A dog like Fifi is one lucky dog!
A video of a jet-setting Fifi, a four-year-old miniature long-haired dachshund, went viral from an Instagram post shared by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The dog was seen to be all snuggled up under blankets on a seat in the business class section of Turkish Airlines.
The British owner, Helen Rosalie, stated that Fifi was “calm and collected” throughout the 11-hour flight from Hong Kong to Paris.
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Although this trip is not Fifi’s first time traveling via plane, some netizens were not pleased to see the dog treated as Helen’s “own daughter.”
“It seems a bit sad that you’d prefer to spend tens of thousands on a dog and call it your daughter when there are thousands of children in care homes that could become a real daughter,” wrote one.
Another netizen expressed that the video was “hard to see” as the cost of a dog flying first-class could have been used to provide for the poor.
This is nothing new. I know a lot of people who bring their dogs with them when they travel. If they can afford it why not? You don’t know the charitable works these dog owners do. Many are private people who DON’T NEED to publicize EVERYTHING!
— blissfulcow (@blissfulcow) March 20, 2023
Totally agree! Ppl are so annoying giving their unsolicited opinions. It’s their money. And Fifi deserves it.
— 🗣 Deku (@dekukonos) March 20, 2023
Though some have mixed reactions to Fifi’s travels, the business of pet travel services has been rising.
SCMP reports the global market value of 2021 at $782.4 million is set to reach 1.3 billion in 2031.
Jet sharing is a growing trend in the sector where pet owners who wish to travel with their fur kids can charter a private jet and share the expenses with others.
Chartering a private jet is no longer reserved for the rich and famous, according to Olga Radlynska Naudot, founder of Hong Kong-based private aviation company, Top Stars Air.
“Travelling on a private jet with your pet in the cabin is safe, fast, and efficient and provides peace of mind,” said Naudot.
“And of course, you get all the perks like a separate arrivals area, less security, and the private jet experience such as lots of space and champagne.”
She also stated that more people are leaning toward private jets due to the high prices of commercial flights which spiked during the pandemic.
Another reason is that commercial flights usually have restrictions on large dogs and certain breeds, meaning some animals would have to fly in the cargo as hold or as freight, which can be traumatic for some pets and their owners, especially on long-haul flights. Fur babies that are allowed in the cabin are service pets and emotional support animals. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have guidelines wherein these animals need to be put in a hard crate, leashed, and properly harnessed throughout the duration of the travel.
While there is nothing wrong with bringing pets on board either as emotional support or just for the sake of traveling, we hope to see more people open their minds to furry friends being treated just like humans, as animals have feelings, too.
banner by: @fifilittledarling
