Akasa Airlines took to the comments section and said: “Hello Lakshya, we have taken this up with our team, and they will connect with you soon. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to you.”
In a recent incident, Akasa Air passenger Lakshay Pathak took to LinkedIn to recount the challenges he faced while traveling with his dog Shih Tzu on a January 26 flight from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru. Despite paying Rs. 5,000 for the pet, Pathak’s hopes for a smooth journey with his wife were dashed by a series of unexpected problems, drawing attention to the complexities of flying with pets.
According to the post, the flight, scheduled for a 10:20 pm departure, experienced a significant delay, eventually taking off at 1:40 am. This resulted in Lakshay Pathak and his family spending more than six hours at the airport. Adding to their frustration, both ground staff and CISF personnel seemed ill-prepared to deal with animal-related issues, offering minimal assistance. Pathak highlighted the factors that contributed to her pet’s discomfort and distress during the trip.
The account began by emphasizing the disparity between the painted image of the animal’s journey in communication and the actual situation at the airport. Pathak noted: “Despite the substantial delay, the airport staff insisted on keeping the animal confined in the container. While it was sitting, the airport security approached us three times, ordering us not to allow it even lie on the floor.” He also highlighted the absence of facilities for domestic animals to relieve themselves, citing noisy blowers in airport bathrooms as an impediment. Also, neither the ground staff nor the CISF provided assistance for exiting and re-entering the airport.
Pathak also described the flight crew as untrained and unprofessional. Presumably, the crew did not understand the needs of the animal and made conflicting statements, creating a stressful atmosphere for both the passenger and their pet.
“There is no ‘special seat’ to accommodate for pet travel, not even the last seat. Boarding took 40 minutes during which my pet was warmed up, we were also sweating because the AC they weren’t even on. For the first 45 minutes of the flight, my dog kept crying so to comfort him I put his container in my lap, so he could breathe, I let his head out for a little while. Apparently this is also “not allowed”. The animal at all times must be close to your leg under the seat and we all know how much space there is,” his complaint continued.
Responding to this, Akasa Airlines took to the comments section and said: “Hi Lakshya, we have taken this up with our team, and they will connect with you soon. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience caused to you.”
