Joe Harker
A couple that spent a 13 hour flight stuck next to a 'snorting, farting' dog have been given a refund after months of discussions with the airline.
Gill and Warren Press had been heading home to New Zealand after a trip to Europe and had been on a Singapore Airlines flight from Paris to Singapore.
It's a 13 hour trip, so the couple paid a bit extra for 'premium economy' seats to give themselves a bit more room on the plane.
However, they ended up being in for a bad experience when they ended up sat next to a passenger who had an emotional support dog that ended up being rather noisy and smelly.
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Mrs Press said they only realised the dog was there after they heard a 'heavy snorting' which she at first thought was a noise coming from her husband's phone before they spotted the dog.
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Not wanting to have their legroom occupied by a dog for the entire flight, they asked if there were any other seats they could move to but were told the only available ones were at the back of economy, which cost less than what the couple had paid for their premium seats.
They decided to stay, but things got worse when the dog started 'farting' in the confined environment and Mr Press got 'saliva goo on his leg' from the confined canine.
Eventually the couple did decide to move after other seats which had been reserved for airline staff members became available on the flight.
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The couple asked Singapore Airlines for a refund and were unhappy when they were initially offered travel vouchers, so they kept on the airline's case.
They've now been given a refund of around $1,410 which they said they plan to donate to a New Zealand charity which brings guide dogs and visually impaired people together.
Speaking to Insider, Mrs Press said: "The principal wasn't about the money, it was truly about making people accountable."
In a statement provided to LADbible before the couple received their refund, a spokesperson for Singapore Airlines said: "Singapore Airlines (SIA) apologises to Mr and Mrs Press for their experience on board their flight from Paris to Singapore.
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"SIA endeavours to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog prior to boarding. In circumstances where customers seated next to an assistance dog request to be moved, we will assist to re-seat customers within the same cabin if space permits.
"In this instance, we were unable to move Mr and Mrs Press within the same cabin as the Premium Economy Class cabin was full. Our crew offered to move Mr and Mrs Press to two empty seats in Economy Class, which they accepted after take-off."
The statement also said they'd been in further contact with the couple.