a response like that. That dog has no place there. So self centered they are. That was truly disgusting and thanks for sharing. Dogs are everywhere and that’s not a great things!
I totally agree with you! If dog owners want their animals with them, they should at least be seated in the back of the plane! What about those of us who have also paid the fare and have allergies to pet hair?
How do you know that the owner did not pay for the extra.seat? That is a presumption on your part.
It is none of your business, what the flight attendants do on board with other passengers. Absolutely none. As long as the airline fulfills their obligations with you, they have done their job as it relates to you.
It is actually humorous, that you have nothing better to do than be nosey with other passenger’s business, and show passive disapproval for a dog being fed. What a shallow, meaningless life you must have. Plus obvious self-entitlement on your part, that is displayed by a lot of wanna-bees like you, who think because they’re in First Class, that they can pass judgement on others.
He asked the FA, who is the one that brought the leftovers for the dog. They could have declined. Given this, I have no issue with it at all. And it’s not like a TrekTrendy First Class flight on Singapore Airlines here, it’s basically domestic first so that extra meal wasn’t all that expensive and may well have gone to waste.
Lighten up and wake me if the dog ever takes a dump on the plane. THAT would be a reason to write a missive such as this.
Amen. I should be so lucky as to sit near this dog and to observe him eating food that wood go to waste otherwise. Good boy. Better than some of the rude, loud, noisy and GASSY humans I have been seated near.
LOL !!! Melissa, Exactly. One time, I had a fellow passenger who kept my little “fur baby” ( one commenter here is sick of us dog parents calling our dogs “fur baby”) with her on the entire flight. My husband who is a veteran with PTSD said, why she gets to keep her, I’m the one that needs her? I said, it’s ok, just hold my hands…lol. Share the love with other people.
None of the crew demanded that our tiny dog be put back in the crate under the seat. The lady who loves our dog so much was in the opposite aisle so the dog was being passed around like a ball..lol.
Thank you, your article was very clear that the owner did not pay for that seat. I wish keyboard ninjas would read before they post. This service dog/emotional support dog thing is out of control. They say 1 in 5 Americans are on some sort of mental health medication. Imagine if 1 of every 5 passengers brought their dog onboard. We may as well just start a new Animal Airway when people fly free with a paid animal ticket. I recently was on a flight where my seat assignment was next to a very large Boarder Collie type dog. The dog was standing in tge floor area of all 3 seats. The flight attendant moved the two of us in that row to other seats. Imagine if there were no other seats? I’d have to sit with a dog in my lap. Don’t get me wrong, I am an animal lover and have many myself, but I would never impose my animal on anyone else, even in my own home. It boggles my mind that people expect extra privileges and have no problem impending on others. If a dog is over 30Lbs, regardless of service or otherwise, the owner should be required to pay for an additional seat to not impose on others. Sorry, probably a very unpopular comment, but as an avid traveler, I too have seen my share of abuse of the system and believes there needs to be a change. Thank you for posting this crazy article.
Finally, someone here with common sense. Your thinking is on point here.
Denise,
Really? My service dog is almost 100 lbs. He travels with my family and I everywhere. He also goes on buses and subways where he sits nicely under the seat. Again, he is nearly 100lbs. So no, not all dogs over 30lbs should pay for their seat. And, to be clear, the writer.never states he knew for certain the man did not pay for the Xtra seat. He writes like it is an assumption. I know a man whose dog is huge and requires he purchases 2 Xtra seats to be comfortable and he does it, frequently. I agree with all of the other comments that the author should mind his own business.
Again, the man did not pay for the extra seat. It went out unassigned.
It’s obvious you are not familiar with the Air Carrier Access Act or United Airlines policy on service dogs on their flights. It’s very easy to look up both. In 2021, the regulations changed and DOT made it clear that ONLY dogs are permitted to fly in the cabin with their disabled handlers. We are required to provide a DOT Service Animal form to the airline prior to the flight and this form is a federally approved form signed under pains and penalties of perjury. It’s easy to find this form on any airline website or the DOT website.
In addition, all service dogs are required to be on the floor during all phases of flight, including take off and landing, unless the dog is equal to or less than the weight of a two year old child. This is an FAA safety requirement and ALL flights attendants know this. It’s in their safety handbook.
Passengers who are accompanied by a service dog may NOT be seated in an exit row.
There are other rules and regulations that we are required to follow that can be found on the DOT website or the airline website.
People who don’t have a service dog don’t have any clue about the new regulations and should not be commenting.
You are incorrect, Cheryl.
https://liveandletsfly.com/psychiatric-service-animals/
The simple form you mention allows an ESA to be brought under the guise of “psychiatric service animals” with no additional paperwork necessary.
I’ve covered this from the very start – you’re not pulling the wool over the eyes of anyone.
You the wrong.
Have you EVEN looked the form?
I sit on a DOT committee. That form requires the tasks to be described. Comfort is not a task. I am going to loudly disagree with you.
Yes, I have looked at the form. It is available for everyone to see here:
https://media.united.com/images/Media%20Database/SDL/Travel/special%20needs/disabilities/0091_WE_Service-Animal-Health-Behavior-Training-Form.pdf
You only have to check off a box.
Are you 100% positive? United never has empty seats in 1st. People do pay for extra seats for their service animals. Seen it on way to HNL. Service dog got his own Polaris seat!!!
I’ve flown close to 2MN miles on United. There are often open seats around holidays in premium cabins. This was certainly the case here. I’m positive.
Yes, a friend of mine flew both ways on United from Chicago to London in December 2022 and was upgraded both ways from a Premium Economy ticket to Polaris. He had zero status. He rarely flys but was still upgraded for free.
Nothing you said indicated that the dog is not a trained service animal. Service animals do not have to wear a vest, but they are trained to behave in a certain way. While I appreciate you trying to stand up for those who are unable to afford a first class ticket and aren’t fed, please note that this is technically not true. The passengers in economy have the option to purchase a meal or sandwich, which is much less than their upgrade. Finally, the dog was paid for – by the owner. He may not have paid for the seat next to him, or perhaps he did, did you ask? Either way, the cost for first class, I’m sure, made up for the chicken breast, which the man asked for and the attendant provided. I’m sure that if you had indicated you were still hungry you also could have asked for additional food. As the handler of a service dog I can assure you that these intelligent and loving dogs deserve more than a simple meal. They save lives. They take years to train, and they are highly dedicated and intelligent.
Who cares. If the service dog didn’t bother you then why care? I have been on so many flights in first class where children are crying, snacks scattered everywhere.
The guy asked for food AFTER everyone ate.
Even service dogs can eat as well.
I have a service dog and he doesn’t beg for food when it’s out but if there is extra I will give it to him.
Again, who cares. He was calm. Didn’t affect you or take anything from you.
See Matthew, you upset a lot of animal lovers because of your criticism. If you never had a dog for a pet before, you will never understand the deep bond that was made between the dog and its owner. Have you ever read on the news when a dog saved his owner from a burning house or ran many miles to get help for a stranded injured owner while hiking or camping and many other life saving measures that a faithful companion dog will give his own life to save his beloved owner. Most humans will not give their life for you but a faithful pet dog definitely will. So YES, a dog deserves first class seat steak and steak EVERYTIME!!! My own dogs eat better than me with super expensive food and get better better medical care than me. “You can always tell a man’s heart by the way he treats animals “- Emanuel Kant
And here I always thought Paul McCartney said that…
LOLMatthew! Paul McCartney said ” To live and let live!! You can sing along..lol. God bless you. I’m actually taking my 2 small gorgeous dogs on my retirement destinations in Europe and Asia. Long haul flights and strict requirements of each country. We will see.
