a seasoned “travel cat” whose adventures are meant to help others learn more about pet-friendly travel. His website says the cats behind the account have collectively traveled to 15 countries, with guides on everything from leash training to flying with a cat. That is not exactly my lane, but I will admit that Reinhardt appears far more composed in premium cabins than many human passengers.
A recent video shows Reinhardt onboard Turkish Airlines business class on a Boeing 787-9. He is not cowering in a carrier or frantically trying to escape. Instead, he calmly walks down the aisle, inspects the cabin, and eventually settles into his human’s lap.
A calm cat sitting in a lap makes for a charming video. A nervous pet that meows, sheds heavily, triggers allergies, soils the cabin, scratches a passenger, or blocks egress is a very different story. Airlines have to build rules around the less charming possibilities.
I also remain skeptical of pets roaming around premium cabins, even briefly. A business class cabin is still a shared space, not a private living room. Other passengers may have allergies, fears, or simply no interest in sharing the aisle with someone else’s animal. That does not mean Reinhardt did anything wrong. It does mean that the line between “cute travel cat content” and “why is this animal loose in the cabin?” is thinner than pet influencers may want to admit and I’m tired of the “rules for thee, but not for me” approach to this sort of content.
