Summary
- A couple on a Singapore Airlines flight demanded a refund after sitting next to a drooling and farting dog in premium economy.
- The airline initially offered them a small voucher, but they found it unsatisfactory given the inconvenience caused.
- The couple are now demanding a full refund for the first leg of the trip, claiming it wasn’t the experience they paid for.
A couple who flew from Paris to Singapore on Singapore Airlines have requested a refund after sitting next to a “drooling and farting” dog. The passengers were sitting in premium economy class but ultimately decided to return to economy class to avoid the flatulent dog.
Passengers demand refund after sitting next to dog
Wellington-based couple Gill and Warren Press were en route to New Zealand and embarked on the first leg of their journey, a 13-hour flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Singapore Changi (SIN), in June this year. They had saved up for premium economy seats and found themselves next to a passenger accompanied by an emotional support dog.
Gill Press told Stuff:
“I heard this sound – a heavy snort. I thought it was my husband’s phone, but we looked down and realized it was the dog breathing. I said, ‘I’m not going to have this next to us the whole trip’.”
The couple raised their concerns with a flight attendant, but were told the only seats available were in the back row in economy class. So they decided to stay in their premium seats, hoping things would become bearable.
Photo: Christian Heinz / Shutterstock
The passenger was heard saying that his dog was an emotional support animal – Singapore Airlines officially banned emotional support animals from all flights in April, two months before this flight. However, the airline has said it will continue to consider requests for support animals made before the ban came into effect.
Farts, drooling and taking up leg space
About halfway through the flight, the couple said the smell became unbearable due to the dog running around, which was no doubt exacerbated by the pressurized cabin. Additionally, the dog was too large to share his owner’s seat, which meant he had to lie on the floor, taking up legroom on Warren’s side.
Gill Press added:
“[The passenger] The dog couldn’t get into the aisle because the carts couldn’t get through, so he had to go further in, which meant his head was under my husband’s feet. My husband was wearing shorts and had dog saliva on his leg.”
After speaking to a flight attendant again, the couple were offered two seats in the front row of economy class, reserved for staff. They decided to accept the offer and spent the rest of the trip in economy class.
Vouchers were not accepted
After being told that the incident had been logged and they would be contacted, Gill emailed the airline a week after the flight, eventually offering him a 100 Singapore dollar ($73) gift certificate. for the airline’s KrisShop website. They weren’t happy with this offer and wrote back to the airline, who responded three weeks later with a $117 travel voucher.
This was still not satisfactory as much more was spent on a premium economy plan. The couple are now demanding a full refund for the first leg of their trip, which they say was not “the experience we paid for”.
Photo: Tsuguliev / Shutterstock
Gill added that they were not told before the flight that they would be sitting next to a service animal. Singapore Airlines has since said it is in direct contact with the couple to resolve the issue. A Singapore Airlines spokesperson added:
“Singapore Airlines aims to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog before boarding the flight. We sincerely apologize that this did not occur in this case and will work with our airport teams to ensure this error does not occur in the future.”
Have you ever had to endure such an experience on board a flight? Do you agree with Singapore Airlines’ decision to ban emotional support animals? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Stuff
Singapore AirlinesIATA/ICAO code: SQ/SIA
Airline type: Full-service carrier
Hub(s): Singapore Changi Airport
Founding year: 1972
Alliance: star alliance
CEO: Go Choon Phong
Country: Singapore
Singapore Airlines