Air India pilot refused to allow pet onboard, criticisms pour in
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Bengaluru: Several users on Twitter supported a family in Bengaluru after it posted video accusing Air India of not allowing its pet dog onboard.
The family was to travel from Bengaluru to Delhi and then Amritsar on AI 503 on Saturday with their dog Fluffy onboard and it claimed to have received a boarding pass, according to NDTV.
Sachin Shenoy, along with his wife and daughter, had booked the tickets three months before, was planning for a 12-day vacation.
The family kept in touch with the airline authorities ensuring that the dog could fly with them as per the rules and procedures laid down by Air India.
In the viral video Sachin Shenoy was heard saying that the dog weighed hardly five kilograms along with its bag, making it perfectly eligible for travel.
Even after waiting over for four hours, the dog created no fuss and was so patient that nearly 250 petted it at the airport.
However, the flight's pilot Captain Chopra reportedly denied entry to the family and it was told that they could travel leaving the pet behind.
Shenoy felt it was like leaving a kid behind and flying.
He claimed he had suffered major losses after having made hotel and other bookings at the destination.
Many online comforted the family terming the airline "anti pet" and called for a fine on the pilot.
Meanwhile, Air India said that the Commander of the flight was not fully satisfied with their cage and muzzle of the pet, and added that pet carriage is subject to the approval of the commander.
