A recent incident involving an Akasa Air passenger, Lakshay Pathak, surfaced on LinkedIn, highlighting the challenges he encountered while traveling with his pet on a January 26 Ahmedabad-Bengaluru flight. Despite paying Rs. 5000 for his Shih Tzu, Pathak’s expectations of a smooth journey with his wife were shattered by a series of unexpected issues.
As per the viral post, the flight, initially scheduled for a 10:20 p.m. departure, was delayed by more than three hours, finally taking off at 1:40 a.m. This led to Pathak and his family spending over six hours at the airport. Adding to their frustration, the ground staff and CISF personnel seemed ill-equipped to handle pet-related issues and offered little assistance. Pathak then highlighted aspects that made his pet’s travel uncomfortable and distressing.
The description began with the disparity between the depicted image of pet travel in communication and the actual scenario at the airport. Pathak mentioned, “Despite the huge delay the airport staff was adamant on not letting the pet ever out of the container. While sitting, thrice the airport security came and asked us to not even let him lie on the floor.” He further pointed out the absence of facilities for pets to relieve themselves, citing noisy blowers in airport washrooms as a hindrance. Additionally, neither the ground staff nor the CISF provided support for exiting and re-entering the airport.
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The challenges continued during the flight, with Pathak describing the flight crew as untrained and unprofessional. Allegedly, the crew failed to understand the pet’s needs and made conflicting statements, creating a stressful atmosphere for both the passenger and his pet.
“There is no “special seat” to accommodate for pet travel, not one even the last seat. Boarding took 40mins during which my pet got heated up, we were also sweating because the ACs were not yet switched on. For the first 45 mins of the flight my dog kept crying so to console him I placed his container in my lap, so that he is able to breathe I just let his head out for a while. Apparently this is also “not allowed”. The pet at all time is supposed to be near your leg space below the seat and we all know how much space there is,” his complaint continued.
The social media post gained attention as Pathak tagged Animal Welfare Society India and PETA, urging accountability and remedial action while criticising Akasa Air’s services for pets. In response, Akasa Air expressed regret and promised to follow up with Pathak.
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“Hi Lakshya, we’ve taken this up with our team, and they will connect with you soon. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to you,” they responded.
‘Regret the inconvenience caused to passenger and pet’
After responding to the passenger’s complaint, Akasa Air issued a statement saying it regrets the inconvenience caused to the passenger and pet. The airline said it has taken note of the passenger feedback and will take additional measures to build efficiency and comfort in its services.
“An incident involving a pet owner on flight QP1332, operating from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru on January 26, 2024, has been brought to our notice. At the outset, we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to the passenger and their pet, as customer centricity is one of our core values…” read a statement by Akasa Air.
The airline, however, also went on to provide a detailed account of the incident, saying it is doing so “in the interest of full transparency”. In response to the passenger’s claim that the flight was delayed by more than three hours, it said the passenger arrived at the airport at 10 pm after prior intimation “12 hours in advance” that the flight had been rescheduled to take off at 11.59 pm.
The airline further said the passenger did not opt to take the pet outside the terminal as they “did not want to go through check-in and security process again, as per CISF protocols”. It said in accordance with their pet policy of providing owners priority check-in and board first facilities, the passenger boarded with the pet at 12.52 am and the flight took off at 1.24 am (instead of 11.59 pm). The delay was on account of weather conditions “beyond our control”, the airline added.
Akasa Air also said none of the other passengers complained about the air-conditioning but despite that the cabin temperature was adjusted after the passenger expressed discomfort. The passenger did not make any additional requests for assistance throughout the flight, the airline said.
After takeoff, the crew noticed that the pet container was not in compliance with safety protocols as it was placed on the passenger’s lap, with the pet’s head protruding, Akasa Air said. It added that the crew requested that the container should be secured in front of the assigned seat.
The airline said it has carried more than 2,500 pets and has “well-defined protocols” so as to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. It said it also has a partnership with Umeed for Animals Foundation through which it receives expert advice and guidance on best practices for pet-friendly travel.
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