The couple ended up switching seats because the dog’s flatulence was ‘too much to bear’.
A couple who flew with Singapore Airlines on a long-haul flight from Paris to Singapore are requesting a refund from the airline company because of a disruptive dog that passed gas and drooled throughout their flight.
Gill and Warren Press complained that they were sat next to the canine for the journey, and ended up moving from their premium economy seats to economy class because of the doggy disturbances.
The couple, who hail from Wellington, New Zealand, told Stuff that they were not informed that they would be sitting next to the animal before they boarded their flight.
“I heard this noise – a heavy snorting,” said Gill Press.
“I thought it was my husband’s phone, but we looked down and realised it was the dog breathing.
“I said, ‘I’m not having this sitting next to us the whole trip’.”
Press went on to say that it became “too much to bear” when it began farting midway through the flight and taking up Warren’s legroom.
The couple complained to a flight attendant who eventually offered them two seats in economy that had been reserved for Singapore Airlines staff.
She said that airline staff assured them that they would be contacted by the company’s complaints team after they landed.
However, they said it took two weeks for the airline to reach out with an apology and an offer of two SG$100, which is the equivalent of about £58 each.
After Gill and Warren rejected that initial offer, the airline took nearly a month to come back to them with a counteroffer: two travel vouchers worth NZ$200, which is around £98 each.
However, the couple say this compensation is still not acceptable, and they are continuing to seek a full refund.
Press said that they overheard the dog’s owner telling another passenger that he gets anxious, and that’s why the dog was with him in the cabin.
She told the New Zealand based news outlet that it was the dog that appeared in distress to her, not it’s owner.
Singapore Airlines responded to requests for a statement from Stuff, and said the following: “We apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused by their (Gill & Warren Press’) experience onboard their flight from Paris to Singapore.”
“The airline will continue to liaise directly with the customers in response to their feedback.”
Lets just hope the dog’s stomach settled down a bit once the flight landed, and that a cabin crew member had some Febreze stowed away on board.
