Kelly Dehn just endured a nightmare flight on Northwest Airlines. It wasn’t that her four-hour trip from Minneapolis to Orange County, Calif., lasted an extra hour because the aircraft had to be de-iced. It wasn’t even that she was three months pregnant. It was her mysterious seatmate.
From the beginning, my husband and I noticed a smell that appeared to be some sort of passed gas.
These passed-gas emissions occurred every few seconds for the duration of the flight. We tried to identify its source. It seemed like someone was regularly passing gas or that someone with a full colostomy bag was sitting in near us. However, it did not smell human because it was very sulfur-like. We tried to adjust the fan jets on us, but it did little to overcome the smell.
Soon we both developed headaches. As I have allergies (dust, cats, and dogs), my headache became a migraine headache. I thought it was due to the dust on the plane. Neither my husband nor I had ever seen such a cloud of dust as was circulating in the plane when the sun streamed in. It was like the cabin cleaners’ vacuums had no filters and just re-emitted the dust back into the air and onto the upholstery.
I had difficulty breathing due to my allergies and the severe pain I was in. I tried to help alleviate it by drinking a lot of water. At some point toward the end of the flight, I used the bathroom. When I returned, I tripped over the sweatshirt stuffed under the seat in front of my aisle-seated neighbor, revealing a cat cage! The smell must have been the cat’s diarrhea.
Dehn was furious. Northwest had made no attempt to notify her she’d be sitting next to a cat. “This could have developed into an asthma attack or something else very serious,” she told me.
Because of Northwest allowing cats without warning other passengers, I lost more than 15 percent of my vacation suffering the effect. I don’t understand how this could be considered legal or even moral. I believe we should receive compensation from the airline for this problem. I also believe that laws should be changed to protect people from severe and common allergens such as cats.
Northwest’s contract of carriage is silent on the issue of pets and passengers. And to be honest, I wouldn’t expect it to address that kind of situation. This is more a question of airline policy, and it probably wouldn’t be published anywhere.
Dehn sent a letter to Northwest, requesting unspecified compensation. It replied with a letter saying that “regrettably, we cannot guarantee pet-free flights,” but that it does its best to ensure passengers are safe. It assured her that her comments would be shared with the appropriate people and offered her and her husband 4,000 miles each for the trouble.
Is that enough? No, says Dehn. “I couldn’t believe it,” she wrote to me in an email. “Four thousand miles?”
I agree that 4,000 miles isn’t a lot. But Dehn’s original letter, from which I excerpted earlier, didn’t offer any details about what kind of compensation she expected.
Northwest gets to punt this one to Delta, now that the two airlines have merged. An appeal to its new parent company might help, but I suspect the airline will regard 4,000 miles as plenty of compensation. In fact, it may view the miles as excessively generous in light of its recent billion-dollar loss.
Oddly, I think Delta might side with the passengers that pay the higher fare on this issue. In other words, it may support the cat.
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Elliott, why waste your time on this one. NWA, and most airlines allow pets. You should tell this lady, if you dont want pets, fly southwest.
Even if pets are allowed on the plane, it’s common courtesy to inform the other passengers. Some people have severe allergic reactions, and the last thing the airline wants is an emergency in the air. The customer should have been offered a seat on the plane away from the offending cat.
I agree though, she should have been more specific on what a reasonable compensation would have been. Without it, the airlines will give out the least amount as possible that they deem reasonable.
Curious, any of the lawyers who frequent care to comment on if/how the airline could be held liable if Ms. Dehn did have a severe allergic reaction? It seems as though the airline should disclose that there is an animal on the aircraft, and its location, so that the prevention of an adverse reaction falls to the passenger.
I have traveled numerous times with my cat in the cabin, both abroad and domestically. While I have never sat next to someone who had an obvious problem with it, I sympathize with travelers who might. I do believe however that it should be the airline’s responsibility to notify passengers that they will be sitting near an animal, and to assign seats accordingly.
If the cat in question did indeed have diarrhea, it should have never been permitted on the plane. Even though Northwest does not require a health certificate for pets, it was irresponsible and negligent on the owner’s part to transport the pet in that condition.
For goodness’ sake! I’d sooner share my vacation with the cat than this whingeing individual!
