Cat’s out of the bag! Nosey tabby causes havoc on United flight from Dallas to San Francisco after leaping out of its owner’s arms and strutting into first class cabin
- A sneaky feline made a hairy escape on this domestic United Airlines flight
- ‘Has anybody lost a cat?’ asks an amused attendant in the viral video
- Finally grabbed, the cheeky pet is returned to its owner and led back to coach
Cat-astrophe was averted on a domestic United flight, after an amused flight attendant helped reunite an adventurous feline with its owner.
The cheeky tabby, which had fled its seat in coach in search of the comforts of first class, was plucked from the aisle by a nearby attendant, who asked – ‘anybody missing a cat?’
The hairy escape reportedly occurred on a domestic United Airlines flight travelling from Dallas, Texas to San Francisco, California, on December 30.
Video captured by fellow flyer David Hislop shows the brave flight attendant gingerly walking the snarling cat back down the aisle, warning passengers to ‘watch out’ as the feline writhes and hisses.
‘She doesn’t know how to hold a cat’, one passenger is heard giggling as the flight attendant gingerly leads the escapee back down the aisle
The feline in question makes one last desperate attempt for freedom, twisting from the attendant’s grasp and racing back towards first class
Halfway through the cabin, the captive kitty makes one last attempt at freedom, twisting out of the attendant’s arms and fleeing again towards the front of the plane.
‘Have you lost your cat?’ repeats another grinning attendant over the loudspeaker. ‘She is running around the airplane. We’re going to need you to come and claim that.’
Owner finally identified, the resigned feline is once more carted back to its seat, escape attempt thwarted.
According to Hislop, the cat was first sighted by passengers strolling up the center aisle into first class. It is not clear from the viral video how exactly the animal got loose.
According to United Airlines’ travel guidelines, pets can travel in the cabin as long as they are within a hard or soft-sided carrier that fits beneath the seat in front.
The ‘one rule’, however, is that they remain in the carrier with the door closed at all times.
The cat’s owner finally comes up to claim it, walking the resigned pet back down to its supposedly secure carrier
While pets are allowed on United flights if space is available, passengers are required to pay a $125 fee each way.
Certain emotional support animals are allowed to accompany flyers for free, but these are strictly classified as specifically trained dogs.
A Department of Transportation rule introduced in 2020 now regulates the presence of pets on planes. The restriction, which outlines clear criteria as to the types of service animals allowed on commercial airline flights, was in response to growing backlash against the outlandish creatures passengers were trying to claim as ’emotional support animals’.
Such brazen efforts to fly side-by-side with beloved pets famously included one woman’s attempt to bring her ’emotional support’ peacock on a 2018 United Airlines flight, as well as a ‘comfort’ turkey that was actually allowed to fly aboard a 2016 Delta Airlines flight.
Other recent incidents of airborne escapes were resolved a little less smoothly.
A nightmarish episode on a 2022 Delta flight to Miami unfolded when the owner of a bull terrier removed it from its carrier, and placed it on the lap of admiring seatmate.
The poor pooch immediately exploded with diarrhea, and set off down the aisle, forcing passengers to pull their legs up to avoid resultant splatter.
Eventually re-captured, the plane was cleaned, and the most afflicted flyers offered wine and $75 Delta vouchers.
