Narrative:

Recently, one if not more of the major airlines, instituted a new policy regarding their carriage of animals. Formerly, animals were boarded in the cargo area(south) of various aircraft, with few if any, being boarded in the passenger cabin(south). Current airline policies provide for a certain number of animals to be carried in the cabin(south). Additionally, at their discretion, the number of animals carried in various cabins can be increased beyond the numbers(south) provided for by an airline's policy manuals. The reason most often cited for this increase is to accommodate the needs of revenue passenger. When animals are placed in various aircraft cabin(south) it creates an allergy problem for certain passenger seated in the cabins where these animals are located. The seriousness of the problem is directly proportional to both the number of animals and the proximity to each. Notably, this becomes a safety problem for the entire crew, including the flight crew. On a recent lax-jfk flight, I was the captain and I was informed after takeoff, that five cats were located in business and first class. I then determined that five flight attendants were allergic to cats. The purser had to take claritin and used an inhaler to finish the flight. For the entire duration of the flight the re-circulation fans on the B767 were turned off. Both flight operations and dispatch were notified. On a personal note, I have been allergic to cats, both from their presence in a room and/or from direct contact. This evaluation by xyz clinic followed an anaphylactic reaction during endpoint titration testing in a doctor's office. The policies for carrying animals in a cabin need to take into consideration both the comfort and safety of the other passenger and the entire flight crew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that an agent came up to him in the boarding area and told him that an upset, rerouted passenger was taking her CAT in the cabin. She never told him about the other four cats. Two were in first class near the lavatories that the pilots frequently use. The purser didn't know about the number of cats on board. The captain called dispatch, and told them he was severely allergic to cats and was susceptible to anaphylactic shock. The reporter claims he couldn't leave the cockpit for fear of going into an allergic attack. He believes that some passenger were also affected. He talked to a flight attendant after the flight, and she thought that the company's policy on pets in the cabin was: none in first class, 2 in business class and 2 in economy class. The reporter believes that because of publicity of pets loaded into the cargo area freezing to death, that the company is focusing on putting pets in the cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B767, LAX-JFK. 5 CATS BOARDED IN FIRST AND BUSINESS CLASS. FIVE CAB CREW SUFFERED ALLERGIC REACTIONS FROM CATS. CAPT VERY ALLERGIC. SUGGESTS PET POLICY BE REVIEWED.

Narrative: RECENTLY, ONE IF NOT MORE OF THE MAJOR AIRLINES, INSTITUTED A NEW POLICY REGARDING THEIR CARRIAGE OF ANIMALS. FORMERLY, ANIMALS WERE BOARDED IN THE CARGO AREA(S) OF VARIOUS ACFT, WITH FEW IF ANY, BEING BOARDED IN THE PAX CABIN(S). CURRENT AIRLINE POLICIES PROVIDE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO BE CARRIED IN THE CABIN(S). ADDITIONALLY, AT THEIR DISCRETION, THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS CARRIED IN VARIOUS CABINS CAN BE INCREASED BEYOND THE NUMBERS(S) PROVIDED FOR BY AN AIRLINE'S POLICY MANUALS. THE REASON MOST OFTEN CITED FOR THIS INCREASE IS TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF REVENUE PAX. WHEN ANIMALS ARE PLACED IN VARIOUS ACFT CABIN(S) IT CREATES AN ALLERGY PROB FOR CERTAIN PAX SEATED IN THE CABINS WHERE THESE ANIMALS ARE LOCATED. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROB IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO BOTH THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND THE PROXIMITY TO EACH. NOTABLY, THIS BECOMES A SAFETY PROB FOR THE ENTIRE CREW, INCLUDING THE FLT CREW. ON A RECENT LAX-JFK FLT, I WAS THE CAPT AND I WAS INFORMED AFTER TKOF, THAT FIVE CATS WERE LOCATED IN BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS. I THEN DETERMINED THAT FIVE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALLERGIC TO CATS. THE PURSER HAD TO TAKE CLARITIN AND USED AN INHALER TO FINISH THE FLT. FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE FLT THE RE-CIRCULATION FANS ON THE B767 WERE TURNED OFF. BOTH FLT OPERATIONS AND DISPATCH WERE NOTIFIED. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I HAVE BEEN ALLERGIC TO CATS, BOTH FROM THEIR PRESENCE IN A ROOM AND/OR FROM DIRECT CONTACT. THIS EVALUATION BY XYZ CLINIC FOLLOWED AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION DURING ENDPOINT TITRATION TESTING IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. THE POLICIES FOR CARRYING ANIMALS IN A CABIN NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BOTH THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF THE OTHER PAX AND THE ENTIRE FLT CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT AN AGENT CAME UP TO HIM IN THE BOARDING AREA AND TOLD HIM THAT AN UPSET, REROUTED PAX WAS TAKING HER CAT IN THE CABIN. SHE NEVER TOLD HIM ABOUT THE OTHER FOUR CATS. TWO WERE IN FIRST CLASS NEAR THE LAVATORIES THAT THE PILOTS FREQUENTLY USE. THE PURSER DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CATS ON BOARD. THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH, AND TOLD THEM HE WAS SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO CATS AND WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK. THE RPTR CLAIMS HE COULDN'T LEAVE THE COCKPIT FOR FEAR OF GOING INTO AN ALLERGIC ATTACK. HE BELIEVES THAT SOME PAX WERE ALSO AFFECTED. HE TALKED TO A FLT ATTENDANT AFTER THE FLT, AND SHE THOUGHT THAT THE COMPANY'S POLICY ON PETS IN THE CABIN WAS: NONE IN FIRST CLASS, 2 IN BUSINESS CLASS AND 2 IN ECONOMY CLASS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE OF PUBLICITY OF PETS LOADED INTO THE CARGO AREA FREEZING TO DEATH, THAT THE COMPANY IS FOCUSING ON PUTTING PETS IN THE CABIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.