Man recalls 'horrible experience' with Akasa Air while flying with pet, company issues clarification
A man claimed that after an Akasa Air flight was delayed by over three hours, the ground staff did not allow his pet to come out of its container.
Lakshya Pathak, a LinkedIn user, claimed that he had a 'horrible experience' with Akasa Air while travelling with his pet. Pathak said the airline staff and CISF personnel had an 'indifferent attitude' towards him. Akasa Air has issued a clarification regarding the incident.
What did Lakshya Pathak claim in his LinkedIn post?
Pathak shared that he, his wife and their pet Shih Tzu were travelling to Bengaluru from Ahmedabad when their flight was delayed by over three hours. (Also Read: Aeromexico passenger opens emergency plane door, walks on wing. Here's why)
"There is no provision for pets to relieve themselves. All the washrooms in the airport have blowers that make a lot of noise so there is no chance pets would pee. To top it off neither the ground staff nor the CISF helped in terms of going out of the airport and coming back inside. Ground staff told me that I would be able to relieve my pet in the flight’s washroom," wrote Pathak in his post.
He further added, "In the flight, the instructions were very different from what's advertised; be aware. There is no 'special seat' to accommodate pet travel, not even the last seat. Boarding took 40 minutes, during which my pet got heated up; we were also sweating because the ACs were not yet switched on. For the first 45 minutes of the flight, my dog kept crying. To console him, I placed his container in my lap so that he is able to breathe. I just let his head out for a while; apparently, this is also 'not allowed'. The pet, at all times, is supposed to be near your leg space below the seat, and we all know how much space there is."
Take a look at his post here:
How did Akasa Air respond to the incident?
As per a statement issued by Akasa Air, they had informed the passengers about the flight delay 12 hours in advance. They also said that they gave Pathak an option to take their pet outside the terminal. However Pathak "did not opt for this since he did not want to go through the check-in and security process again, as per CISF protocols".
The airline added, "While on board the auxiliary power unit was activated during the boarding process, maintaining the cabin temperature at an optimal level. No issues were reported by other passengers regarding the air conditioning. However, upon pushback, the passenger expressed discomfort with the temperature. Our cabin crew promptly addressed this request by communicating with the cockpit crew and adjusting the cabin temperature accordingly."
"Prior to departure, our cabin crew conducted a comprehensive briefing for pet parents, emphasizing the importance of ensuring both the safety and comfort of their pet during the
flight. After take-off, our crew observed that the pet container was not in compliance with our safety procedures. Specifically, the container was placed on the passenger's lap, with the pet's head protruding from it. In line with mandatory safety protocols and keeping in mind the convenience of other passengers on board, the crew immediately requested that the container be properly secured and returned to its designated position in front of the assigned seat," said Akasa Air in their statement.
