Passenger furious after realising he'd been 'downgraded for a dog' on recent flight

A passenger has gone from the elation of being upgraded to the devastation of being downgraded within minutes - but was left even more furious after realising 'who' was in his seat.

Taking to Reddit to share his anger, the traveller posted a photo alongside a lengthy caption detailing his experience on a recent Delta Air Lines flight in the US.

"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"," he wrote.

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While he says he was initially "disgruntled", he then became "livid" after boarding the plane to discover a dog was in his first-class seat.

"I immediately chat Delta support and they say "you may be relocated for service animals" and there is nothing they can do," he continued.

"There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have ... What an absolute joke."

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The traveller went on to question his loyalty to the airline, and his post sparked a lengthy discussion garnering over 1200 comments.

"It's a dog eat dog world," one person mused.

Others said they thought having animals on planes was "getting out of hand".

"And don't even go there with "it's a service animal". Stay home or drive if you need your pet that bad," one person wrote.

Another said the situation would depend on whether the traveller had paid for the update or not.

"If you'd paid for your seat then I think it's a legitimate gripe. Complimentary upgrades can be taken away for a variety of reasons though, not just service dogs, without compensation," they pointed out.

Pets on planes

Allowing dogs and cats in plane cabins is widespread in Europe and the United States, but as a general rule of thumb on airlines in Australia, pets are required to be checked into the cargo area of a plane, unless they are authorised assistance or service dogs.

That was until Virgin Australia introduced a new policy earlier this year that would allow "small" cats and dogs on specific domestic routes to travel in the cabin with their owners. The service is expected to launch within 12 months following regulatory approval.

The announcement came after new regulations were implemented by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority back in 2022 that make it legal for passengers to bring their pets with them while travelling under the "carriage of animals" policy.

It's important to check with your chosen airline prior to flying for any restrictions that need to be taken into account for your specific flight. And it is also important to consider your specific pet and their health and temperament.

There are also restrictions on certain breeds such as American Pit Bull Terrier, Perro De Presa, Canario and Presa Canario, and brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs and Pekingese. You also can't travel with a puppy or kitten under eight weeks old.