Disgruntled Delta Passenger Rails Against Dog in First-Class Seat

One Delta Airlines passenger had a ruff... er, rough... flight after losing his seat to a dog.

A passenger says their first-class ticket was downgraded after a passenger needed the premium spot for their support animal. The disgruntled flyer shared their experience on Reddit, detailing their ordeal alongside a photo of the seat-stealing canine.

It seems like the company has gotten wind of the disappointed customer and is researching what happened.

Here's everything you need to know about the airline passenger who lost their first-class seat to a dog, including what your rights are if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Folks on the Delta Subreddit got the scoop about user ben_bob's unfortunate experience with the airline when the flyer shared the details (and a cute picture of the pooch) in the forum.

The Redditor opened up his post by explaining how he only had 15 minutes to celebrate a surprise upgrade from Delta during a recent flight before claiming it was snatched away. When @ben_bob approached the airline about the switch, he was told that "something changed."

The Redditor claimed upon boarding the plane that his new seat was even worse than what he'd originally purchased. Additionally, he noticed that his first-class arrangements were taken over by a dog.

"I immediately chat Delta support and they say, 'You may be relocated for service animals' and there is nothing they can do," he wrote. "There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have... What an absolute joke."

While the Redditor added a laugh/cry emoji to the post before continuing, it's clear that they weren't really in a smiling mood. 

"What's the point of being loyal to this airline anymore, truly," they continued. "I've sat back when others complained about this airline mistreating customers lately and slipping in service levels, but I'm starting to question my allegiance as well."

It sounds like service dogs routinely get seated when traveling with the airline, although they typically try not to do so at another customer's expense, according to a representative who spoke with People about the ordeal.

"Delta teams are aware of the customer complaint and are researching the details of what may have occurred," the representative said in part, adding that @ben_bob should reach out to them directly.

"Service animals are routinely accommodated on Delta without impacting customer seat assignments," the representative continued.

The company's website offers flyers directions on what to do if they wish to travel with their service animal, including how to submit a request and the guidelines for bringing a service animal aboard a flight.

If you're curious about whether or not your emotional support animal can travel with you, check out this list of airlines which Pettable says allows emotional support animals:

• LATAM Airlines
• Volaris
• Aromexico

Please note: Service animals are not the same as emotional support animals, and these trained pets have federal protections and are allowed to fly in the cabin.

Additionally, several U.S. airlines will allow your dog or cat to fly with you at an additional cost. You can see the full list — which includes familiar names like United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Airlines — by visiting the Pettable website.

Of course, if you're curious about whether your furry friend can fly the friendly skies with you, your best bet is to contact the airline directly before you purchase your ticket.