Whenever I’ve flown with a cat I tell the person sitting next to me — I’ve had two people who are allergic to cats that were seated near me.
When I made my reservations, I always made a reservation for my cat so the airline (Delta, American, AirTran, etc) KNEW there was a cat at that seat.
Even though I was the one flying with the cat, I agree that when someone makes a reservation they should be informed there is a cat next to them. That’s only fair.
Thank goodness the two flights I was on they had empty seats to move the people to a new seat.
I guess none of you have severe allergies to cats – within 15 minutes I would not have noticed the “dire-rear” of the cat because my nose would have become an open faucet, my eyes swelled shut, and my coughing would have had half the plane asking for me to be tested for communicable diseases!
The aisle seated neighbor was the one who was most at fault here. Was the person completely immune to the suffering of the neighbor? Someone could have changed seats, I am sure Kelly would have been willing to sit anywhere else. And if the cat was so ill, the owner was doing it no favors by flying with it. Was the neighbor so afraid she/he would not be able to get on the plane with a sick cat that she/he was willing to the cruel to the animal as well as the other passengers?
I love animals and have dogs – too big for air travel – but it is important to notify people about animals on board.
I have often wondered what happens when people who have allergies are on a plane with the animals. When people have serve allergies to animals, they often times can’t breathe. Since just sitting in the enclosed area, with the air recirculating it doesn’t matter where on the plane the animal is in relation to the the person with the allergies. The cat could be in the back of the plane the the person in the front. The cat could still cause great harm to the person who is allergic to it. If you can’t breath, you can die! Simple as that. Is is so important to take an animal on a plane with you, that you risk causing someone a health problem? This isn’t a very well thought out plan by the airlines. They stopped smoking on planes, because of this issue, why do they allow other things on the plane that can have the same effect as the cigarettes? There should also be a rule about people who wear too much perfume. They cause severe allergic reactions too.
What if the cat had the very common toxoplasmosis? What if the woman had handled the cat and soiled cage and then helped the flight attendant by passing your food tray or drink to you? What if you were elderly or pregnant or just had a compromised immune system and you had not previously developed the antibodies for toxoplasmosis? The consequences could have been dire to you and/or the fetus.
Yes, Northwest could have notified the other passengers in the row about the cat’s presence. However, if Ms. Dehn is as severely allergic as she claims, and knows that Northwest does allow pets to travel in the cabin, then she should have been proactive and let the ticketing agent know of her allergies. They could then have made sure that there were no cats or dogs sitting in her row. How were they to know that a cat who normally would have no effect on most passengers would be detrimental to her health? The gas is a separate issue. It is a major inconvenience during the flight, but would not have affected Ms. Dehn’s vacation in the same way that the allergy apparently did.
People need to be responsible for themselves. This is like someone with a food allergy eating food without asking what is in it and then complaining that the people who served them owe them compensation.
I have flown with cats and dogs right next to me, Once even a sick cat. If you know the airline you fly with accepts animals, guess what you may sit next to one. As for being compensated the airline was really nice to do that. This lady knows she has allergies, she chose to fly anyway,
I think we are missing one point that was brought up earlier. Cat feces carry toxoplasma gondii, a parasite which can cause blindness, brain damage or miscarriage in a fetus. Kelly Dehn was 3 months pregnant when she was on this flight. What makes more sense, prohibiting pregnant women and people with allergies from flying, or simply disclosing the presence of the cat? Had this been disclosed before the flight took off, instead of hidden with a sweatshirt, someone could have been reseated and the problem could have been avoided.
Like you often are allowed to tell if there are any food allergic when adding flight meal to the booking, surely she had told them about her other allergies…?
In that case I think it’s really bad to place a cat so near. On the other hand, when having such allergies, you must have efficient medicines with you, just in case of any emergency situation.
About the compensation: it’s very difficult to really say what’s compensation enough, how much the person has suffered and so on. How to put a price on that?
For me it wouldn’t really have been about the compensation, but how and if the airline would change it’s routines to prevent such situations to happen for other passengers too.
