Talk about a ruff flight.
A Delta passenger was barking mad after being forced to give up their plush first class seat for a fellow traveler — and downright furious to discover that the lucky VIP was a dog.
“I got upgraded to first this morning, only to 15 mins later get downgraded (to a worst seat than I previously had). I asked the desk agent what was going on and she said “something changed,” the cross customer complained on the Delta Air Lines Reddit earlier today.
The unwitting good boi was given the first class Delta seat initially offered to another passenger, who posted this photo to a popular airline message board earlier today. Reddit/ Ben_bob
“Okay, fine, I am disgruntled but whatever, I then board only to see this dog in my first class seat … And now I’m livid,” Redditor @ben_bob explained in a post that showed the unwitting animal occupying the space that was supposed to be his.
After contacting Delta Support, the frustrated flyer, who had received an extra legroom bulkhead seat, was irked to be told that any human passenger may have to be relocated to accommodate service animals — and that there is “nothing they can do” in these situations.
“There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have,” the exasperated elite insisted, calling the mix-up an “absolute joke.”
“What’s the point of being loyal to this airline anymore, truly,” they continued. “I’ve sat back when others complained about this airline mistreating customers lately and slipping in service levels, but I’m starting to question my allegiance as well.”
Plenty of Delta travelers were quick to side with the jilted jetsetter.
“There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have,” the exasperated elite insisted, calling the mix-up an “absolute joke.” Rob Seibel – stock.adobe.com
“Notice how nowhere else in life do you see this quantity of service animals? Go to the airport and all the sudden they appear,” one mused.
“Exclusively in the US. It doesn’t happen anywhere else. It’s American main-character syndrome,” another chimed in.
“The dog is probably a Diamond Medallion 2 million miler,” someone joked, referring to a top Delta status level.
Angry over the ruff treatment, the frequent flyer was relegated to a less glamorous seat in a lower class on the plane. Mat Hayward – stock.adobe.com
“2 million miler good boi,” someone else offered.
“You forgot a 2 million miler faux ‘service dog,’” a frustrated holiday traveler interjected.
“I saw so many service dog vests flying yesterday. Like every other person had a service dog. It’s so out of control,” they moaned.
But while the situation may have been annoying, one Delta employee jumped into the conversation to remind everyone that legally, passengers with special needs and service animals are granted priority in bulkhead rows.
“When I was in reservations, anytime people wanted the blocked seats I had to advise them that Delta has the legal obligation to move them if a passenger with disabilities requires it,” they said.
But travel expert Gary Leff sided with the human traveler in the doggo debate.
“I genuinely don’t see Delta’s logic in bumping a passenger from first class to accommodate a dog in the bulkhead,” Leff wrote at View From The Wing.
“To be sure, airlines are generally required to provide reasonable accommodations under the Air Carrier Access Act, and one way they do that can be with bulkhead seats. However a last minute seat switch certainly wouldn’t be required,” he explained.
Observing that “Delta does seem to have gone to the dogs,” Leff noted other instances where a first class passenger was booted to make room for an emotional support dog and four carry-on bags — as well as dogs sitting up and eating from tables in the so-called exclusive Delta One lounges.
“It’s a dog eat dog world,” one Redditor mused.
“And some of us are wearing Milk Bone underwear,” another offered, recalling a famous line from the TV show “Cheers.”
