AMERICAN AIRLINES: Dog In First Class Breaks Rules, Flight Crew Ignores

Something Special In The Air. And On Your First Class Seat.

BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — It turns out the problem of rude people believing their dogs are human, and should be treated like humans, extends far beyond Publix and Starbucks locations in and around Boca Raton. We feature these people in our “Boca Rudeton™” segment. But sometimes, like today, we literally go above and beyond in our quest to reveal dogs with rude people. BocaNewsNow.com obtained a photo of a woman letting her dog do pretty much whatever it wanted to do in the first class section of an American Airlines flight Thursday from Pittsburgh to Charlotte.

Here’s the story that we have verified: the woman and her male travel companion, with their dog in a stroller seemingly meant for children, insisted on pre-boarding in Pittsburgh because their dog is “their child.” In fact, when children later boarded the flight, the couple actually told kids that the dog a child to them, just like those kids are children to their parents. The real parents of the real children shook their heads in disbelief as they listened to the couple speak. As the plane prepared for takeoff, the woman apparently decided that she just couldn’t comply with American Airlines rules and regulations which insist on a dog being kept in a carrier under the seat in front her. She let her dog lick the first class seat before standing on it and jumping on it.

The Department of Transporation stopped the Emotional Support Animal ruse a few years back. You can no longer declare your dog an “ESA” and bring it on for free — and let it sit on your lap. That means your dog either needs to be in a carrier the entire flight, or you must have verifiable proof that your dog is a fully trained service animal. Writes American Airlines: “Fully-trained service dogs may fly in the cabin at no charge if they meet the requirements.” It’s unclear what — if any requirement — the dog seen above meets.

Which is why it is so astonishing that the American Airlines flight crew, fully aware of the dog not being where it was supposed to be, did nothing. That seems to violate Department of Transportation rules which could lead to a huge fine for the airline. We reached out to American Airlines for comment on the image and corporate policy. We did not receive a response as of Friday afternoon.

The couple brought the dog into the airline’s “Admiral’s Club,” then continued on to a Los Angeles-bound flight where they again were seen demanding the ability to pre-board. They were allowed, but were told — just like parents with real kids in real strollers — that they’d have to leave the stroller at the cabin door. American Airlines. Truly something special in the air.

We remind our readers that there is no expectation of privacy in a public place. Don’t want to be seen here? Don’t be rude here! Send your submissions to us using the menu buttons above. Share your thoughts about this dog in our comments section, below. Boca Rudeton™ is a trademark of MetroDesk Media, LLC. People with dogs where they shouldn’t be is a trademark of South Palm Beach County — and apparently American Airlines. (If you believe you were misrepresented in a Boca Rudeton article, please email us at news (at) bocanewsnow.com).