A travel influencer, flying from Seattle to Salt Lake City, was reportedly warned by a Delta Airlines crewmember to quiet her cat or face being deboarded.
Janelle Rupkalvis, who was traveling with her partner and their four-year-old cat, Asparagus, shared her experience in a TikTok video that quickly went viral.
Rupkalvis, 30, explained that the incident occurred on February 19, shortly after they settled into their first-class seats. Expecting a routine reminder to keep Asparagus in his carrier, she was taken aback when the flight attendant allegedly told her, “If your cat doesn’t stop meowing, we’re going to have to ask you to get off the plane.”
She explained that Asparagus wasn’t being disruptive, but was simply meowing because of the cabin’s commotion. “He’s a cat. He’s not screaming—just meowing because it’s a stressful situation,” she shared in the TikTok video, which has since been viewed over 11,000 times.
Knowing that Delta allows pets in carriers under the seat, Rupkalvis decided to verify the airline’s policy. She contacted Delta’s customer service and was informed that pets must be “passive” but not necessarily silent, which contradicted the flight attendant’s warning.
Feeling that the situation had caused unnecessary stress, Rupkalvis reached out to Delta, asking if any compensation would be offered. The airline responded by awarding her and her partner a combined 30,000 Delta miles. According to the New York Post, Rupkalvis expressed satisfaction with the resolution and was happy to clear up the misunderstanding regarding Delta’s pet policy.
Related Topics