While I too love dogs and have 3 beautiful sweet puppers as a person with a service dog, I have to completely disagree with you. Just because someone loves their dog, does not mean they get to slap on a service animal vest and bring it with them everywhere. While there are service animals who need to be on a seat next to, or the lap of their handler, this does not seem to be the case in this situation. I personally would never allow my service animal to just lounge on a seat or gobble down a human meal while working. It is the best way to ruin a service animal. My best boy does get to snuggle on the couch at home and get treats when not on duty. But never on duty. On long flights he has his own water and bowl and eats before or after a flight, never on a flight, let alone a human meal which could give digestive issues. It is irresponsible as a handler to do this. Too many people abuse the service animal table and it causes major issues for real service animals. My dog has been bitten and harassed by ill-behaved pretend service animals. Service animals do not have to have papers or even a vest, and the DOT form really isn’t a fail safe for weeding out real service animals from the fake ones. Since it is a formed filled out by the handler without any checks or balances to it. Sure if the animal misbehaved or caused a problem during a flight they can go and possibly prosecute for falsified documents. But it does not stop people from falsely claiming their dog is a real service animal. All of the people who think they have a right to claim their animal is a service animal, just so they are not separated is a tragedy for those of us who rely on their servive dogs for autonomy and security .
Get over it, I mean it is a service dog, and well trained. Not an emotional support animal. Either way, the animal didn’t bother you and unless it was the food you intended to eat then it has nothing to do with you. I have seen humans ask for extra meals, not just one either and they were given the extra meals. One time a person put the extra meal in Tupperware to take home. That bothered me for a few minutes, the service animal doesn’t bother me at all.
Kinda sad that something so trivial would get you riled up, or maybe you couldn’t think of anything better to write about?
@Franz .,. Dogs in Mexico ( and USA ) have various diseases ( worms , rabies ) , and uninfected dogs from USA who go to Mexico can easily contract those diseases ( worms , rabies ) from dogs in Mexico . I’d guess that the dog ought to be quarantined on return to USA , as if it had traveled to southeast Asia , the Amazon , the Congo , or Afghanistan , for example .
Wow ignorance is showing.
For a pet to travel to Mexico, has to be vaccinated against rabies.
Second Mexico is not on the red list for rabies.
So much please inform yourself before posting
Erick is correct, actually. Rabies is less common in Latin America than up here. Though other diseases are common in dogs from Latin America, that is mainly true of stray dogs or dogs who have poorer families (not sure how else to phrase that).
Any dog who gets to fly First Class on UA ain’t gonna have worms.
You don’t know that. You don’t know that a dog from a well to do family is going to be free of parasites. Worms aren’t the only thing to worry about. Protozoa are just as common, and very easy to pick up. Let’s suppose that Buffy’s dog walker takes her precious pooch out for a lunch time stroll. Precious pooch takes a sip out of a puddle, and even though the dog walker brings precious Pooch back in line quickly, precious pooch managed to sip up just enough water to infect herself with a common protozoan called giardia. It’s very common, it’s pretty much in the soil everywhere, and dogs and cats and other animals that don’t use toilets and drink out of ground water are very likely to carry it. A very minor infection may not cause any symptoms, and because these are protozoa, you won’t see them with the naked eye. Yet an infected animal can still spread the infection. A dog infected with Giardia and they still go out in the backyard to do its business, then shed these protocol back into the soil, where a squirrel or a raccoon or a possum or a stray cat can pick it up, ingest it and then pass it out through their poop back into the soil and into the groundwater. Guess what? People can get Giardia too. They can also get coccidia, which is another protozoan that’s very common. You can even track in these organisms on your shoes if you walk through your garden, and then take your shoes off on the doormat, or forget to take your shoes off and you walk through the house. Your pet picks it up by grooming themselves, and next thing you know your pet has giardia or coccidia. Oh, but you’re riding first class, right?
In this case the owner did not pay. Since it was empty he simply assumed the dog could sit. While we are at it I havea problem with this whole service animal thing. I frequently fly and am highly allerguc to animal fur and dander. I feel travelers with animals should have the service animal vest on their pets and should sit in a section with others traveling with animals. Why should I be subjected to sneezing, wheezing and runny eyes and nose .
Entitled much? Why do you think your health issue is more important than the health issue of the person with the service dog? You can request a seat away from the service dog. The dog is not required by law to wear a service vest. Get over yourself
Calm down, woman. Nobody cares about your little opinions.
Dog owners are the most entitled people on the planet. Service Dog industry is such a scam
I totally agree with you. These people who demand privileges for a “service animal” is out of control. Every moron and his brother brings these pets everywhere with them. In the store, in restaurants, to the movies….it’s very uncool especially with people that have allergies to the pet fur and dander. Fleas, worms, contagious disease…you name it. This man on the flight who popped his dog on the empty first class seat clearly did not pay for it. The rules stated that the animal (gasp! I called it an animal!) Must sit on the floor in front of the passenger, NOT on the seat. You people that are all about their “fur babies” make me sick. Mainly because I have a niece who’s mom cared more for her blasted animals than her own kids. You guys can disagree all day long with my opinion. Frankly, I don’t get a damn.
Rules for service animals are more strict . My son’s has to have vaccine updates every 6 months. So you shouldn’t worry about diseases.
For those that are saying they have allergies you should have notified the airlines when you booked your flight. They will make sure you are separated from animals on board. Each airline will only allow so many animals in the cabin per flight, so you can work with them to make sure you are not sitting close to them. As a person with severe allergies, I carry an EpiPen everywhere I go, the burden is on the one with the allergies not the other way around.
Same. What’s the issue? The dog was there, and well behaved (which is more than I can say for some humans). The meal was extra. How does this affect anyone else? It doesn’t. ZERO issues with this. I actually like that this happened.
Read the article. The owner did not pay for the seat. The dog has as much right to that seat as a person from the last row of coach, none. An airplane is not their living room, it is a private business that services many.
The article reads like a question to me. -Hey, I experienced this. I felt a certain way, but I don’t know.. what do you think? – I enjoyed the article.
Thank you Sharon. That was indeed the point!
After reading your commentary, I believe I’d rather share my row with a service dog over you any day. Who are you to imply or even question whether the animal was a “true” service dog? Are you assuming, because the man’s disabilities are not evident to the naked eye that they don’t exist? Because IF you are, then you are 100% wrong. Exactly how did any of the above affect you personally or directly? Was the steward supposed to divide the single leftover first class dinner among the hundreds of economy class passengers? This “article” sounds like you had a deadline, and had NOTHING to write about, so you came up with a non-issue in a lame attempt to meet a deadline. 0/10 Would not recommend
Thanks dear.
We pay a fee when we travel with a pet and keep pet in its carrier on the floor. Those are the rules. We were also told by the vet to not feed the pet until after the 5 hour flight landed. Animals need to pee. This whole experience seems entitlement. Obey the rules!
I’m probably the biggest service animal advocate of the regular posters on this blog, but this crosses a line. There’s nothing wrong with feeding a dog a few bites of food onboard, it helps with pressurization after all. However, a full passenger meal off of a plate?! Come on! Actions like that will cause policy changes that will hurt folks who actually do need their service animal with them.
Was it an unreserved seat, or did he actually reserve two seats in the cabin. If the lattter, I could care less what kind of service classification it is – he’s not impinging on anyone’s space. And if there’s no sanitary issue related to the dog eating, well they paid for that seat. Though I have to imagine it makes it more likely an unsanitary incident occurs, which even with a small chance would be grounds for not allowing the eating.
But kudos to the dog owner if he reserved two seats in advance. That’s the respectful way to travel with a pet if it’s not in a carrier under your seat.
Too many of the gamers are trying to get away without paying anything for their pet, and inconvenience others in the process.
Agree that reserving a second seat for your dog is the classy move. That was not the case here: this seat was an open seat that was not sold (went out showing open on seat map).
It’s couldn’t care less not could care less.
While dogs require a small amount of sodium the airline meal chicken is likely loaded with salt to accommodate human taste buds. A couple of slices, hand fed may be fine but the cabin is not a kennel. Passengers need to be considered and dogs can get a little gassy with strange food.
So, we could smell the dog from one row ahead. It smelled more like a dog then dog flatus, but I wonder if that had something to do with it…
If he smelled bad then you certainly had a right to be aggravated. I’ve sat near plenty of humans that probably smelled as bad or worse.
