[ SHOWGSD-L ] more about Air Canada
- From: Peggy <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: gsd list <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:29:21 -0400
More details about Air Canada.
shared by Peggy
There's bad news for Air Canada travellers who want to bring Bowser or Muffy
along with them on the plane for their summer vacation.
The Montreal-based airline said Thursday that as of July 15, pets won't be
allowed on its domestic passenger flights.
And pending approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency, pets won't be
accepted for flights to the U.S. or other international destinations.
Dogs, cats and other pets will have to be shipped on cargo planes.
Peter Fitzpatrick, a Toronto-based spokesman for Air Canada, said the airline
is so full with bookings, it needs more room to carry baggage, so pets will
have to go cargo. He said it's a matter of improving customer service.
"We've had record load factors for the past three years. That means our
planes have been fuller than they've ever been. And this fact, combined with
the
new security requirements that limit gels and liquids people can take on a
plane have meant we're carrying much more luggage than we have in the past,"
said Fitzpatrick.
With Air Canada's load factor running at more than 80 per cent, he said
animals in the hold restrict the amount of luggage the airline can carry,
because
animals need extra room for air and ventilation.
"So essentially it comes down to a question of carrying bags for the vast
majority of our customers or carrying pets for a smaller number of our
passengers," he said.
Fitpatrick couldn't provide an exact figure for the number of passengers who
would be affected by the change but said it's a small minority of customers.
Air Canada is not the only airline with a no-fly rule for pets but the policy
varies among airlines.
Southwest Airlines said Thursday it does not allow pets on its planes.
A British Airways spokesman said British Airways does allow pets on passenger
flights, but only in the cargo hold. Both JetBlue and Lufthansa said they do
permit cats and small dogs in the cabin. WestJet accepts small dogs, cats,
rabbits and birds in the cabin on domestic and transborder flights.
"So this isn't unusual for the industry. In fact it's increasingly becoming
the standard," said Fitzpatrick.
He admitted it will be an inconvenience for the small number of people who do
want to take their pets with them but said they can still use Air Canada
cargo services and ship their animal that way.
Last September 18th, there were howls of outrage from pet owners when Air
Canada sent pets packing from the cabin to the cargo hold, but allergy
sufferers
were breathing sighs of relief.
Fitzpatrick said the new policy will not apply to guide dogs for the blind.
And people who have already bought tickets, or are buying tickets up until
July 15, will be allowed to bring along their pets in the cargo hold.
He said Air Canada can make the change to its domestic flights without the
agency's approval, but needs approval from the agency to make the change for
international flights.
Air Canada carries 34 million passengers each year.
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