Happy flying :-)
For everyone who is worried about allergies and flying with animals in the cabin you should be aware that there is not a darned thing that airlines can do to absolutely prevent animals from being in the cabin. Why? Because people with service animals may fly whenever, where ever, and on which ever carrier they like, and the Americans with Disabilities Act protects that right. By Federal law the airlines may not discriminate against them on the basis of the service animal, meaning they cannot deny them passage. For the most part it doesn’t matter if the service animal is a dog, monkey, pony, or parrot. The service animal is allowed to go anywhere the handler goes and its right to fly in the cabin (not the cargo compartment) is specifically protected, even on typically “pet-free” flights because service animals are not “pets”. And they aren’t required to be caged or fit under the seat, either. If you’re allergic to any kind of animal, you might consider asking at check-in if any animals will be on board (people with service animals are supposed to notify the airline no less than 48 hours prior to boarding so seating accommodations can be made).
That said, years ago I flew with a cat (a pet, not a service animal) and I have to say that the actions of the owner in the story were suspicious and extremely rude! I had every right to be on the flight with my cat because I paid the extra fee, so I didn’t try to hide him from my aisle mates. I let the people around me know I had a cat because I was happy to have him with me. Back then people didn’t make a big production about having allergies, though; one gentleman just said “Oh, I’m allergic to cats” and asked to be moved to a different seat. I would have happily moved to a different seat myself rather than cause a scene. When my cat had an “accident” in his little carrier after take-off, I immediately took him to the lavatory and cleaned up the mess. The sweater over the cage makes me wonder if the owner in the story was hiding the presence of the cat not only from the other passengers, but from the airline as well? It tells you something about the character of the owner that (s)he would sit there with that stench making the cabin reek… and it’s not telling you anything good!
On the other hand, why did the passengers sit there through the flight and not ask the airline staff about the smell and the dust? Did they not ask their aisle mate if (s)he smelled the stench? Once the source of the smell was identified as being from an animal, why didn’t they insist that the airline staff have the owner clean it in the lavatory? Why didn’t they ask to be moved once the source was identified as an allergen? I can’t imagine the passengers with red eyes, runny noses, and obvious migraines from allergic reactions *not* being allowed to move if there was anywhere else to sit — ESPECIALLY once the cat was out of the bag, so to speak! And before anyone whinges about me not understanding about allergies, I’m allergic to peanuts and pollens, so I *do* understand. If I notice the symptoms of an allergic reaction I try to identify where/what the allergen is and leave the area. When in doubt I move first, then figure it out once I have my symptoms under control. But I’m accountable for my own health and I don’t expect the rest of the world to bend over backwards to accommodate or compensate me.
Toxoplasmosis is only a threat to a pregnant woman if she comes in direct contact with infected cat feces or infected and under-cooked meats. It’s not the flu… you can’t catch it by breathing stinky air. Doctors don’t restrict women from touching their cats during pregnancy, just from touching their litter; sitting next to the owner or even touching the sweatshirt weren’t likely to have transmitted anything to her.
So unless she dropped her rare hamburger into the cat’s fouled carrier and then ate it, she’s safe from that threat.
What do you expect from the airline? It’s Northwest… did you choose your flight based on expected high customer service or lowest fare? Pick One.
NWA charges $150 for the customer to bring the cat on board and yet they still don’t make money. You can’t expect much compensation when you chose the “lowest fare (nickel and dime, customer service costs extra)” airline.
I am thoroughly sick of people traveling on planes with their stinking animals. Leave little icky -poo at home or enjoy a road trip in your personal litter box on wheels. This is one occasion when some tobacco smoke would be a blessing.
Oh, and did everyone enjoy learning about the cat excrement in the lavatory? Just too cutsie-pooh for words!
My question to Ms. Dehn is: What does she expect Delta/Northwest to do? What kind of compensation she expects? A free ticket or a full refund?
If I understand Ms. Dehn properly, she expects Northwest, any airline, store or business for that matter, to announce personally to her that there is or was a cat in the properties to protect her from her allergies. How can Northwest know that?
It is the same as passengers who expect airline food to be cooked to their specifications because they are allergic to peanuts or onions or wheat… in that case, bring your own food and don’t expect anyone else to accommodate you; accommodate yourself.