I’m in the service industry and I manage serveral people. Sometimes employees stink or do dumb things. Sometimes customers complain about service quality or behaviors they didn’t care for. Usually customers don’t complain to management at all though. Usually they just get online and type up a review or post something on social media. In this case, you typed up an article. So did you speak to the flight attendant? Did you mention your concerns with anyone before this article? I think you should have if you didn’t. When I’m not okay with something I bring it to the attention of someone in charge, I don’t just let it go and blog about it because that doesn’t give it a chance at getting fixed. But that’s just me. If something needs confrontation, I’m confronting it. Not everyone is wired like me though.
For the record. I’m supportive of legit service animals on public transportation. 100% supportive. I’m not supportive of anything that stinks and being forced to smell it. If you had BO beside me on a plane, I’d let you know about it.
Meal ok, seat no. The man should have been arrested if he insisted. Dogs are to be on the floor per rules. If the dog urinated on the seat then what? The dog was naked and nakedness on the seat is bad.
The dog vest was likely a fake claim.
Someone should have been upgraded, not the dog.
What is grounds for you saying this dog is likely a fake service animal? Facts? Assumptions? Do you have statics/probability?
What makes you think service dog was a fake? Heaven forbid this passenger goes into a diabetic come because his service dog wasn’t there to detect his low blood sugar. To assume without facts is in poor taste.
Well said. One of the few sensible comments I’ve read here.
You cannot discriminate against a service animal. It is an extention/apparatus of the owner. Some service animals need to be closer to their person to sense changes (diabetes/seizures/balance/fainting). Laws cannot be made against this. And service animals show more manners than most humans.
Matt, because you don’t travel with pets … you won’t know this, you can’t bring pet food into the US, it’s actually illegal. I don’t really issue with feeding the pup a meal. I’d actually do the same ♥️. Let’s be a little kinder in 2024!
Please stop. The flight from Los Cabos to Denver is 6 hours. Dogs don’t need to eat every 6 hours. There’s no reason a service dog should be sitting in a chair and eating a first class meal. It’s a matter of decorum more than anything else. The dog is only there to provide a necessary service. The first class cabin isn’t a kennel.
Flight is actually only three hours, which makes your point even more!!!
Correct, I was thinking about another flight. Even though I disagree with this, it’s not a huge issue either way. But the sanctimonious self-righteousness of some commenters here is ridiculous.
If the owner was concerned about the dog needing some food on the trip, they should have brought a few treats for the dog. I have a true service dog and I get EXTREMELY frustrated with fakes. They cause a lit of problems for people who truly need a service dog. I sort of understand them claiming for hotels because come on…25.00 PER PET is a rip off. But people asking for “papers” for a service dog is rediculous. Ther are no papers per American with Disabilities act. Travel by plane is a different set of rules though, but same requirements. Not on furniture and not eating off plates.used by people.
My thoughts exactly. And, I’d also like to say, I think some dogs smell better than a lot of people do!
That may be the case, but doesn’t take away form the fact that the dog smelled like a dog in need of washing.
Thank you Zara!! Cheers to being kind in 2024!
Happy New Year!
Well, it was United. Good thing it was not the Cheeseburger, I imagine the dog would have refused.
Catering out of Mexico is much better! 😉
I have no problem with this a from your description Matthew as it sounds like it was an actual service animal vs emotional support animal. People who travel a lot you know that service animals sit with their human, don’t move around nor make a sound vs others who are a pain in the ass to everyone around them. In this case this dog seemed to get in to the spare seat when its human said it could and chilled out until human fed it. If it was not an actual service animal props to its human for a well trained animal but eventually faux service animals have to be reigned in.
Very true. Because I am a disabled veteran who is training my service dog , for my own personal disability.
It actually sounds like a well-behaved pet, not a service dog. Service dogs do not eat on duty, and would not have been invited to take an unoccupied human seat. They are not treated like humans at all, because they aren’t – they’re working dogs, and must be treated like such in order to preserve their training.
It’s a SCAM. You know it’s a scam. I know it’s a scam. The entire world (or anyone with critical thinking skills, perception, and basic intuition) knows it’s a scam.
And I say that as a long-time dog lover, owner going back decades.
Please provide some details to back up your suspicions.
Owners with a “service animal” should be required to provide documentation from not only their doctor but also the dogs training record. Most of these dogs are emotional support pets…and the owners are too cheap you fly them in the cargo.
I can literally buy a service dog vest off of Amazon..
You clearly don’t understand how disability protections work.
ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can require to see a doctor’s note regarding a service dog. Training proof is not required per American disabilities act. There are two questions that may be asked. A dog is not required to wear a vest. It isn’t the vest that makes a service dog a service dog. They must be task trained and emotional support is NOT a task.
So you are saying that everyone that is flying with a disability should be required to bring documentation of their disability? I must ask this. If you had a disability yourself, and it appears you just might, how would you feel about having to prove you have said disability? Please do tell.
Service dog’s, do not have to provide any proof that they are a “Service Dog”.
The only thing that is they should be provided the chance to be aloud on the airline. I agree with that there are a bunch of people out there trying to impose that they have a service dog, buy purchasing a “service dog” vest through Amazon.com and other stores too.
Service animals are working dogs. Most do not need the cheap Amazon fake vest. Have you ever seen a seeing eye dog with a vest.
Wow, based on many of the comments, it is no wonder that bad behavior abounds these day. Rules state that the animal stays on the floor, and that is the way it should be, vacant seat or not. Flight attendant also deserves blame for not enforcing the rules.
A dog should have the right to buy a seat. Maybe require full fare
However, they then should have the full first class service.
As I’ve long said, I’d be willing to pay full fare J for my mini poodle (my wife said, she’d fly in cargo so our poodle can fly first)
Dogs don’t t”rights”. Only people do.
Cats can’t buy plane tickets, nor can pet snakes.
Fake service pets hurt people with real service animals.
Did you read the article? What are you commenting about?
I call bull! The dog should remain on the floor as properly trained service dogs do. I don’t want to sit in a seat that was just occupied by a dog. Allergies aside, this violates so many rules & regulations.
I’m for the dog. He’s better behaved than a lot of human passengers I’ve seen lately. You seat nannys should mind your own business.
Good points on the hygiene of the dog on the seat
Is that really a good point? I’ve seen some nasty stinky folks on planes. I sat by a dude in first class and basked in his body oder for hours. People are farting it up in these seats too. This dog just slept.
The dog belongs on the floor. Flight attendant should have taken action to make sure it complies with United policies.
People will always bend the rule to try to get away with as much as they can, then we all suffer. If you ask me, animals don’t belong on planes, most of them don’t like it anyways. It’s not natural.
So humans flying is natural? Please explain.
This reply is for everybody! No wonder why so many dogs and cats are thrown away like garbage. Until now, lots of so many “called themselves humans” do NOT know ANIMALS were on earth before! If, the FA was helpful to the service dog, knowing UA policies why are you so, so concerned? I was FA for 18 years, and lived so many people’s dramas! The dish can be disposed, the seat cleaned. What is what most bothers you? The money the dog didn’t paid? The “dirty” seat? The supposedly “fake” vest? The food given to him? That is all about no? Please live your life, and let others live theirs. Unbelievable comments!!!
We don’t have a choice??? Do you think we want to have a dog with us all the time and deal with people like you just so we can live our lives? You sound beyond ableist. My dog has to sit next to me or on me to do his job, dogs don’t belong on the floor. They belong.
How about you and your pet take the bus, missy. I hear Greyhound has great fares.
Thank you! Precisely! Follow the rules! No issues.
I would never bring a fake service dog on a commercial flight. My pet dogs have however enjoyed many sandwiches from the Denver grab and go United Club picked up on my way to fly home
I’m reminded of a story that a friend of mine told me and from googling, appears to be true:
“Doggie bags” were called as such because back in 1943, with food shortages and pet food going up in price, diners were starting to request the leftover food to be put into a “bag for my dog’. It wasn’t normal until then to have the food wrapped up to go if you didn’t finish it. Apparently, Emily Post even had something to say about the matter:
“However, people began requesting doggie bags to take home food for themselves, much to the chagrin of etiquette columnists who were quick to wag their fingers at the practice. “I do not approve of taking leftover food such as pieces of meat home from restaurants,” Emily Post’s newspaper column sniped in 1968. ”
After all, it does take effort for the restaurants to stock the togo containers and package it.
