Couple Obtain Refund for 13-Hour Flight Ruined by Farting Dog

A New Zealand couple sought a refund from Singapore Airlines after a farting dog drove them out of their premium seats.

By Michael Hein

A couple traveling on Singapore Airlines received a partial refund for a 13 hour flight because they say they said a dog in the seat next to them farted the entire time. Commenters are now asking Gill and Warren Press to teach a master class on customer service negotiations after they were reimbursed their flight from Paris to Singapore back in June. According to a report by TMZ, they got back about $1,410.

Gill and Warren shared their story with a reporter from Insider. They said they were seated next to someone who had an ill-behaved dog with them on this long and arduous flight. It looked like a bulldog mix to them, and they said at the best of times it was snoring and farting. The couple said that they are not opposed to service dogs being allowed on planes, but they admitted that they are still not used to it. Gill said: I expect to see a baby. I expect young children. But, I don't expect a dog."

Still, the couple intends to show their support for those that need service animals by donating their refund to an organization that trains service dogs in their home country, New Zealand. That is a considerable donation since they said it was a lot of work to get their refund. The couple said that Singapore Airlines was reluctant to hear their case and slow to respond throughout the process.

The airline did not respond to other reporters' requests for comment, though they previously confirmed that they had apologized to the Press family for their experience. Gill and Warren paid extra for the airline's "premium economy" seats, which made it all the more horrifying when they realized they'd been seated next to a dog. Gill recalled: "I said to my husband, 'You need to sort this. We can't have a dog sitting next to us for this length of time.'"

A flight attendant told Gill and Warren that the only other available seats were at the back of the economy cabin, so at first they tried to endure their 13-hour flight. However, they ended up moving to the lower end seats when the smell and the sound became unbearable. After that, they said they went through the proper channels to request a refund, expecting to get back at least the difference in cost between economy seats and premium economy seats.

They got it in the end, but not without quite a bit of correspondence. Gill said: "That's the least they could do. If they wanted to be really nice, they could've given us way more." Still, many commenters are amazed and amused by this couple's story. It is still sparking conversation on social media today.

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