In this case, Ms. Dehn needs to fly an airline that does not allow pets in the cabin like Southwest or drive her own car to your next destination spot or get her own private jet. Indirectly, Ms.Dehn put her health and the health of her baby, for that matter, at risk. She took a chance. Hundreds of pets fly in airline cabins and cargo holds a day; and something tells me she is very aware of that. So, I still don’t get what she wants from Northwest?
Why have we become a country of not accepting responsibilities for our own actions expecting everyone else to be responsible for us? Why have we become so selfish that we expect the world to revolve around us?
I think Northwest did more than enough by giving Ms. Dehn extra miles. Realistically, Northwest is not responsible for anything, ethically, medically, morally or have broken any rules of the Geneva convention or any other type of airline agreement. The free miles are a nice gesture. Ms. Dehn should take the miles ad be happy.
I was on a flight recently and the lady next to me was pregnant and had a “lap baby” (who I think as more than 2 years old). The ‘lap baby’ spilled milk on me. So should I ask the airline I flew to reimburse me for my suit cleaning? I think not! If anything, sue the passenger who was next to you… and if you do so, on what grounds? Inconvenience, yes. But what else does Ms. Dehn wants?
I still this was one of those ridiculous complaints that airlines get that I think are just laughable.
I don’t really think that pets should ride on planes. They aren’t comfortable and that poor little furball probably had intestinal issues due to stress. The airline did something, at least. If it was a person’s intestinal issues that caused the passenger’s migraine, she probably wouldn’t have gotten anything. Many have experienced discomfort from smelly washrooms on planes. The airline simply isn’t responsible for this issue from any passenger, human or other animal. So, yes, the airline would be on the cat’s side in this dispute, as he/she was a passenger. Until pets aren’t allowed on planes, this is a moot issue. And, that probably won’t happen anytime soon.
Delta should support the cat! In fact, there’s really no reason that pets are so mistreated on planes, when there are first-class accommodations available to their human companions. How would we like to ride under a seat, or worse, in a cargo hold, for hours? That is why the cat was probably sick. As I just posted, pets shouldn’t probably be on planes, but that is because airlines are so unprepared for them! And, I am not saying that is right! Pets are often family members and travel with their humans, so why can’t planes give them some more consideration? I’d pay a first-class type fare if my cats could ride in a more comfy environment.
If her allergies are that severe, couldn’t she have requested not to be seated near an animal when she booked the ticket?
If passengers got 4,000 miles for every time some idiot allowed their baby to disturb everyone on board, I’d have a hell of a lot more money. The airlines, however, would be even closer to bankrupt than they are now.
If you are that allergic to anything carry an epi-pen. This woman is a whinger.
I doubt the cat had a medical problem, she seems like someone who would embellish the story.
She should be happy she got the 4000 miles. People fly with animals, I don’t mind sitting next to them – and I prefer them to some passengers.
Soon all planes will have a sticker that says animals may have come in contact with this aircraft to keep people like this from complaining…and suing.
The airline lets you fly with pets in the cabin (with some limitations). She should have known this starting out. They have a separate price tag for traveling with an animal. If this lady’s this allergic to cats, she should have let someone know on purchasing the ticket or at least at check in. The guy/girl traveling with the cat could have let her know, but with all the hassles that accompany air travel these days, he’s probably thinking by that point “thank goodness I got on a plane that’s going to take off and the cat made it with me.” Further, the air in the cabin is recirculated throughout the cabin several times before being exhausted, so theoretically, even a seat change wouldn’t have helped. I’m not sure what she expects when you book on a carrier that allows pets in the cabin. Try carrying a mask if you choose to put yourself at risk by purchasing a ticket on such a carrier?
Most people do not routinely travel with their cats, especially not by air, because cats are extremely sensitive to change. Airlines also don’t allow more than a couple of animals on a single flight. What else are people supposed to do when they move long distances with their pets and ground travel isn’t practical?
I don’t understand why it’s okay for people to travel with screaming, squalling children but not for people whose pets aren’t bothering anyone. At least a dog or cat isn’t going to kick the back of anyone’s seat for the entire flight. Myself, I would never put my cat through the trauma of air travel unless I was moving. If I did, I would try to at least reduce the amount of dander on his body by bathing him the day before the flight. I certainly would not give him up or leave him behind just to mollify the sensibilities of a few strangers. I’m sorry that some people are allergic and/or intolerant of pets, but it is not my responsibility to take care of their allergies.