So in this case, the “doggie bag” was literally for the dog.
i always knew united meals were meant for dogs
As a dog grandpa, my feeling is that it’s not healthy for the dog to eat the chicken meant for human consumption. There’s way too much salt in the chicken.
I agree with you, but the meal being unhealthy for dog consumption is not the topic. Nor is it anyone’s business besides the dog owner’s what he feeds his dog. So I’m not sure who you are talking to.
Bringing up the fact that a dog is eating from “people plates”?! Dude, seriously?! They are washed, you know.
If you are so concerned with hygiene, I’m surprised you would get on a plane at all. The recirculating air in a tin can is loaded with all sorts of nasty bugs.
I’d rather fly with a plane full of dogs than humans any day. They let puking crapping baby humans in those seats, and they could actually get me sick. Maybe mind your business and let the attendants do their jobs. I’m sure they know the rules better than you.
I enjoyed eating dog in Seoul.
I can’t even believe you would write this comment and shame on moderator for posting it.
On behalf of all dog moms and dads, SHAME ON YOU!!!
Exactly!! Thank you Tracy. Dog meat industry should be banned. Dogs are man’s best friend, not food.
The joke goes that you would lose your appetite if you saw the previous 100 people or so who used your fork and spoon before you.
I noticed that some people bring their own utensils to restaurants and I can appreciate why but on the other hand, I’m of the philosophy that if I become a germophobe, that’s probably more unhealthy so I use public toilet seats and the like and just live with it.
That being said, who here wears shorts on planes and allows their bare skin to touch surfaces that 10,000 other people have handled? I wear study pants on planes and then change into something else and if I can, I wash the pants before the trip home or wear the pants for the trip home. Immediately after arrival, I get a fresh shower and change of clothes and treat the clothes I had on the plane as quarantined.
I agree! I’d rather be on a plane with dogs rather than most humans!
I’m sure the dog was less annoying than some obnoxious brat kid.
“The dog was naked”…….sir, please seek help.
Totally agree. As a life time owner, if you love your dog(s) you would not subject them to this food.
The writer of this article is a douchebag that would do well to mind his own business. What that dog did had absolutely no effect on his nosey life. What a jerk.
The dog stunk. It was our business.
Service dogs MAY occupy an empty passenger seat.
Is that written somewhere?
It is not written anywhere. Dogs may not occupy a passenger seat.
I’m sure you stunk too
Matthew. I have no qualms about your article and asking people’s opinion of the situation. Personally, I am happy the owner was able to have his dog close, safe, and comfortable. (I have had and will have to put my dog through 16+ hours of international cargo hold hell.) Back to you….you can not be certain the man didn’t pay a last minute “fare” for his dog. (I’ve paid for last minute upgrades on BA after takeoff.) You can’t know for certain if the dog was a service dog or not. Regardless, the dog was well behaved and caused no distress to anyone in the cabin. As for the meal, it sounds like the passenger asked politely, without expectation. And no person was deprived of food to feed the dog. Where I do take issue, is with you and your sudden new complaint NOT even hinted at in your article. You made no mention in your article of the dog’s odor being a problem. I’m glad the comments gave you something that could maybe warrant complaint.
Ah yes, another Matt dislikes dogs post.
1) The DOT has tightened regulations on service dogs, so those flying are much more likely to be legitimate.
2) How are you so sure that seat wasn’t bought for the service dog? It’s a pretty interesting coincidence that the one open seat was the one next to the guy with the dog otherwise.
3) Who cares if the dog at the food? It sounds like the guy was super courteous and waited till everyone had given their choice and only got something for his dog once everyone had eaten. I know passengers who do the same and get extra meals when they’re hungry, so why shouldn’t the dog eat? Maybe they’d had a long day and the dog hadn’t gotten a chance to eat, and the owner didn’t want to get out dog food on an airplane, which would be much easier. Also, as the other post said, bringing meat products into the US without an import permit is nearly always illegal, even if they are dog food.
4) You really have an issue with eating off the plate? Are you worried that the dog, which has a mouth that is highly unlikely to transmit any sort of harmful bacteria to a human, is going to leave some cooties residue on the plate that will never get off? Do you realize the cleanliness of the industrial kitchens airlines use? That plate will get hot washed in an industrial dishwasher and sanitized, before ever seeing another thing on it again.
Yes yes and yes. You said this perfectly. And all the dog haters in the comments are appalling. That’s why I prefer animals over entitled humans
Please stop. The flight from Los Cabos to Denver is 3 hours. Dogs don’t need to eat every 3 hours. It’s a matter of decorum more than anything else. The dog is only there to provide a necessary service. The first class cabin isn’t a kennel.
And by the way, people in first class do feel entitled. Why else would you pay for first class other than to enjoy the comforts? That’s reasonable entitlement. What’s ridiculous entitlement is feeling like paying for first class also entitles your service dog to first class service.
I love dogs. I would never do what this owner did because I also respect my fellow passengers. People don’t like sharing dishes with dogs. This is no different than washing a dog dish and using it to serve soup to a guest. It’s just not socially acceptable, even if it’s technically safe.
Think about Matt’s recent article about cutting meals on flights between 800 and 900 miles. Think about pre departure airport times. Time to get home or to a hotel from the airport. Connection times. A 3-4 hour flight from SJD to DEN could easily end up being 8+ hours without food.
Most dog owners – whether those dogs are service dogs or just pets – do not want to over feed their dog.
@N1120A: Let’s chat.
1.) Wrong. It’s easier than ever to bring a “psychiatric support dog” on a plane with no paperwork.
2.) On the United app, you can see what seats remain open (they are shaded blue instead of gray). This seat, 3B, went out unoccupied according to the seat map. Which also explains why the dog was on the floor until the boarding door closed…
3.) I did not even complain about the dog eating – did you actually read what I wrote? I just shared about it without praising or condemning it.
4.) Did I say that I had an issue with the dog eating off the plate? Or did I say, “The dishes are washed between flights and the food would just be thrown out anyway once we reached Denver”?
I would kindly advise you not to make assumptions about what I have written. But I do thank you for your engagement.
Man, I can’t believe how triggered people got by this convo! I’m an animal person who would love to treat my doggo to this type of experience. If I am a visitor somewhere, I don’t assume Fido can sit on the couch next to me. Even a well-behaved service dog. It’s called “Manners.” Añd I love animals way more than people!
I’d love to chat with you. I am available anytime.
I was on the DOt committee and instrumental in the revision of the ACAA. I’m also a certified ADA Coordinator, I am disabled and fly with a service dog I’m a retired pilot, a retired paralegal, and currently a volunteer member of several disability organizations.
I think I’m qualified to comment on this topic. I’ve also written legislation on service dogs.
There’s a lot of misinformation about flying with service dogs since the change in the ACAA in 2921.
We are under a lot of scrutiny.
1) Your unfortunately clouded impression is that it is easier. Service dog fraud is a crime and it would take United, or any other airline, one denial to mess things up for a faker.
2) I understand the app seat map showed it open. Was there no one on the upgrade list when you checked? Is it possible it showed open due to something in how they book dogs in seats?
3-4) The tone you wrote that bit with sure didn’t make it sound like you didn’t mind, and instead found it dirty, which it wasn’t.
Definitely sure that the upgrade list was empty and that 3B remained open.
Oh, N1120A, keep it up. Petulant period cramps like the one you just authored is why dogs will be banned from aircraft soon.
Or rather, will be in the civilized world outside the United States. Have fun with your blue-haired nightmare of a life, pedo.
Um,.I’m with the author on this one. That was ab absolute FAKE. I own a service dog who’s jobs are to do deep pressure therapy and to paw and pick my.face to get me out of an episode.
It’s disgusting to see fakes. I’m sick of it and so is the rest of the disabled community. We’ve had ENOUGH! Stop bringing your darn pet to places where they DO NOT BELONG!!!! It’s hurting us!
