No Pets on Air Canada Flights

GARRETT · Post by **GARRETT** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:44 am

Like AC needs to piss more people off! Who makes these outrageous decisions? Unf**kingbelievable!!!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/06/ ... ights.html

Air Canada adds pets to no-fly list
Last Updated: Thursday, June 21, 2007 | 5:15 PM ET
CBC News
Air Canada has declared its aircraft no-fly zones for pets.

As of next month, animals will no longer be allowed aboard any Air Canada flights.

Darren Jakubec's pet dog died of carbon monoxide poisoning while travelling in an Air Canada cargo hold.
While the airline barred pets from aircraft cabins last September, the restriction now applies to the baggage compartment as well.

In a letter sent to the Canadian Transportation Agency on Wednesday, the national carrier said, "please be advised that Air Canada will cease the carriage of pets as checked luggage on domestic as well as international routes [including transborder routes], as of July 15, 2007."

Air Canada said the decision was prompted by "record load factors" for the past three years, as well as new security requirements that are leading passengers to check more luggage.

"It really comes down to a question of carrying bags for the vast majority of our customers or carrying pets for a small number of our customers," spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told CBC News.

Continue Article

He denied the ban was related to a case in January 2004 when a B.C. family's pet dog died of carbon monoxide poisoning while travelling in an Air Canada cargo hold.

Although Air Canada said it was not responsible for the accident, owner Darren Jakubec argued that the rules around liability were unclear. He took his case to the CTA, which agreed, but concluded that airlines were not responsible for the health of pets.

"The Canadian Transportation Agency did exonerate Air Canada in that case, although they did ask us to clarify our rule," Fitzpatrick said. "This is really about improving customer service."

Fitzpatrick said the airline will allow people with existing reservations to fly with their pets after the deadline. Otherwise, animals will be permitted to travel only on more expensive Air Canada cargo flights that have trained animal handlers.

Air Canada's website still advises passengers that pets are permitted in the cargo compartment.

Hedy Hope, a spokeswoman for the Calgary Humane Society, said it's not fair that pet owners will have to resort to cargo flights.

"I think it's important that if people object to not having their pets able to travel with them on the plane that they should file a complaint to the company and state their objections," Hope told CBC News

Widow · Post by **Widow** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:51 am

Are there other international airlines that do not carry pets or is AC setting a "precedent"?

Tubthumper · Post by **Tubthumper** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:25 am

Crap.... I'll just have to leave Fluffy at home then.....

tired of the ground · Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:43 am

This has nothing to do with checked luggage and everything to do with profits.

Cost of a pet one way as checked luggage = $100
Cost of a pet one way as cargo = $1000 (for a extra large kennel)

Trained Live Animal Agents aka. The guy who happens to be there know nothing more about these things than you or I.

Aren't you glad they are looking out for our safety and increasing customer service.

CD · Post by CD » Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:51 am

Many international airlines do have embargo's during the winter and summer months when pets are not permitted to travel due to the temperature extremes that could be encountered. Southwest does not permit the carriage of pets at all. Whether or not there are any others that have extended that to year-round, I'm not sure.

However, I tend to support their decision. While the Calgary Humane Society may say that it's not fair, other organizations do urge pet owners to leave their pets at home due to the hazard posed to the animals from the stress of travelling.

For information on the Jakubec's experience, here are the links:
Decision No. LET-C-A-64-2006
Decision No. 319-C-A-2006
Decision No. 153-C-A-2007
Sila Fly Safe

In the United States, airlines are required to report to the Department of Transport Aviation Consumer Protection Division any injuries or deaths of animals. Here is a summary of those report and the actual consumer report page of the US DOT:
Airline Animal Incident Reports
Air Travel Consumer Report

C-FABH · Post by **C-FABH** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:55 am

Tubthumper wrote:Crap.... I'll just have to leave Fluffy at home then.....

There are days we encounter animals like this on the ramp. Dogs that are more like wolves if anything. It certainly makes a wonderful turnaround or shift in oversize, having to listen to these animals non-stop barking for hours.

N2 · Post by N2 » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:02 pm

Does this mean I have to leave the hag at home from now on?

Old fella · Post by **Old fella** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 4:33 pm

95% of us don't really care that the other 5% got to send their" pussies and mutts" as cargo rather that checked baggage and dare I suggest that 95% would be quite pissed at AC if their baggage was dumped because of some over fed mongrel. Good for Air Canada.

