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American Airlines is easing some of its pet policies in order to allow pet owners to bring their furry friends along with a full-size carry-on bag into the cabin, ABC7 reported.
Until this past week, passengers who paid a $150 ticket to bring a pet into the cabin were limited to one additional small item that could fit beneath the seat.
Larger items, such as a carry-on bag with wheels, required checking, which cost $35. They could also put the pet in the cargo hold.
Now, American Airlines is permitting passengers to bring a pet in the cabin and a carry-on bag or personal item, but not both bags.
Some pet owners criticised the old policy for unfairness, since they were already paying a pet fee.
Gary Leff, a travel blogger who first wrote about the change, recalled traveling years ago with a Yorkshire terrier.
“It was always frustrating that the dog counted as the carry-on even though I was paying the extra (pet) fee that was sometimes more than the ticket for me,” he said.
Leff said he thinks American’s change will reduce the urge for travelers to falsely claim that their pet is a service animal that flies for free.
An American spokeswoman confirmed that the rules change took effect Thursday.
“We made the change to provide a more convenient and comfortable experience to customers whose pets fly American,” she said.
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