Does UA policy actually forbid a service animal from sitting in a seat, though? The page you linked to says a service animal *should* sit on the floor, and specifically forbids allowing them to sit in the aisle or the floor space of another traveler, but it doesn’t appear to actually forbid a dog from sitting in an unoccupied seat. Later on, the FAQs actually suggest buying a seat if bringing two animals, so seems like this isn’t actually against the rules. Now, if the dog stunk, that’s a different issue, and the next person sitting in that seat isn’t going to be too happy. (Before anyone says anything, I grew up with St. Bernards. Wonderful dogs but ones that can stink to high heaven, and the smell would linger on my stuff for a good while.)
The bigger issue here is allowing the dog to eat that chicken breast in the first place. No, I don’t see anything wrong if it was an extra meal going to waste anyway, but that meal would have been full of salt and fillers that are very unhealthy for a dog to eat. Maybe the owner had no choice, but not a smart decision IMO.
The smell came in waves – my seatmate and I would suddenly smell “dog” and look at each other and shake our heads. It was coming from this dog behind us, not the dog in front of us.
So many of these comments are humorous to me. People are assuming that I am anti-dog here when I actually wasn’t bothered too much at all by this whole affair – I’m just telling the story.
I had a collie when I was a child and she was the best dog ever. Could understand basic sentences. What a sweet, wonderful dog. That being said, particularly for larger dogs, dog smell can be a problem and that’s why I’m a cat person. They’re just generally cleaner and easier pets to handle.
Um,.I’m with the author on this one. That was ab absolute FAKE. I own a service dog who’s jobs are to do deep pressure therapy and to paw and pick my.face to get me out of an episode.
It’s disgusting to see fakes. I’m sick of it and so is the rest of the disabled community. We’ve had ENOUGH! Stop bringing your darn pet to places where they DO NOT BELONG!!!! It’s hurting us!
First of all, that so called ‘service dog’ was NOT allowed on a seat. When I travel with my boy, he is either on my lap or on the floor. NEVER on a seat!
Secondly, NO SERVICE DOG should be allowed to eat human food EXCEPT when not vested! It will screw up their training.
Allowing a service dog to eat when vested does NOT ruin their training. I occasionally allow mine to have something when he is working. It just requires enforcing. Mine knows not to beg.
Brenda, your emotional support chihuahua isn’t a ‘service animal’. It’s more of a neuroticism, if you will.
You can’t determine if someone’s service dog is fake. Stop adding to the difficulties we already gave having service animals dude. It takes a lot of paperwork to get your service dog on flights. Just flew last week with mine. On the seat next to me otherwise he can’t alert me
It’s illegal to be asked for paperwork proving they’re a service dog.
They can ask 2 questions.
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Read up on the law on ada.gov
Anything more than those 2 questions is against the law!
Oh how convenient, your so-called service dog has to have a seat next to you. What a terrible coincidence that this gives you a spare seat, huh.
Does your emotional support dog also happen to need unlimited free caviar be served, or do you bring your own? I’m kidding, you of course make the rest of us pay for your lavish lifestyle.
Matt, I’m a hard no here. I liken it to being at a restaurant and having the patron at the next table having their dog sitting in a chair while eating off of the plate in front of them. Nope…
Is this the new A321?
A United Next 737-800.
Apparently they do exist!
I agree that humans should not eat off of a plate that a dog licked. And if the owner was responsible, he should have brought dog food with him. But then what if the dog has to poop and pee? Is the owner prepared. Did he bring a dog pad? I mean that is not thinking ahead. I don’t know. It is displeasing to see a dog eating a meal you just ate to me too.
It’s probably best that you don’t eat at my house then.
Dogs are not people. Service animal or not stop trying to act like they’re people. Regardless of if you don’t like babies, they are human offspring. Stop the dog rights crap. They are fine on the floor. If the seat was free it should have been offered as an upgrade. If the passanger bought it he’s an a$$hole for taking a seat a human could have purchased or been upgraded to.
I understand why people prefer dogs to other passanger but dogs don’t work or need to fly. Their owners need them or use them (legitimately or not).
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but that doesn’t make you correct. Why would they upgrade a random single person from economy that likely doesn’t have status with the airline? I never got upgraded before I had status. If there was someone with airline status in economy they would have been ask if they wanted the seat.
You clearly know nothing about the airline industry. Economy passengers aren’t just “upgraded” because there is a seat that was most likely paid for, but the first class passenger did not show up. “Free upgrades to exit row” btw is technically a free “upgrade” , but it’s because it’s required for weight imbalances etc in the aircraft.
Anytime a passenger receives food, they pay for it one way or another. The human has every right to do what he wants with his purchases, including giving it to his dog who is actively WORKING btw while on this flight. It is a SERVICE ANIMAL. There are registration papers and proof and education required to get such papers to allow your dog to fly as a service animal in an airplane. And the owner is an asshole even if he paid for the seat his dog is sitting in? In first class? This isn’t a life saving medication he’s taking from a human to give to his dog… it’s an empty seat on an airplane. You all suck
There is no registration, records or “proof”. You should read the ada.gov website before getting in your internet soapbox.
Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals?
A. No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry.
There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.
lol, look at this hysterical woman.
I mean have you been to Colorado lately? Kids think they are cats in schools now and require litter boxes.
Yes some dogs need to fly, but I do think they should need to have an official documentation. Dog lover here and yes I very much prefer dogs too people but I’m also a rule follower and wouldn’t bring my dog anywhere claiming to be a service dog.
We work in the accessibility industry and come across many people that need legitimate service dogs to leave their home, it’s not fair to them that it’s become a trend to lie about your dog to take it on a flight/train/bus.
That is a bullsh*t story and you know it. Provide a credible source
F*cking weirdo
LOL. Seek help Cicero!
Is this an issue anywhere outside of the US? I’ve never seen a dog on a plane with a non-US passenger or on a non-US flight. Discussed this with my (Swedish) mother-in-law, who worked as a travel agent for 30+ years, yesterday and she didn’t believe me when I said that so called service dogs are allowed in cabins.
You truly sound entitled and miserable. You assumed this is a fake service dog. You’re worried about where it sits when the people running the plane don’t mind. Same with the food. You made it seem like it was eaten from your very plate, when it was actually given to the dog. How does this make the dog untrained? What does this have to do with you? I don’t understand why you would even take the time to write an article on this. You’re ableist, presumptuous and unreasonable.
Maybe pipe down, Missy. Just be happy we allow you and your pet onboard flights.
If the airline employees don’t have an issue then stop complaining. They are the people who would have decided if the dog could be in the seat or have an unused meal.
Your article makes you seem like a nosy person who became upset because your sense of proprietary wasn’t adhered to. Your article really provided no information except to give you a public platform to rant about something that was and continues to be none of your business.
For other people posting about sodium levels, etc you failed to provide any nutritional information for the meal. For the people who posted about the dog eating from a plate, the author merely mentioned the dog eating. He didn’t mention if he ate from the plate or if he was fed chicken by hand. Last I’m sure that all plates and utensils are washed so please hush.
That particular plate was probably just thrown in the trash by the flight attendant. It is not going to be a big dent on the airline million dollar industry. At least the caring crew made the disabled passenger happy and the flight attendant is probably a dog lover herself and break a rule at times. I saw on You Tube where a dog passenger was sitting on the pilots lap in the cockpit. It probably gave him some form of happiness to break the monotony on some of the long haul flights. Dogs make people happy.
People are unbelievable. Makes taking private even more appealing just to avoid the “NEW” traveling public. Whatever happened to class in FIRST.
I totally agree. It is amazing how people dress and act on planes..yes what happened to first class
I love it when adults show up in pjs for a flight.leave dog at home. Please
Disgusting, I don’t want to share the cabin with a dirty animal. Humans didn’t get to the top of the food chain to let some barnyard animal guzzle fine food
It comes down to United policy and whatever discretion the FAs have to accommodate the dog – both in seat and food. The passenger apparently asked if there was any spare food for the animal. The FA could have responded that airline policy forbade issuing a meal to the dog, if that is indeed true. But, that does not appear to be the case. Most of the posts are directed at the passenger and the pooch; when they should be asking about policy and FA latitude.