Why, indeed?
It’s subjectively debatable whether Northwest is not responsible ethically, medically or morally for this exact situation. Lawyers can practically argue both ways, but that legality might depend on: a) any applicable law, and/or b) Northwest’s contract with the passenger.
As Chris noted, Northwest’s is silent on this. So I guess that leaves with any applicable law, which any lawyer is free to argue on if they figure one that’ll possibly apply.
Like I said, people can pretty much tell others what they should do and maybe shouldn’t do. But each one will decide for themselves that, and then it might be a question of how to “force” the other to do what you want.
Unfortunately, some are in a “better” position than others. And forcing someone…could get ugly.
Would there be a smell requirement for a stinky child/person? I’m wondering why the traveler did not bother to ask the flight attendant what the smell was.
I honestly believe this woman is full of it. First, if she is so allergic to everything that she thinks her life is in danger, she should live in a bubble. Take responsibility for yourself, stop trying to make everyone to conform to you and your “condition.” I have allergies, I take meds, I live with it. If you don’t want to be exposed to pets on a plane, fly Southwest.
Secondly, the woman sat next to the cat who had diarrhea and didn’t ask the FA for assistance? What is Northwest supposed to do after the fact? Oh, right, give her compensation. Based on her word and nothing else. Given the fact that the customer covered the carrier with a sweatshirt, the passenger may have smuggled the cat on to avoid the exortionist fees. I guess I’m too honest. I got stuck to an entire family of 5 “Customers of Size” for a 5 hour flight who also changed the 2 year old “lap child’s” diaper in the seat and got absolutely nothing for my misery except a head full of air freshener sprayed by the FA every 5 minutes. I, too, should have complained and expected to get rich.
I am thoroughly sick of people traveling on planes with their stinking children, self-important people and drunks. Leave little icky-poo kids and attitudes at home or take a road trip. I’ll take sitting next to a pet all day, every day than any little kid or someone like this letter writer. I can generalize like Louise, too.
Regarding the pet owner on the plane – she should have said something about the cat as soon as Ms. Dehn sat down. This would have been a courtesy just in case her seatmate had allergies (which it obviously turned out that she did). However, it is unfair to assume that this passenger was trying to “hide” the cat from the airline. She most likely put the sweater over the cat carrier so the animal would remain calm during the flight.
Also, when you are three months pregnant, your sense of smell changes drastically. Things that you never noticed before become unbearable for a few months. It is very possible that Ms. Dehn was extra-sensitive to the smells that the cat was emitting, even though they apparently weren’t that noticeable to the other passengers.
I still think that it was unnecessary for Northwest to give Ms. Dehn any miles. Why was her husband given any? Was he allergic too? It was a very nice customer service gesture on the part of the airline and Ms. Dehn just comes across as petty for writing to Chris and attempting to get more out of Northwest/Delta.
There are lot of whiners lately, huh? Is that cause the travel industry has decided to handle all the legitimate complaints and leave the crazies to their own blogfest?
I’ve been on a completely full cross-country 5+ hour flight directly in front of a very energetic child on its mother’s lap, who never stopped kicking, and was babbling loudly for the entire duration of this miserable flight. I was the “bad guy” for complaining. I was told “after all, it’s only a child”. I paid full fare and had to go to a business meeting when I arrived. I’m sure this sweet kicking, babbling, crying “child” flew for free.
I’ve also been on a completely full, 3-hour flight seated next to a stand-by passenger who weighed at least 650-700 lbs, and I was completely engulfed and squeezed into the window by all this fat. I was so firmly wedged and covered by all this weight that I could not move my arms or legs, and could not even see past this person. By the end of the flight, I was so numb that it took a while for me to be able to get feeling back into my body. The next day, my entire body ached as if I’d been in an accident. Again I paid full fare, and this huge gentleman was on “stand-by”. When I complained to the ground supervisor in Charlotte after this flight and suggested that he should not have been put onto a full flight, I was told simply that “we cannot discriminate against anyone”.