Doctor Evil · Post by **Doctor Evil** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:18 am

If they put all the children in checked baggage(or cargo) then there would be plenty of room for dogs in the passenger cabin.

magellan · Post by **magellan** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:46 am

I'd take an "over fed mongrel" over a screaming baby or temper tantruming brat any day!!!!

raven54 · Post by **raven54** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:54 am

Old Fella, that's Fu$king hilarious. I spit out some coffee on that one!

5400AirportRdSouth · Post by **5400AirportRdSouth** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 12:40 pm

Avg Kennel: 75 x 59 x 66CM and 40 kgs by scale weight.

Rated for Air Cargo as 49 Kilograms.

YVR-YYZ AC General at 3.00 / Kg wholesale roughly incl/ surcharges = 120.00CAD

Not having to have your airline dragged into the newspapers and the court system as puppy-murdering cat crushers.....

Priceless.

I've contemplated moving a pet or two by air in the past and its always comes down to the ( small ) risk that the stress can in fact kill an animal, particularly the small ones. Sedating them is dangerous as well as altitude will magnify the sedatives effect, making dosage difficult.

As anyone who's ever stood at the door when they open the cargo hold, its pretty common to see them quaking in a puddle of puke, urine and/or feces and howling/hissing/whining/crying. This is not something I would subject my pet to unless my options were severely limited.

5400

invertedattitude · Post by **invertedattitude** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 1:51 pm

Well WestJet just added about 3-4 people per flight.

Big Pistons Forever · Post by **Big Pistons Forever** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 2:13 pm

No problemo...

Just get a doctors note that fluffy isn't a "pet"; he/she/it is a "Psycological comfort animal ", necessary for your mental well being

. apparently some woman showed up for a flight in the USA with her 600 pound Pig

and a doctors note

the airline supposedly took the Pig .... and the animal

CD · Post by CD » Sat Jun 23, 2007 2:24 pm

Luckily, that isn't likely to happen in Canada as the requirements for a service animal are better defined than in the US...

When pigs fly...

Old fella · Post by **Old fella** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:13 pm

magellan wrote:I'd take an "over fed mongrel" over a screaming baby or temper tantruming brat any day!!!!

.

Then you can volunteer to travel sans baggage and wallow for 2 days in the same"skivvies". At least the screaming baby will get his/her arse changed and as for me.......... well just collected my bags on the way out.

Old fella · Post by **Old fella** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:19 pm

Doctor Evil wrote:If they put all the children in checked baggage(or cargo) then there would be plenty of room for dogs in the passenger cabin.

.

O/K............. I been waiting for some eager WestJet Fan/employee/owner to say AC already has plenty of" dogs" in the passenger cabin

GARRETT · Post by **GARRETT** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:21 pm

5400airportroad, what would you rather subject your pet to on a cross canada move. 4 hours on a flight or 5 days in a car? I think I'd choose to fly my pet, at least the stress is over sooner. IMHO.
Does AC even have "Cargo" flights?

5400AirportRdSouth · Post by **5400AirportRdSouth** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 4:12 pm

Garrett- thats a good point, but I think I'd still go with the car if it was an option. Some pets can probably handle it better than others though.

Problem is that a lot of owners only see sad puppy face as he's leaving and damn-I'm-happy-to-be-out-of-this-kennel face on the other side, I think if more saw in between bits, it might change their minds.

AC has no dedicated freighters anymore, but theres always freight downstairs. I would think upstairs cargo or downstairs cargo probably wouldnt make much difference to Rex, same noises, movement, etc.

On the other hand, I've also seen pooches happily jumping in and out of small planes....better leave the cat at home though...

Longtimer · Post by **Longtimer** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 4:42 pm

CD wrote:Luckily, that isn't likely to happen in Canada as the requirements for a service animal are better defined than in the US...

When pigs fly...

Here is the standards for a Service Animal in Canada (as far as the CTA is concerned)

CD · Post by CD » Sat Jun 23, 2007 4:48 pm

CTA - Service Animals
Part VII, section 149. of the Air Transportation Regulations
AC 0121 - The Carriage of Service Animals in Canadian Commercial Airline Operations