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Flying on a plane can be quite stressful forpetsand their owners alike.
What helps in these situations is having the support of an empathetic and kind cabin crew.
Scroll down for the full story.
Youll find our full interview with her below.
No airline is perfect.
Deltas response to this situation was thoughtful and reassuring.
We board with zone one because we want to get him settled.
Like, thats a pretty common reminder that we get when were traveling with pets.
And I was like, what?
One, hes a cat.
Two, hes not screaming, hes meowing, because theres a lot of commotion.
Bags being put in the bin.
Theres bags being put underneath the plane.
I was like, Are you serious?
Ive never heard this before.
Like, how is this any different?
But I did not say that.
I did not go there.
I was just like, um, okay.
So now were panicked.
Its five in the morning.
But I also, Im like, theres no way that this is a rule.
Ive never heard this before.
However, let me check the pet policies to be 100% certain.
And two, the pet must be in a clean kennel that does not create discomfort forothercustomers.
Well, we have a clean kennel.
Theres no discomfort there, and the requirement is for the pet to be passive, not silent.
Like, that is a huge distinction.
I was happy to have this information in case the situation escalated.
She told Bored Panda that she was in complete shock.
According to Rupkalvis, Delta Air Lines handled the situation well after what happened.
As I mentioned in my video, both my partner and I were compensated with 15,000 miles each.
I really appreciated their follow-through on this.
During the boarding process, the air conditioning isnt always running, and that can be uncomfortable for pets.
Hes been on multiple adventures with us, and its always fun having him along for the ride.
Rupkalvis was also kind enough to share a bit about her journey to becoming a travel influencer.
Initially, she started out as a budget traveler, using points and miles to make travel more accessible.
The cat was meowing a lot because of all the commotion.
DeltatoldPeople magazine that they were aware of the incident and were investigating the details of the event.
Rupkalvis ended up getting compensated for the anxiety-inducing situation.
She and her partner were offered either a $150 voucher or 15,000 miles each.
They took the latter.
Pets in kennels count as one item of carry-on baggage.
Youre allowed to bring one personal item on board the aircraft alongside the kennel.
The pet must be small enough to have some room to move around the carrier.
Meanwhile, the kennel should have ventilation openings on three sides.
Many internet users were very supportive of Rupkalvis.
Heres what they said about her experience
A few people had a slightly different take on things.
Heres their perspective
Thanks!
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