Dog lovers be warned: Nobody wants to sit next to - or smell - your beloved Chow Chow when they've paid for business class flights, writes KATE WICKERS

At the risk of putting the cat among the pigeons (or the dog in this case) in our nation of devoted pooch parents, I don’t think it’s acceptable that sharing cabin space with canine passengers is becoming the norm.

While I’m a doting dog owner, I would never dream of sticking my Westie, Bertie, in the cargo hold.

In fact, with the exception of well-trained service dogs, I’m a firm believer that man’s best friend should stick to terra firm – and the first breed I’d like to ban from the skies are chihuahuas – especially if they have names like ‘Duchess’, and wear Gucci jackets (like the designer pup I met recently while travelling from London to Milan).

However, perhaps we’re all (including me) going to have to get used to it. Jet-setting with your dog is fast becoming a growing custom, part of a booming ‘pawprint’ economy, with statistics to show it’s a trend that will continue to rise steadily – with 28 per cent of UK owners planning a flight with their pet in 2026.

For those with cash to splash, there are a handful of specialists that offer a pay-per-seat, crate-free experience, such as British-based private airline K9 Jets, where Fido can sit in his own seat next to you.

With no size restrictions, the airline delivers the ultimate dog-friendly flight, with premium doggy biscuits and a K9-branded water bowl included.

Routes include London to Miami, but cost a cool £8,700 per seat, one way. American airline Bark Air is also expanding its routes to include Dublin and Berlin this year.

But it’s not just specialist services that are barking mad. Some mainstream airlines are also trialling having medium to large dogs in the cabin, and from the summer of 2026, Italian carrier, ITA Airways, will allow dogs of up to 30kg in cabins on certain flights. Currently, though, most rules still stipulate that dog and carrier combined mustn’t weigh more than 8-10kg.

Among the most dog-friendly airlines are KLM, American Airlines, Air Canada, and Aegean Airlines. Good old British Airways isn’t budging, remaining as strict as Barbara Woodhouse.

On a recent flight from London to Amsterdam, I sat next to a man transporting a dachshund that was clearly upset at being confined in a carry case. It yapped consistently and then left deposited a small, yet lethal, gift for all of us passengers to enjoy.

Unsurprisingly, incidents of nature calling in air are far from uncommon: on an infamous United Airlines flight in 2024, a dog defecated so messily in the first-class aisle that the plane had to be diverted for an emergency landing.

So, what are your choices if, like me, you’re not keen on airborne dogs, are frightened, or even allergic?

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KLM’s advice is as follows: ‘We want all out customers to travel comfortably. If a passenger has an allergy, please inform the crew during the boarding process.

If possible, they will offer an alternative seat when available.

While we cannot guarantee a completely pet-free environment, we are committed to supporting every passenger.”

I asked to move while flying in business class from Shanghai to London because the lady behind me was travelling with a fluffy-faced chow chow (on a lead but not in a crate as per regulations. Ahem).

Unfortunately for me, the flight was full.

‘Oh, he’ll be fine,’ she told me, when I was unable to mask my horror when I clocked that it would be bedding down in the space below my seat. ‘Once it’s night-time, he’ll sleep and you won’t hear a peep.’

How true this was. I might not have heard him, but let me tell you, I certainly smelt him.

So, unless it is vital travel, I implore you: please, keep your dog’s paws on the ground.