[JennK]

I’m writing this on behalf of my son and daughter-in-law, who are both flying on military PCS orders from Austin, TX to Seoul, Korea with their three cats. What they experienced with Delta Airlines was not just frustrating—it was deeply disappointing and completely avoidable.
Originally, they were booked with American Airlines, but were turned away at the airport because AA’s policy prohibits in-cabin pets on flights longer than 12 hours. In a stressful scramble, my son went to the Delta counter and spoke with a representative named Ikeysha. She sold him tickets for a same-day itinerary: Austin to Salt Lake City, then Salt Lake City to Seoul (ICN). She assured him that all three cats could fly in-cabin with him and his wife.
When they returned to check in for the flight, they were told this was incorrect. Delta only allows one pet per passenger in-cabin, and the agent named Key refused to let my son purchase an extra seat to accommodate the third cat. He then asked if the third cat could fly as checked baggage, which Delta’s own policy allows for military PCS travelers. Key and her supervisor, Juan T, denied this option, claiming the Salt Lake City to ICN flight was too long.
Trying to find a solution, my son asked if they could reroute through the West Coast (LAX or Seattle) to shorten the international leg. Juan T then said the cat couldn’t fly out of Austin at 10pm because the temperature earlier in the day had exceeded Delta’s limit, even though it was only 77°F at 7pm. Delta’s policy clearly states that checked pets are restricted when temperatures at the time of travel exceed 80°F—not based on the day’s peak.
My son then asked if he could fly early the next morning before it got hot. At that point, both Juan T and Key refused to assist further. Juan T told my son the only option was to “leave one cat behind,” and if he wasn’t willing to do that, they would no longer help him. They dismissed him from the counter and refused to help with a refund, telling him to call the reservations number instead.
This is how Delta treated a military family trying to follow every rule and find a humane solution. The lack of compassion, misinformation, and refusal to help was appalling. Military families already face enormous stress during PCS moves—this kind of treatment is unacceptable.
I’ve posted this review on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Consumer Affairs, and now here. I hope Delta takes accountability and revisits how they train staff to handle pet travel and military PCS situations. No family should be told to “leave a pet behind” because of poor communication and rigid, misapplied policies.