Chill Out, man.
I own a service dog. He has saved my life on multiple occasions.
I’d rather see a travel writer sitting in the floor so the dog could sit comfortably, AND I hope the flight was long enough for that food to give the dog a toxic case of flatulence and the cabin air sent it your grneral direction.
Everyone assumes it’s not a service animal. I assume it is, since he didn’t say it was a 20 something year old influencer with their “service” dog.
Honestly the dog probably deserved to be upgraded over most of the entitled people on the flight. How do I know they were entitled, it was coming to Denver, most of the state is.
I used to be a flight attendant, that meal would have been there out. Those saying give it to someone in the back
that would go over well, pick one person so all the others can freak out over not getting one. Then report the flight attendant because they didn’t get a meal or upgraded.
Sounds like the dog and man didn’t disturb anyone everyone needs to stop assuming so much
I can’t stand this ESA craze. These dogs don’t need any training at all to qualify as an ESA, the owners just need to buy a certificate from an online “doctor”. 99% of the owners just want to bring their dogs with them into places they don’t belong and have no empties at all (other than over attachment to their dogs) and expect them to be treated like an actual service dog. This results in incidents that should’ve never happened (bites, dog fights, dog excrement on the floor, allergens etc.). I know a lot of places are cracking down on it, but not enough.
ESA animals do not have the dance rights as service animals.
If in doubt, you can legally ask 2 questions:
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
It is illegal to ask for documents, certificates, ID cards, etc. as such documents are NOT required.
Haven’t you got anything better to do with your time. The dog caused absolutely no trouble and the food was going to be thrown out anyway.
If you can be anything in this life – be kind.
To man and beast.
Mary, did you read what I actually wrote? I wasn’t condemning the dog or the owner…
I would rather fly with this dog seated near me rather than the boorish people making negative comments here. The dog is far better behaved.
My gawd I hope I never get stuck near Matt on a plane. What if he stinks?
Poor Mimi. Such an emotional reaction. Did you read what I actually wrote in my story?
Almost all of us put toilet paper or butt gasket down when we sit on the toilet in a plane. And are genitals never touch the seat. What would make you think a dog’s genitals touching the seat are sanitary?
This could have been a nice, heartwarming, empathic story about a man & his service dog… seeing everyone’s ice-cold, judgmental replies made the entire article even worse. Who hurt you all so badly for you to be so upset over a man who loves his well-behaved dog, who were minding THEIR OWN BUSINESS, and the flight attendant attempting to provide good customer service? Gross.
It was the first time I’ve ever seen a service animal consume an airline meal. I’m curious if this happens more often?
I retired two years ago from my career as a flight attendant and my favourite passengers by far were animals. I would gladly give this lovable pooch a Business Class meal. We once carried a Great Dane from Frankfurt to Toronto, evidently a seasoned traveller, who automatically took his regular seat upon boarding, which happenedto be 1K. He was like a celebrity and the most popular customer that day
So you spent ur entire time watching the service dog and their owner? Man thats weird, seriously why would this even be a problem to anyone, the seat was empty, the dog didn’t bother anyone, the meal was paid by the owner, what’s the big deal? Y’all just wanna something to complain about
I travel with my service dog on Alaska all the time. The attendant are not that friendly. They tell me the moment I board that I can hold him or he can sit between my legs. We will either sit 1st class or premium seats just for the leg space. I have issues walking and even if I am sitting in the 1st row behind 1st class, theg make me walk to the back with my dog. Yesterday the attendant said she think there are too many pets flying and people should leave them out home. Then I was asked twice if I had a cage for him. I told her he is a service dog and can’t be in a cage. He is only 18lbs. So if the airlines was nice enough to feed the dog, good for him. They clean the plates after each usage. The seats are wiped down after you get off. Dogs are more behaved than some of the small children on board who cry for hours. Children not babies.
So you want to be kinder in 2024 and you thought it would be a good idea to judge and make assumptions that a the dog on your flight was a “service dog”…you used the passive aggressive quotes bud, not me. Ableist much? Did you know that there’s a wealth of disabilities that you can’t see? Did you know that no one owes you or anyone else an explanation of their health history. It sounds like you had a story due and were out of ideas. Maybe, next time, try something different
I don’t see judgment here on my part…but I see a lot of assumptions on yours.
I used to be a pan am flight attendant and the dogs on airplanes are ridiculous.we went first class yes paid for it mry to denver and there were three dogs on plane.The gate agent and I had a laugh was this doggy daycare what if a dog fight happened and they all start barking.,My stepson was on a flight with a very large dog next to him and the dog kept putting its body in his space. Leave your dogs with a sitter.People pay good money for those seats and having a dog next to you can be very annoying
A dog or several dogs might tear the slide in an evacuation or not go down the slide. The FAA needs to look into
This is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen someone complain about. Was the dog loud, aggressive, or actually bothersome in any way? Not from your description. What evidence do you have that the dog is not an actual service dog? You do understand that while service dogs are highly trained animals, they are still *dogs,* aftet all.
It sounds like you just think you’re too good to share space with an “inferior” creature. Maybe you should get a dog, Matt, it might teach you a little humanity.
I love dogs.
My concern would not be about feeding the dog or blnot feeding the dog. Mine is what if the next person to board the plane is allergic to a cat or dog. I am pretty positive the next person wasn’t educated that a dog sat in a chair met for a human. And that since this was during an extremely busy holiday season that the airline did not take extra time cleaning. As someone highly allergic to animals I would not at all be pleased with this situation. It’s very disturbing that people are more concerned with animals rather then health and well-being of people.
These monsters don’t care about people with actual disabilities. They just want their pet in the cabin for free.
Bingo Loretta.
You are so right- my kids and husband would have gotten very sick if they happened to sit in a seat a dog had just been on for 3 hours. The seats are NOT cleaned between flights. Causing a passenger on the next flight to possibly suffer allergies, asthma attack or hives is inexcusable. My daughter’s asthma attacks from animals could be very strong and a danger to her.
At the very least any animal should have a disposable blanket/towel under them to reduce the risk to the next passenger.
I worked for an airline- emotional support animals were out of control 20 years ago.
And I just watched flight attendants evacuate Jal plane at Haneda airport and get all passengers out.if there were 3 or 4 dogs on board that could have really been a total disaster.does anyone realize a dogs claws could puncture the slide or dog won’t go down slide…I’d like an airline do a mock evacuation with a plane on fire and see what dogs do…
Yes, this is an excellent point Marlene.
Thanks Matt. Matt I was a pan am flight attendant and it’s hard enough to get the panic people off the plane much o
Less several dogs
I’m amazed at the lack of education this group shows and especially someone who claims to be informed about flying.
Please do your homework about the DOT paperwork we are required to provide when flying with a service dog each and every time we fly. .
We have to provide up to date rabies vaccination paperwork and sign a DOT Service Animal form every time we fly with our task trained service dogs. These forms are verified and spot checked by airline personnel and it’s not an easy process. Sure, there are still plenty of people who circumvent the rules. There’s a guy who is importing dogs from Brazil calling them service dogs right under the noses of airline employees. These are PUPPIES. this jackass is a fraud. He’s the guy that you should be focusing on. Not this person. Get a grip.
This is an excellent point. How much more chaos would there have been with dogs on the plane? I hope that the FAA is reading this blog post.
The rest of us just saw 3 dogs die that were in the cargo hold. Service animals aren’t messing up an evacuation – in fact, a dog’s flight reflex is much stronger than a human.
As an owner of 3 dogs I agree with you about the abuse and misuse of the service dog tag. As much as we love our dogs imposing that on others disguised as a service or emotional support tag has gone too far. My dogs est my food and eat well but that’s my right and it shouldn’t be imposed elsewhere. Unfortunately ignorance is rampant and people are choosing go not understand the welmade point you made. Many people have severe pet allergies should someone risk their life sitting in a seat after a dog has been in it. Stop being selfish amd pamper your pets at home
I imagine United has read this and will now question the crew as to why they let the dog, who apparently did not pay for his seat, sit in that seat much less eating a meal served by the FA. Myself I thought it humorous but not regulation. I doubt the FA Manuel states no animals in first class seat or served First Class meals. Now maybe it will.
