Nice idea but too risky
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Updated: July 08, 2009 5:11 PM
Crashing may no longer be the biggest fear for some people travelling on airplanes.
The decision of a couple of carriers to allow pets in passenger cabins has evoked a new set of fears, something which people who don’t have allergies might not appreciate.
The Canadian Lung Association recently outlined its opposition to the plan, noting that air inside cabins recirculates, meaning even a small amount of allergen – like the dander or saliva of a pet – can spread quickly. While itchy, watery eyes are something many allergic passengers might be willing to put up with for relatively short periods of time, the real danger is to people with allergies who have asthma. What could be worse for a passenger than to begin wheezing and coughing while their airways swell, knowing that there is no way to exit the plane in order to escape the allergen or to receive medical care?
Just as hotels have learned when it comes to getting rid of cigarette smoke in a hotel room, ridding an airplane cabin of all allergens from pets will be difficult.
Although allowing pets in passenger cabins is a great, thoughtful idea to assist pet owners, for those with allergies, it just doesn’t fly.
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