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Danny Lee

Vivienne Chow

A Hollywood star famed for his comedy roles failed to see the funny side of flying with Cathay Pacific on Monday.
In a furious Twitter tirade, Seth Rogen urged his 2.35 million followers “never” fly Cathay Pacific after his wife and dog were unable to board a flight with the Hong Kong airline.
“My wife is missing a funeral because Cathay Pacific wouldn’t let her and our dog on a plane after they let us book the trip with the dog,” said the 32-year-old. It was said to be his grandmother's funeral.
Seth and Lauren Miller Rogen, and their dog, were flying from New York to Vancouver, but it was unclear whether the couple had made advance arrangements for their dog to travel with them.
The movie star claimed the couple were forced to wait at check-in for 90 minutes before being prevented from flying.
“They [Cathay Pacific] were very polite in explaining that they were f****** us horribly,” he told one fan.
Rogen added: “Next time you’re about to book a flight on Cathay Pacific just remember this tweet, and then book another airline, because they are bad.”
However, frequent flyers and social media users dismissed Rogen’s sense of “entitlement”. One member of Cathay Pacific’s frequent flyer programme slammed Rogen’s “pathetic entitlement attitude”, to which the comedian sarcastically shot back that he preferred to be called "mega-entitled".
Other Twitter users suggested the Rogens were rich enough to charter a private jet and some lauded the airline's track record.
Mistakes are rare for acclaimed Asian airlines like Cathay, who are highly rated for their levels of customer service, particularly in North America.
"Current Civil Aviation Department regulations specify only disability-assistance dogs are allowed into the cabin to help visually, hearing or mobility impaired passengers, even for flights within North America," Cathay Pacific's public relations department said in a statement to the Post.
“We are very sorry for the frustrating situation that Mr and Mrs Rogen experienced, who were due to take Cathay Pacific flight CX889 ... on December 7 local time," it added. "We have extended our sincerest apologies to Mr and Mrs Rogen and will continue to further improve communication with passengers. We hope they will travel with Cathay Pacific again."
Hours after the incident, Lauren Rogen posted on Twitter that they received a "sincere" call from Cathay's America unit.
The Canadian-born actor shot to fame with the film Knocked Up which grossed HK$1.75 billion at the box office, and starred in the 2011 movie The Green Hornet alongside Taiwanese star Jay Chou Jie-lun.
In a tongue-and-cheek reply, Rogen told the South China Morning Post, he would like to recount “the votes on” the airline’s “best airline award” awarded by Skytrax, as voted by flyers.
A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said the airline would look into the incident but was unable to comment on the matter at the time of writing.
But an airline representative on Twitter responded directly to the actor, saying: “Regret to hear about the disappointment, Seth Rogen, do you mind sharing the details via DM [direct message]? We’d like to see what we can do for you?”
Cathay requires all passengers to have the correct health certificates and travel permits for pets. However, the airline does not allow a number of breeds of dog to fly either in the cabin or cargo hold, including Cavalier King Charles spaniels – which is believed to be the breed of the Rogen’s dog.
This is due to an increased risk of suffocation from air cabin pressure for those breeds. An increasing number of dogs with short, stubbed noses and flat faces – or brachycephalic breeds – have died in-flight according to The New York Times.
Rogen insisted they had booked a reservation but were not told about Cathay’s procedures with pets before arriving to the airport.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department asks that all dogs require a special permit before entering Hong Kong, which can allow them to be exempt from strict quarantine rules preventing the spread of disease.
Under rules set by the International Air Transport Association, the global airline governing body, it says that small dogs and cats can travel in the cabin with their owners, depending on the carrier. But some airlines may reject this option, and will transport them as special baggage in a heated and ventilated compartment in the hold instead. 


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Hong Kong

Hollywood star Seth Rogen launched a furious Twitter tirade against Cathay Pacific on Monday, after his wife and dog were prevented from boarding a flight with the carrier.
