Hi all, long time no speak. Hope you're all well.

So my partner and I are about to move back to Calgary after 3 years here in Scotland.

Everything is in process and a lot simpler than first time since she's a citizen and i'm a PR, so just a case of booking flights and shipping our gear.

Alll was well until we ran into WestJet.

We're bringing the cat back with us, who came from Calgary with us originally, and from thorough research of WJ's site (and even phoning them to confirm) it seemed he could come in the cabin as hand luggage if we paid the extra fee. So whilst on the phone to the WJ advisor we booked our flights and asked her to process the cat.

She put us on hold for 10 minutes and then came back and said that it wouldn't let her do it and she'd get the supervisor to come and do it...

another 10 minutes went by and the supervisor then came by and explained that no pets can fly carry-on from the UK with Westjet.

So even though it's explicitly detailed on their website and the adviser on the phone was certain, it's still not possible with Westjet.

We've booked with AirTransat (unfortunately) but they're the only ones we can go with who'll take the cat as carry on and are reasonably priced (Air Canada on our dates were over 1500 quid EACH!)

Anyone know why or when the rules changed and why WJ advertise it but can't fulfil?

Cheers

They state no pets from the UK on their website under 'checked animals' tab > restrictions (heat and entrance)
https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/pets

Why would you cram a cat into a carrier then stuff it under the seat in front on you for 8 hours when you could out it in a large, solid crate lined with fluffy vetbed?

Ah, didn't look at checked animals as he was coming carry-on...although both the adviser and the supervisor didn't know either until they tried and had to investigate further

When I flew over with them in 2012 and 2013, the seats were cramped and worn out and the inflight service was quite lacking, parents remarked the same thing in 2014, and they'd paid for the club-class upgrade.

Maybe they've improved?

Take a benadryl...i'm allergic to cats and dogs, but only the ones not kept clean...our dog used to get a bath once a week and the cat gets one every 3-4 weeks and I don't suffer any ill effects with them in the house

Not sure where I asked for opinions on it...

He wasn't right for weeks after making the reverse journey in that way...and with it only being £50 to bring him onboard where we can check on him and re-assure him we thought it worth it. His new carrier looks a damn sight more comfortable than the crate he came in when the agents dealt with it.

Others are far more allergic and can't just 'take a Benadryl' (or may not have one with them.....it's perhaps not the obvious thing to put in your hand luggage when travelling!). Just be prepared to have to get a later flight if somebody on the flight has an allergy and complains - I saw it happen last year when taking an internal flight in the US, the cat's owner was most disgruntled that another passenger was being put above their feline!

I was just on a WestJet flight from Vegas to Toronto. A lady boarded with a toy poodle in a soft sided 'kennel'. The dog was a bit nervous on the jet way and was yapping a bit. A guy in front of me started to get his hair off about it for no other reason than he didn't like dogs barking (tough! the dog will settle). I laughed out loud when I found he was sat just behind the women and the dog.

Needless to say, the dog was a good as gold, but he re-started the argument loudly when deplaning at Toronto, complaining that to dog had cr*pped in the kennel - the lady explained that it was hard for a dog to open to toilet door on the plane. Sorry, but IMHO he was just a loudmouth who got his karma!

Whether you are taking the pet as excess baggage or as a 'carry on' for the cabin, it's still 'checked in' I presume - hence why those rules apply.

Some cats cause me to have a severe asthma attack. There's no rhyme or reason to it - even two cats from the same household, one I will react to, the other is fine, so its nothing to do with clean/dirty.
If I found I was expected to sit next to an unknown cat for 8 hours I would offload myself if it came down to it. Not prepared to take the risk. Even a mild reaction has me needing 4-5 times the normal level of antihistamines, and to just say "take a Benadryl" displays a very poor level of understanding regarding allergies.

Same for my mum. She's very allergic to some cat dander but others are ok. My sister's cat is alright but my niece's gives her severe asthma. At over age 90 an asthma attack could be potentially fatal. And with her heart medications (same with my arrhythmia) taking a benadryl isn't an option.

We used to have three cats two of which I was fine with the remaining one causes problems for me, runny eyes and breathing stuff. Same sort of thing with dogs. I wheeze when I'm near dogs that she'd especially labradors, pugs etc. I have a miniature poodle which doesn't she'd and I'm fine even when he is at his stinkiest and poodles can stink to high heaven.

For planes I think the rule is that there should be 6 rows between an allergen and the allergee. The person with the animal is the one who is moved. Unless it's a service dog.

[​​​QUOTE=Pollyana;12636388]Some cats cause me to have a severe asthma attack. There's no rhyme or reason to it - even two cats from the same household, one I will react to, the other is fine, so its nothing to do with clean/dirty.
If I found I was expected to sit next to an unknown cat for 8 hours I would offload myself if it came down to it. Not prepared to take the risk. Even a mild reaction has me needing 4-5 times the normal level of antihistamines, and to just say "take a Benadryl" displays a very poor level of understanding regarding allergies.[/QUOTE]

Given a choice I would always choose to fly on an airline that doesn't allow pets in the cabin. Luckily flying to and from the UK the issue is mostly moot for me.

And in any case If I was flying with an animal I would want to put it in the hold,