Just like the popular children’s book teaches us, everybody poops. This also means that everyone also farts, including our four-legged friends. One unlucky couple found themselves seated next to a gassy dog on a 13-hour Singapore Airlines flight from Paris to Singapore.
Gill and Warren Press upgraded their seats to premium economy for the long flight, but were not informed about the service dog who would be seated next to them. They decided to switch seats, but the only seats available were in the economy section. They had to work hard to get the fare difference refunded. They plan to donate the money to an animal charity.
This incident went down in June 2023. Gill and Warren were not happy when they got to their seats and discovered a snorting and drooling dog. They believed it was an emotional support animal.
Gill explained: "I said to my husband, 'You need to sort this. We can't have a dog sitting next to us for this length of time.'" Warren attempted to do just that, but was told the only available seats were in economy.
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Warren and Gill tried to sit next to the dog. All was going well until after dinner service when the dog started passing gas. The couple approached the flight attendants again and were offered seats in economy. The flight attendant said they could fill out paperwork about the incident and the airline would contact them after the flight.
Gill filled out the necessary paperwork but never heard from the airline. She reached out to representatives directly. They were offered an apology and $73 in vouchers. This did not sit right with Gill, who believed they deserved more compensation especially since they did not end up in their premium seats.
One month later, Singapore Airlines offered $118 in travel vouchers. Gill was still not satisfied because her tickets cost around $1,000. She asked for a bigger refund.
The airline eventually agreed to refund the difference between the seats. This amounted to around $587 per ticket. The grand total for the refund was around $1,410.
"That's the least they could do," Gill stated. "If they wanted to be really nice, they could've given us way more."
The couple plans to donate the money to Blind Low Vision NZ. This organization gives guide dogs to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
"The principal wasn't about the money, it was truly about making people accountable," Gill explained. "I expect to see a baby. I expect young children. But I don't expect a dog."
According to a statement about the incident from the airline, every attempt is made to inform passengers if they are going to sit next to a dog. Passengers can move if the space is available.
"SIA endeavors to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog prior to boarding,” the statement read. “In circumstances where customers seated next to an assistance dog request to be moved, we will assist to re-seat customers within the same cabin if space permits."