In years past, I had a trained K-9 that held the title of Fire Investigative Specialist & Structure Stability K-9. We were the primary in the Northeast US (Maine to Virginia). Anytime we flew, mostly last minute it was either 1st class or the next class down. We were always last to board & first to exit. Yes my Lacey was treated like the CEO of the airline, meals regardless of class & a row to ourselves.
It is possible he couldn’t get the dog a grooming appointment in time to be cleaned up before his flight. There is also tge possibility that the dog has a thyroid issue. My dog inherited thyroid problems and not even regulating it helps. I have the luxury of being able to bathe her every week.
Keep in mind, folks, that the closer you get to the holidays the less likely you are going to get a last minute grooming appointment.
Also keep in mind that our animals, all of them, can have a medical issue that will make them need more baths than other animals.
The food thing? None of you have any idea if they had a chance to grab a meal before leaving on the flight.
Bringing food into the States? Only if prepackaged and sealed by the producer and contained in your luggage with wines stored by the FA’s up front. Even your own food will be thrown away at the gate, including pet food, regardless of the fact that you btought the food from home in yhe first place. No idea why on the pet food other than they do it to be annoying. Even a dog biscuit will find itself in File 13.
Re: hard to get a last minute grooming appt for a pet around the holidays.
If you are traveling around the holidays it is your responsibility to PLAN and arrange to have your dog clean so their odor does not infringe on other passengers. Common courtesy- and the clean animal will be less likely to leave fur and dander all over the seats, and floor to trigged an allergic reaction in other passengers.
Dog identifies as human.
End of story.
Best comment award goes to you!
How to tell a fake service dog? Easy. Service animals are highly trained. So are the people who need them. A REAL service dog would never be fed people food by their person. Their person would also rarely feed their service dog on a flight, especially such a short one. FAKE service dogs are the new emotional support animal. And we will be seeing a lot more untrained, FAKE service dogs wreaking havoc on flights.
I completely agree. All LEGIT service dogs all unmistakable. They will always be extremely disciplined and well mannered as a result of how impeccably trained they are – basically you wouldn’t be aware of a service dog’s presence unless you saw them or perhaps if they were performing their specialized duty for their handler. Their sole focus is their human, nothing distracts them. While at work they do not bark, bite, growl, jump, whine, exhibit zero aggression or cause even the slightest disruption. It’s incredible how well behaved they are, this is the sign of a true service animal.
Imo, the government must absolutely implement a registration for these dogs along with severely heavy consequences for those who feel it’s ok to misrepresent their pets a service animals. It should be a felony charge upon the first offence without leniency. The overwhelming number of entitled owners who fraudulently masquerade their pets as service animals is disgusting. Those phoney dogs are my biggest pet peeve, how people dare to have the audacity to abuse the privileges given to the disabled. Those individuals are a waste of space, actual pathetic scum. Sorry, this topic really gets under my skin.
i’ll confront them in public and call them out on how blatantly obvious their illegitimate service dog is.
I would have no issues with it sitting in an open/unassigned seat nor with it eating leftovers which would ultimately be thrown away. I would have to say if I were in that position I don’t know how I’d personally feel about feeling my dog while economy passengers were offered only “peanuts”. Also, in consideration of all the passengers on board and my dogs comfort, I’d probably lean towards being against feeding my dog for fear of any awful doggy flatulence, his needing to use the potty and/or the possibility the food may cause an upset stomach and lead to vomiting on board. Ew. Now that I’ve thought it through, if in the same position, I’d 100% be for him sitting in an unassigned seat but I’d definitely pass on letting him eat during flight for multiple reasons.
This whole article could have just as easily started and ended with: ‘…and then I minded my own business.’
Wow! Its out of control! It’s too bad, situations like these are going to hurt it for people who truly use their dogs as service dogs. Knowing people with service dogs, I believe the training expense of a service dog is roughly $30,000. I don’t know of any $30,000 service dog that would be allowed to eat an airline 1st class meal.
I’m honestly not bothered about the dog sleeping in an open seat, nor eating the only meal option available. He followed the owner’s commands and didn’t make a scene. The owner asked for scraps, so it was the flight attendant who chose to bring a full meal out.
That said, I’m always really bothered by the fake vests people use to pretend they have an actual service animal. I worked one-on-one with an individual who had a service dog, and any issues we ran into stemmed from people faking their pets as service animals. Since it is a business’s right to ask whether the animal is a service animal and what takes they are trained to perform, I really wish there were a national agency overseeing certification that issues an identifiable badge which states that this is a real service animal, lists tasks it is trained to do, and has a QR code that links to an official website page confirming that animal with a picture of them and a unique ID code. It would make life easier for everyone who genuinely needs a service animal in the long run as well as businesses and the people around them.
Let me start with this: I totally think you (the author) are the type of first class passenger that ruined my first (and only) first class flight by judging me for not being rich enough. First off, your taking pictures that aren’t of you on the plane. Second off, who tf cares if he asked if they’re were extra meals? They would be thrown away after the flight anyway. This is snobby ass behavior on your part, and trying to complain about something that has no effect on you whatsoever is so spoiled rich boy shit.
I love the rage bait headline that would leave you to believe the dog snatched someone elses first class meal when in reality the passenger asked if there were extras, there were, and the flight crew provided one while not worrying about ‘the rules’. Sorry, but bloggers and influencers have created the problems we have today where you’ll see employees not wanting to bother with enforcing the rules so they don’t get put on blast on social media. Of course it’s a losing battle as this article proves because another blogger/influencer will come along and complain.
TL:DR dog ate an available meal, flight crews don’t want to become the next ‘viral’ video so dog sat on seat (big deal). Next.
I’d rather share a flight with a dog than a screaming toddler kicking my seat.
You’re making an issue of something that really isn’t a big deal.
Dogs are family.
You are allowed to fly with dogs, service animal or not. Airports are full of pets . So who cares if it is actually a service animal, that’s none of your business.
The flight attendant let it sit on the seat, they let it have a meal. None of this concerns you.
Whether the dog actually performed a task, or is just a pet in a vest is irrelevant to you. The only difference is probably whether the person paid the airline pet fees.
I’ve sat next to people with dogs and cats many times. I’ve seen them take them out of their underwear carriers and put them on their laps. I don’t care what they eat. It’s not like this dog took someone else’s food.
I’m glad the dog can’t read these reviews!
1) you say you reserve judgement, but you saw the dog in a seat, and that a FA gave it a meal. That is followed by a later statement about people with “emotional support dogs” buying vests. Seems like an assumption to me.
2) Maybe you should visit a VA centre or centre for people with disabilities where people are trained with what you believe a”real” service dog should be and see how the dog and person interact.
Myself, being former active duty 82D ABN INF and then Canadian Maritine Command officer, before Wounded Warriors helped me get my dog, I lost everything, crashed and burned, ended up in the gutter and was more than happy to die in an oblivious stupor to stop the pain at every level. My dog, my friend, my “piece of medical equipment” saved my life. She helps with physical injuries from a partially failed parachute, picks things up, helps me not lose it in crowds of people staring, knows when I’m triggered before I do and redirects me. My life depends on her, but people say they have allergies so I should be at the back of the bus/plane or not on it at all, in case they might sneeze. I think I’ve paid enough for my ticket to be able to sit as Rosie Parks.
