Don't forget, pigs did fly...
Pig Flies First Class Across U.S.
The Associated Press
Friday, Oct. 27, 2000; 9:26 p.m. EDT
PHILADELPHIA Yes, a pig really flew first class.
It flew US Airways, and the company, embarrassed, says
it's never going to let it happen again.
On Oct. 17, the six-hour flight from Philadelphia to
Seattle carried 201 passengers 200 people and one
hog, which sat on the floor in the first row of first
class.
"We can confirm that the pig traveled, and we can
confirm that it will never happen again," US Airways
spokesman David Castelveter said. "Let me stress that.
It will never happen again."
Sources familiar with the incident told the
Philadelphia Daily News in Friday's editions that the
hog's owners convinced the airline that the animal was
a "therapeutic companion pet," like a guide dog for
the blind.
The pig was traveling with two unidentified women who
claimed they had a doctor's note that allowed them to
fly with the animal, according to an internal airline
report. US Airways and Federal Aviation Administration
rules allow passengers to fly with service animals.
The animal became unruly as the plane taxied toward
the Seattle terminal, the report said, running through
the jet, squealing and trying to get into the cockpit.
"Many people on board the aircraft were quite upset
that there was a large uncontrollable pig on board,
especially those in the first-class cabin," the
incident report stated.
The pig made it off the plane but continued squealing
inside the Seattle airport.
FAA officials in Seattle said they were unfamiliar
with the incident but promised to investigate.
) Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
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