BARKING MAD? HUGE DOG STEALS THE SHOW ON AMERICAN AIRLINES

There can be any number of reasons that your next flight might be delayed. From weather issues to staffing problems, taking off late is a frustration passengers simply have to grin and bear. But for one American Airlines flight, the slightly late departure was due to something rather out of the ordinary.

Ritchie, as we understand he is called from his Instagram profile, is a big dog. And not in the ‘very important’ sense of the phrase. He is literally a big dog. He’s a Great Pyrenees, also known as a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, which hails from the French side of the mountains. According to the American Kennel Club, these dogs can ready up to 32 inches in height, and can weigh as much as 100 pounds or more!

Wherever Ritchie goes, he attracts attention, and it was no different when he boarded his flight on American Airlines. In an incredible video shared on Instagram, which has already racked up more than 1.4 million likes, we can see just how much ‘disruption’ this fur baby caused on this particular flight.

A bit of a distraction

As the giant hound approaches the door of the plane, he is immediately greeted by cabin crew, phone in hand, for his first paparazzi opportunity of the day. Having smiled for the camera, the big ball of floof is taken for an experience many of us can only dream of – a visit to the cockpit.

Back in the day, small children and the odd enthusiastic avgeek would have been allowed to give the flight deck and eyeball, and perhaps even wear the captain’s hat. But times have changed, and this is now no longer a possibility on most of the world’s airlines. However, it seems that if you’re super cute and incredibly shaggy, the flight crew will still welcome you up front.

Ritchie boldly sticks his head into the cockpit to the delight of one of the pilots, who instantly beams and begins scratching his head. Pausing for a selfie with the friendly pup, he then proceeds to grab his hat and place it on the dog’s head. The big woofer doesn’t mind one bit!

As Ritchie finally makes his way to his seat, he continues to earn joyful looks from the passengers seated on the plane. “They had a bit of technical trouble up there,” reads the humorous caption, explaining away the slight delay to the airplane’s takeoff.

Dogs on a plane

If you’ve tried to travel with a pet onboard American Airlines, you might be wondering how this doggo got a free pass to travel in the passenger cabin. American Airlines states that only pets small enough to fit in a carry on kennel may be allowed to board the cabin – pets of larger sizes must travel in the cargo hold.

However, Ritchie’s harness gives away the reason for his inclusion in the airplane’s passenger cabin. If you look closely, you’ll see the word ‘service’ on his harness, which suggests he is exempt from this rule as a fully trained service dog. In order to be allowed on board, he must be trained to help his owner with a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability, making him all the more adorable in our eyes.