'I Was Disgruntled': Delta Passenger Claims He Lost First-Class Seat to Accommodate Co-Passenger's Dog

A Delta passenger's frustrating experience has gone viral on social media. In a Reddit post, the man shared how he was "downgraded for a dog" on a Delta Air Lines flight.

“I was upgraded to first class this morning, only to be downgraded 15 minutes later (to a worse seat than I had previously). I asked the desk agent what was going on, and she said, 'Something changed,'" the passenger wrote in an airline-related subreddit.

Reddit user @ben_bob also posted a picture of the dog that was occupying his first-class seat. "Okay, fine, I’m disgruntled, but whatever. Then I board the plane and see this dog in my seat... and now I'm livid," he said.

He quickly reached out to Delta support, but they informed him that passengers may be relocated for service animals, and there was nothing they could do.

The passenger later revealed that he was forced to vacate his seat, and when he contacted Delta again, he was told that airline policy prioritizes service animals.

"There’s no way that dog has spent as much time with this airline as I have. What an absolute joke. What’s the point of being loyal to this airline anymore? I’ve sat back while others complained about this airline’s declining service, but I’m starting to question my allegiance as well," he expressed in his post.

Other Delta passengers sympathized with the man, with some claiming that service animals have become a nuisance to fellow passengers on flights.

“Notice how you don’t see this many service animals anywhere else in life? Go to the airport, and all of a sudden, they’re everywhere,” one user remarked.

Another referred to it as “American main-character syndrome."

“The dog is probably a Diamond Medallion 2 million miler,” joked a third user.

A Delta employee also weighed in, explaining that passengers with special needs and service animals are legally granted priority seating. “When I worked in reservations, I had to inform people that Delta is legally obligated to move them if a passenger with disabilities requires it,” they said.