Because of my girl, I got back on my feet. I don’t think about suicide all the time. I’m able to get back to living and this time I landed on my feet. She kept me out of the gutter and helped me live again. When I fly now, I buy a business class ticket at 5 times the cost of a regular/economy ticket so I have enough room for my 100 lb full sized service/guide dog to lie down…yet my legs and back, already in daily pain, are contorted for hours because she is supposed to lie in the tiny area in front of my own seat. At times, to take a long flight, I have to buy two business class seats to have enough room to be able to walk by the end of the flight. My girl, “Teagan”, especially during descent, knows it triggers me to be in a “controlled crash” inside a plane. wants to get into my lap to redirect me as trained. but can’t, because she’s stuffed under my legs. I do the best I can with what I’m allowed and fly in constant pain. When I stop to think how Teagan saved my life how much I owe her, if there’s an empty seat and a friendly FA I’ll get the seat for her. If there’s an extra meal, I’ll get it for her. I offered my life for others, and others slam me for the price I paid. Sir, you never saved me, so when you suggest seeing a person with a dog wearing a service vest that sits on a chair or us given a treat must be a fake service dog, then, as to your opinion, DILLIGAF…because i dont. She is my concern, not you. Self righteous and self centered people like you are why i sometimed regret my service, regret standing up and defending anyone.
..gotta go. Teagan is trying to get my attention for some reason. I wonder why?
This article screams “I wanna talk to your manager”. I really hope you didn’t get paid to write this. You want to be a kinder person in 2024? Keep trying.
Your comment screams “I’m so morally superior to you because I value dog life as much as a human’s”. stop projecting your demented world view onto everything.
Be kinder to fellow HUMAN, rat
As a professional whose office looks alot like the scene of your story, if there’s leftover food and a well-behaved pup with his passenger, why not let the good doggie enjoy it? If no leftovers, I’d have gladly offered my own crew meal.
As for the seat, while they do get wiped down between flights, I’d have put a blanket on it first, but he seems like a good fellow, not making any noises or fuss. Lying on the floor one can feel the rumble of the jets and the movements, so any cushioning would be better. And yes, the dishes are sanitized in the wash, so no problems there.
Some people need their furry friends for whatever reason – nerves/anxiety, seizure alert, deafness….Take advantage – don’t press the advantage!
Just as long as it isn’t a dang peacock!!
Hope to see y’all in our friendly skies!!
A lot of whining about an act of kindness. Don’t tell me you would have enjoyed the flight attendant refusing to serve the animal a leftover meal. I would not believe you.
The dog was probably better behaved than most passengers and definitely most children. God bless the animals who have a very short lifespan anyway.
I fly with my service dog , trained to medically alert . Our flights are between 10-12 hours at a time and my boy doesn’t even look at another passenger. He is highly trained and lies on my lap or in the floor space, however on one flight that had extra seats my boy slept next to me on a chair. As for feeding him on a flight I give very minimal food but make sure he is hydrated at all times.
A service dog concentrates on their person and do not bother other passengers, this cannot be said of all other passengers however who on many of our flights have drank far too much alcohol or are generally nasty people.
So what if the dog for a meal , you said yourself you don’t like waste …chill a little , you still had a seat in first class and just to point out I think your wrong taking a photo of the dog concerned without the handler being asked.
I’m curious how this “service dog” did it’s service while sleeping.
They have been highly trained to sense any change in their handler, my boy will lay on my chest and sleep, They are service animals not robots.
All other issues aside, the dog eating from the same dishes as humans isn’t something to be overly concerned about from a health standpoint. There aren’t really all that many zoonotic diseases that we can get from dogs. I worked at a vet/boarding kennel/dog daycare for 2 years and had frequent and thorough contact with the saliva of tens of dogs every day and never contracted anything. On the other hand, when working at a University (even though I rarely interacted with students) I was sick at least once a month. Again, this is because there aren’t too many zoonotic diseases that transmit easily between the species. You CAN get giardia from a dog (cause of traveler’s diarrhea), but that involves contact with fecal matter. Either way, it’s a fun story!
I can’t speak for this animal. What concerns me is the trend to treat dogs like four legged humans. Fur baby has morphed into fur son and fur daughter- yes I’ve seen that.
Not everyone loves dogs. Some even have phobias. So while a true service animal is a necessity, a fake service dog, no matter how well behaved, is a dishonesty that is often shrugged off as no problem by dog enthusiasts.
Service Dogs do A LOT for their owners. They have gone through training and have to always wait for cues and can’t really be normal free dogs. So for me, they can eat out of a plate that can be washed, and sit on a chair that is empty, the airline is not losing any money. We should treat service dogs like the military.
If you are having trouble with a dog. God help you if you had to be close to an overweight person. I have a support dog because of panic attacks. The dog usually has to gave a health. Clearance from the vet. Something tells me that you are a nitpicking arrogant man. I feel sorry for you.
Please pray for me.
I am a dog and cat lover. Thank you for your comments. It is 3;30pm and I couldn’t sleep. But now I am yawning and can’t keep my eyes open. Good Night all.
If someone is so unstable as to require an emotional support animal, perhaps they should not be flying
Matthew… only problem I see is that they didn’t give the dog two chicken breast! And “juicy” pls do tell what commercial flight serves juicy chicken breast, lol!
As an actual service dog handler and extreme animal lover, I honestly think that the dog WAS a concern. Attacking Matthew when he wrote about an experience and asked for opinions is completely unnecessary as he did not ever say “this is wrong” or “I was disgusted”, he simply pointed out legitimate flight guidelines and posed questions.
My service dog does sit on couches at home and at work (with my employers permission because I work 12 hour shifts), but in order to ensure the safety of my service dog and those around him, I would never allow him to sit in a seat on an airplane. If there is any turbulence, a dog in a seat could easily fall and be injured. If the dog were required to sit in the seat for a medical condition and this were requested in advance, I could understand but I would expect the owner to have an appropriate seat belt for the service dog to ensure his or her safety.
Additionally, I don’t even allow friends to feed my service dog when we are at any table because it encourages my dog to beg for food in restaurants which is absolutely inappropriate behavior.
While I fully allow my dog to nap and relax on a flight because it is a long time to expect him to sit there staring at me, it still seems inappropriate for him to be curled up in the seat and eating off a plate. I would think this would encourage similar behavior in a restaurant or store.
For those people attacking Matthew, many comments were made stating that it’s an empty seat so it shouldn’t matter. Would those people feel the same way in a restaurant if a dog at the table right next to you hopped up into a chair and the owner demanded a free meal? What about a student bringing a dog to school and allowing it to eat off a plate at a desk while other students were studying?
Service dogs absolutely are necessary medical equipment, but that does not give them or their handlers freedom to act like a crowded airplane is their home. If the dog were to have bumped into something and yelped or gotten startled in the airplane for a few minutes at takeoff and landing it would be understandable, but explicitly allowing and actually encouraging behavior that most people would not allow in their own homes indicates to me that this was a pet dog.
As a sidenote, that dog did not have a leash attached. Per ADA regulations, service dogs should be on a leash at all times. When I’m at work I put a more comfortable collar on and loop my service dogs leash to the arm of my chair and he sleeps with his leash on (with me always in eyeline so he won’t get hurt by it) so that he will never unintentionally be out of control. Service dogs may be medical equipment but they are still living things and have their occasional unpredictable moments.
If this is truly a trained service dog, then it concerns me as handlers that allow their service dogs to ignore airline and ADA guidelines make it significantly harder on those of us who genuinely follow these regulations because people have witnessed poor behavior in the past.
Before everyone attacks Matthew, know and understand the service dog regulations and why they exist. Yes, the dog is very cute and didn’t hurt anyone, that does not mean this was appropriate behavior for a service dog.
Nowadays a lot gets put on news channels about dog owners being caught out having sex doggy style with their extremely loved canines!
So…you’re wasting your time trying to reason with those individuals who LOVE doggy’s explicitly.
The world is now a very sick place in the decaying west. This wouldn’t even been an issue in the 1960’s when the west was sensible before the druggies culture along with the entitled mob wokeists took over and abondend God.
All animals back then wee in their correct place in cages in cargo section and people were in the people section No doggy style back before the druggo culture invaded humanity.
aw dogs having equal experience to you first class human, must be painful
We just flew from SJD to SFO (on a United Next plane btw!) and we saw TWO dogs at STK steakhouse in SJD. They were not wearing service dog vests at all. Does that mean Mexico or airlines that fly out of SJD are more lenient than in the States? I am a dog (and arcade) lover but I don’t think most dogs should be on planes unless they can fit in a carrier and stay there for the duration of the flight.