Man Says Airline Won’t Let Him Fly Home With His Great Dane Service Dog
A man trying to return home to Chile says he has been stranded in Canada after an airline repeatedly refused to let him board with his service dog. The problem? His medical assistance animal is a Great Dane, and airline employees reportedly said there was not enough room for him.
Matias Rodriguez, who has diabetes, relies on his five-year-old dog, Logan, to detect dangerous changes in his blood sugar and alert him before a medical emergency occurs.
The pair traveled to Vancouver aboard Aeroméxico earlier this year without incident. Their return journey wound up becoming considerably more difficult, as the duo contended with unsuccessful boarding attempts and an expensive alternative ticket that still offered no guarantees of smooth travel.
Rodriguez and his friend and translator, Vynka Contreras, described their experience to CTV News in an interview published Oct. 27. The dispute has raised questions about how airlines accommodate unusually large service animals.
Passenger Turned Away From Two Flights
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The trouble began Oct. 24, when Rodriguez arrived at Vancouver International Airport for his return trip to Chile, connecting through Mexico. According to his account to CTV News, Aeroméxico employees told him the flight was full and that they lacked sufficient space for Logan.
He agreed to return the following day after his flight was rescheduled, only to encounter the same problem. Rodriguez said he had offered to purchase three adjacent seats, an arrangement he was already familiar with from previous flights.
“He flew back here with no problem, so why does it make any issue flying back home? I don’t understand why,” Rodriguez said through his translator.
On Oct. 27, Rodriguez paid more than $3,000 for a business-class ticket, hoping the extra space would solve the problem. Aeroméxico still could not guarantee Logan a spot on the flight, and the ticket would only get them as far as Mexico. From there, Rodriguez would have to find another way home to Chile.
Rodriguez needs to return to Chile to renew his temporary Canadian work status, which has expired. Contreras said the continuing uncertainty was taking a toll on both him and his dog.
Airline’s Service Animal Rules Raise Questions
Under Aeroméxico‘s published policy, trained service dogs are permitted to accompany passengers in aircraft cabins without an additional transportation fee.
Aeroméxico‘s animal transportation rules also list no specific weight limit for service dogs, unlike ordinary in-cabin pets and emotional support animals. That distinction is significant for Logan, whose breed is considerably larger than most dogs travelers encounter aboard aircraft.
Although Aeroméxico does not have a weight limit for service dogs, their size can still present challenges when it comes to seating arrangements. The airline has not publicly explained exactly why Logan could not be accommodated on either flight.
Contreras has also turned to Facebook to seek help, sharing photographs of Logan and urging the airline to accommodate the dog on the return journey. She said the pair had already traveled with Aeroméxico successfully and hoped the company would offer the same consideration again.
Both People and the New York Post reported that Aeroméxico had not responded to their requests for comment as of Oct. 29.
Rodriguez has maintained that leaving Logan behind is not an option. Despite purchasing another ticket, he had not received confirmation that the airline would accommodate his service dog on the journey home.
