Akasa Air is yet to release an official statement addressing these specific grievances.
Prominent airline Akasa Air is under scrutiny following a damning account by a passenger who alleged a distressing experience during a recent flight from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru with his pet dog.
Akasa apologised to the passenger and clarified that it has well-defined protocols for carrying pets on board.
In a LinkedIn post, the passenger Lakshay Pathak outlined significant issues that marred his journey. “Horrible experience with Pet Travel in Akasa Air,” he wrote.
“My wife and I were travelling with our pet Shih Tzu on 26th Jan Flight from Ahmedabad to Bangalore. The flight that was intended to leave at 10:20 pm left at 1:40 AM. It being our first time with pet travel we reached the airport 3 hrs in advance. So a delay of more than 3 hrs and we have already spent over 6 hrs in the airport,” he stated.
The passenger highlighted the unhelpful attitude of the ground staff and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), specifically noting their incompetence in handling pet-related queries. “On call & mail a very different picture was painted at buying a pet ticket for Rs5000 would enable comfortable travel of the pet,” he wrote and added, “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 revealed, "There is no provision for pets to relieve themselves. All the washrooms in the airport have blowers that make a lot of noise, leaving no chance for pets to pee. Additionally, neither the ground staff nor the CISF assisted in terms of going out of the airport and coming back inside. The ground staff told me that I would be able to relieve my pet in the flight's washroom.”
Mr Pathak expressed frustration, stating, "There is no 'special seat' to accommodate pet travel, not even in the last row. For the first 45 minutes of the flight, my dog kept crying. To console him, I placed his container on my lap, allowing his head to breathe for a while. Apparently, this was also 'not allowed.' The pet is supposed to be near your leg space below the seat, and we all know how limited that space is."
Describing the flight crew as "untrained and unprofessional," Mr Pathak claimed that attempts to console his distressed pet by allowing it to breathe outside the container were met with resistance from a steward. The crew's lack of understanding regarding pet comfort during the flight further added to the passenger's frustration.
"If this is the treatment given to dogs in the cabin, I cannot imagine what treatment is given to those travelling in the cargo," Pathak stated. He questioned the value of the pet ticket, given the reported restrictions and lack of accommodation for the animal. “What is the Pet Ticket for? The torture that was provided?” he wrote.
Read the whole post here.
Akasa Air, sharing the details of the incident in a statement, said it has taken note of the passenger's feedback and will take the required measures.
“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," it said.
The airline said the passenger was given the option of leaving the terminal with his pet, but he opted out since he did not want to go through the check in process again.
They also said that after take-off, the crew noticed the pet container was not complying with the safety procedures (it was on his lap), and requested him to properly secure it and place it in front of the seat.