Advertiser Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers.
The photo above (courtesy of the TSA) shows that a woman traveling from Tampa International Airport (TPA) tried to bring her pet boa constrictor through security and onto her flight. The woman claimed the snake was an emotional support animal, but the TSA did not let Bartholomew pass.
From the TSA: “Snake on a plane? This is a @TSA X-ray of Bartholomew, a boa constrictor who was in a traveler’s carry-on bag at @FlyTPA last month,” Farbstein tweeted. “Woman claimed the snake was her emotional support pet. TSA notified the airline, which ruled that there was not going to be a snake on their plane!”
I may be in the minority here, but this doesn’t bother me. A boa is quiet, nonvenomous, and would likely be contained during the flight. I have been on flights where pet owners have allowed their dogs to bark and in one instance a woman’s dog pooped as she was boarding. She just walked on by (much to the shock of the gate agent who called her back to clean it up).
I love all animals and was initially more concerned about the snake passing through the X-ray that scans your carryons. The TSA says that they should never be put through the X-ray tunnel.
Anthony’s Take: When possible, leave the pets at home. It’s stressful for the animals and many airlines have strict regulations about what can fly.
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
