Flight to Lisbon: Passenger accuses Swiss of animal cruelty

Nadine*, 51, from Bern, traveled to Lisbon with her French bulldog Azumi, Swiss. There was a long wait for the plane to take off, and the air conditioning was turned off: “It was a hot day, so it was hot in the cabin. Azumi started panting, so I opened the front of the transport bag to provide better ventilation. A flight attendant told her to close the hatch: “After I explained the case, the flight attendant signaled that I could leave it open until takeoff.”

After a while, the situation escalated: another flight attendant is said to have strictly asked Nadine to close the bag immediately: “He quoted the cabin guidelines and he didn’t solve my dog’s heat problem. That made me very upset. The 51-year-old discussed the matter with the staff. She later became emotional. Told the employee: “You can put your stupid cabin rules somewhere else.”

Once the captain was brought in, the situation gradually stabilized. But the flight took off late: “That’s why I was humiliated by the passengers,” says Nadine. The air conditioning worked during the flight.

As a result, he received a “passenger disturbance report” – a written warning – and was instructed to keep the bag covered for the entire flight: “I’m not even allowed to give my dog ​​water.” Months later, the 51-year-old from Bern is still angry: “If animals are allowed to be taken on board, the well-being of the animals must be guaranteed.”

After the incident in September last year, he only received a “prepared apology email” from Swiss. The woman from Bern contacted Swiss animal protection, which confronted the Swiss. So far STS has had no response from the airline: “Employees have acted according to their on-board cabin rules, but Swiss animal protection laws apply on the ground,” says Nadja. Swiss Animal Protection confirmed this to her.

Spokeswoman Doriane Cavalli confirmed to 20 Minutes that there was an incident involving a passenger and an accompanying pet: “We allow the carriage of animals under certain conditions, which will be clearly communicated to passengers when booking.” For safety reasons, under no circumstances should an animal be taken out of its pouch: “An animal’s behavior is unpredictable. An animal outside of its pouch may obstruct service, disturb or frighten passengers during the flight. Depending on the situation, the cabin crew may allow passengers to water the animals, but only in the bag.

When asked about animal protection laws on the ground, Cavalli says: “From the moment passengers board the plane, even before the flight has taken off, the regulations for carrying an animal in the cabin apply.” For reasons of confidentiality and security of passenger data, no further details can be provided.

So far, Nadine has only traveled with Swiss and had no problems: “No problems on the return flight either.” The 51-year-old is now clear: “I will no longer fly with Swiss. The bottom drawer is how my dog ​​and I were treated.