Trouble In the Belly
As the engines purred, whisking the Boeing 757 away from Honolulu and across the Pacific towards Los Angeles, all was calm and collect in the cabin. But little did I know, trouble was brewing in the belly below.
My mission was relatively simple: deliver myself and two cats to LAX.
Skoshi & Sumo waiting for their trip to LAX
Upon check-in, it seemed Delta Airlines had done this before. $200 per feline. Swipe. An easy form. Signed. And a TSA screening. Check.
A nice man calmly wheeled the two-year-olds toward the plane as I walked to the gate.
Six hours later, our flight touched down in the City of Angels, and after some heavy braking, clawed its way to the gate.
I then made my way to the Odd Sized Baggage window and declared myself ready to meet my cats, and my wife outside.
It was a Friday night at LAX. It seemed the whole world was converging on the airport, both airborne passengers and their earthbound rides.
The honks outside gave way to a siren chirping inside, and the baggage carousel lurched to a start. But after 10 minutes of watching nothing but air go around, I got this feeling it wouldn’t be a normal night.
Sure enough, all that spinning aluminum suddenly stopped, prompting tired groans from the Honolulu passengers, and those waiting for bags from other origins.
Twenty more minutes, and two laps later in the car outside, my wife said she was going around again. And then it happened.
“Ladies and gentlemen in the Delta baggage claim area. We apologize for the delay. It looks like an animal has gotten loose on Delta flight 1170 from Honolulu. The plane has been locked-down. We do apologize and hope to have your bags out to you as soon as possible.”
No way. I was sure it was just one of the dogs I saw checking-in behind us. Those crazy canines.
As if I was wearing a t-shirt that said, “I’m traveling with cats,” a man nearby came up to me and interrupted my “No joke: animal loose on my flt… better park!” text message to my wife.
“Hey, one of the flight attendants told me they heard barking during the flight through the cabin floor boards. It looks like my dogs were spooked by a cat that got out.”
No way. If so, I’m sure it was another cat… uh, one that I didn’t see check-in behind me.
Seeking official word, I walked into the baggage office.
“Sir, we’re still trying to locate the animal, and I don’t know if it was a cat or dog.”
By now my wife was by my side. A worried look had replaced the color in her face. And then, as if we stood waiting for an emergency room update, a less than urgent baggage claim attendant walked toward us.
“Mr. Archer, yes, it was one of your cats that got loose. We’re still trying to locate it. We do have your other cat safely in its kennel downstairs. Hang in there.”
I could. But the people waiting for their bags were losing patience, and in the process somehow singling us out as the guardian of the perpetrator.
Twenty more minutes, and the agent was back with an update, as bags simultaneously began pouring on to the carousel. This was good, or very bad news.
“Sir, we’ve located your cat. Our baggage handlers are trying to coax it out of the cargo hold,” she smiled.
Fifteen minutes later, with the baggage claim area now nearly silent, Skoshi the cat and his brother Sumo were rolled-out on a dolly, as if nothing had happened.
That is, until I tugged on the kennel’s gate. It fell off.
Inside, was the dirtiest cat I had ever seen. Grease. Hydraulic fluid. And covered in fear.
So what happened?
Well, despite my questions that night an in a follow-up email to Delta, I still don’t have an answer.
And perhaps I don’t need one. The cat is safe. The wife is happy. And the cat still has at least a few lives left.
Do you have an airplane animal story to tell? Tell us below…
