Something else to consider when flying

[Dewey]

I recently flew from Seattle to San Francisco to visit my sister, and on the way home, I encountered an issue that I hadn't before. I had taken all the normal precautions - long pants, wipe down the seat, etc. - but what I didn't anticipate was that the woman sitting next to me would have a small, incredibly fluffy dog in a carrier under her seat. 

Of course, I didn't notice that the dog was there until my nose and eyes started itching after we had already taken off, so I couldn't switch seats. I had taken my usual meds that morning, but my allergy cup has been quite full lately, plus I'm just really allergic to dogs.

Fortunately, it was a fairly short flight, but let's just say I was not a happy camper by the time I got off the plane - it felt like I spent the whole flight sneezing. Needless to say, I'm adding it to my list of issues to cover before flying - make sure I'm not sitting next to a dog!

[SilverLining]

is there a way to know in advance?  My husband always chooses his seat on-line...so how would anyone know if he had a dog or cat?

Would they allow a passenger to change seats?  assuming of course there were any empty.

[Dewey]

I don't know if there's a way to know in advance, but it's something I'd like to find out more about before the next time I fly - I wouldn't want to put up with that for a longer flight!

They had made an announcement about how it was an entirely full flight, so there wasn't really the possibility of changing seats.

[Janelle205]

I had a similar issue a couple of years ago with someone in the row behind me with a big fluffy cat.

It was miserable.  I was traveling alone, so I didn't really want to totally benadryl myself up.

[Ra3chel]

If you ask a flight attendant, they're often willing to ask around for someone willing to trade seats with you or even do a cabin announcement; or you can ask people yourself. I've done this to sit with a friend on multiple occasions, with no repercussions; I imagine it would be even simpler with a legitimate medical reason.