Man Buys Extra Seat on Plane for His 90 lb Dog: ‘Personal Comfort’

A large dog traveled in style as he was given a seat with the humans on a recent flight.

Rather than travel in a crate in cargo, Damascus, an American Akita, got the full experience when he got a seat all to himself beside his owner.

In a video shared to TikTok account @bigdogsgotoheaven on June 4, the camera pans around a busy flight, before landing on the giant dog resting with his eyes closed, panting. And while he was stuck with the middle seat, he didn’t seem to mind too much.

The short clip has proved incredibly popular, racking up over 1.1 million likes and being viewed more than 4.6 million times, as users flocked to the video to describe Damascus as their “dream seat neighbor”.

“He looks so relaxed,” one user wrote, with another commenting: “This would cure my flight anxiety. A little paw to hold on to when I’m scared.”

“Sitting next to a dog on a plane is my dream,” another posted, with one describing that flight as a “10/10”.

Others asked how Damascus’ owner was able to get him a seat. He said in a comment that they were able to buy an extra seat and, rather than give a passenger ID, chose “excess baggage or personal comfort.”

While it is not unusual to see smaller animals such as cats or certain breeds of dogs on a flight, often in a carrier, the American Akita is far from compact.

Adults can grow up to weigh between 70 and 130 pounds, and grow up to 28 inches tall, according to the American Kennel Club. In a comment, Damascus’ owner revealed his pet weighted over 90 pounds.

Different airlines have different rules for animals traveling on their planes, with United Airlines allowing only service animals to be with their owner without a carrier on a flight.

The TikTok user, who states on their page that they are in California, did not reveal the airline or which country they were traveling through in the video. However, he did mention in a comment that Damascus acts as a service dog for him as he has diabetes.

Things are about to change for owners wishing to travel with their pets without putting them in cargo, however. It was announced in June that Bark Air, an airline designed for dogs, would soon be traveling to Paris, London, New York and beyond.

Dogs will be able to travel with their owners without the need for a carrier, in planes prepared with canine-friendly soothing music and calming colors.

Bark Air’s maiden voyage took flight in May, and the new routes are due to begin in October.

Newsweek has contacted @bigdogsgotoheaven via TikTok for comment.

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