On another completely full flight, I was seated next to a gentleman with the most horrible breath I have ever smelled. He kept falling asleep, his head falling onto me with his mouth wide open for the entire cross country trip. I repeatedly tried to shove him off of me, but he simply fell back asleep on me during the entire flight. I was feeling sick to my stomach for the whole flight and the rest of that day.
On yet another full cross country flight, I was seated in front of a woman who was loudly regaling a man seated next to her with her incredible intelligence, education and many accomplishments. This genius never stopped talking (loudly) and the only quiet time on that flight was when she went to the rest room for 2 or 3 minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have earplugs, which I now carry on every flight.
These are just some of my worst flight experiences. Obviously, I couldn’t move because these flights were all completely full. I’d gladly contend with a whole airplane full of cats and dogs! It would be far more pleasant than what I’ve been subjected to, and I’ve never been offered anything by the airlines for my pain and suffering. She should be thankful for the 4,000 miles both she and her husband got and stop complaining.
Looks that way, Joe. Mind you, Ms. Dehn’s email supposedly said this:
I’m no doctor, but I’ve learned from some that severity of allergens vary. I really wonder (or should I?) how one can come up with such a law, and that’s not even considering possibly competing interests like the pet owners themselves.
Next thing you know, someone’s gonna say, “can we come up with a law protecting US from people with allergies who abuse their situation?” Heh, no end to such things.
But…that’s what some people believe. And I gather one of life’s challenges is finding out what beliefs we can pretty much agree on. :)
Going off-topic, Chris, try this plugin.
Just wondering… if a person’s booked a ticket to fly with an animal in advance, can they reschedule (with a note from the vet) if the animal gets sick, the way human passengers can? I assume the answer is no, which makes the owner’s decision more understandable.
Chances are they can, but there’ll be fees. It depends on the rules of the ticket as none of them have to be consistent among one another.
How does she know the cat had diarrhea? Did she actually see the cat crap? Was it running into the aisle? Maybe it was just regular poo and not liquipoo.
Maybe it was, indeed, someone’s full, or even leaking, colostomy bag .. or super smelly farts. I know sometimes my bombs smell like something cooked up on an alien planet.
So how does she know it was the cat?
I’m serious.
I must say, is this lady serious?? She seems to be quite a high maintenance person right off the bat. Maybe she actually lost only 14.5% of her vacation? LOL. Spare me.
What next? An airline cannot and should not be responsible to notify every passenger of anything that anyone could possibly be allergic to. Take some personal responsibility and notify the ticket and gate agents of your allergy and THEN, AND ONLY THEN, they become responsible. And once you find out there’s a sick cat, notify the flight attendants. Use some common sense, people! No company is staffed with mind readers, so why expect the airlines to have any? 4K miles is way too much compensation – in my book it should have been zero!
Putting pets on a plane is just mean – to the pet and to the passengers. Planes were not designed to accommodate pets. They also were not designed to accommodate very overweight passengers in single seats, nor parents with unruly children in single seats.
If considerably overweight people want to fly, fine, airlines should provide seating options that accommodate their larger size. If someone wants to bring their child on a plane, the airlines should provide kiddy seating. I suggest a sound proof area with toys.
I totally agree that it is a very difficult question, and that people shouldn’t bring their animals just for a weekend trip somewhere. But in my case I might move to the USA in order to work as a registered nurse in a year or so. I don’t know for how long since the contracts are extendabled, but I might like it and stay for years. What should I do with my cats? Send them by a boat? Cramped up in a cage for days and days?
I have thought of having them in the cargo hold since I don’t want to disturb the rest of the passengers with meowing and smelly poo, but it would be a nightmare to sit for around 8-10 hours not knowing how they are holding up.
Anybody know how to work around it? So that the cats are calm?
Linda, you sound considerate of those around you so I doubt you will create a problem. You know your cats – will they tolerate being in a carrier under the seat or will they carry on miserably? How many are there, you may only be able to bring one at a time. If multiple cats get along well, they may be able to be in one larger crate and be very happy in cargo because they have each other. Your vet can advise on tranquelisers if needed. Try out the larger crate at home to get them used to it and see what happens, they may even enjoy it. Be sure to check on your living quarters in the US, not all apartments or hotels allow animals, so it would be a shame to get the cats to the US and not be able to find a convenient place to live.