By NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Ever wonder if you could get a free flight to your dream destination by stowing away in someone’s check-in luggage?
Disregarding the need about having to stamp your passport, it can be said that your chances of surviving a flight as a stowaway are much higher if you can get into the cargo hold compared to that in the landing gear.
But even if you can manage to squeeze in a luggage bag for check-in, you still would have to clear the x-ray check first.
That was what a cat failed to achieve in its unexpected trip after sneaking into a bag at home.
Lisa Farbstein, the spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) posted a tweet on Tuesday, showing a close-up shot of a luggage bag and what seems to be orange fur coming out of the opening.
A @TSA officer was shocked to find an orange cat inside a checked bag at @JFKairport after it went through the X-ray unit. Traveler said the cat belonged to someone else in his household. On the bright side, the cat’s out of the bag and safely back home. pic.twitter.com/5XZVJLaZNm
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) November 22, 2022
Ms Farbestein wrote that a TSA officer was shocked to find an orange cat inside a check-in bag at the John F. Kennedy International Airport after it went into the X-ray unit.
TSA agents contacted Delta, the airline that the owner of the bag was travelling on, who then paged the Orlando-bound passenger.
The owner of the bag allegedly said that the cat belongs to someone in his household.
Ms Farbestein also noted that the cat is safely back at home.
It is understood that the passenger missed his flight as he had to take the cat back home and rescheduled a flight the next day.
A couple of hours later, TSA tweeted a post of what the officer saw in the X-ray unit.
We’re letting the cat out of the bag on a hiss-toric find. This CATch had our baggage screening officers @JFKairport saying, “Come on meow”! Feline like you have travel questions reach out to our furiends @AskTSA. They’re available every day, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. (ET). pic.twitter.com/LpIkLbAgzC
— TSA (@TSA) November 22, 2022
A clear image of a cat can be seen crouched on top of a luggage.
While some commented that this was an intentional act by the passenger, some stated it as plausible based on their own experiences with their pets.
Meka Jamesa Larimer wrote, “It’s very possible. I packed a suitcase for a 3 week Norway trip. Got the bag packed, locked, loaded and on the way to the airport, and it started meowing at me. Cat had crawled in and burrowed under my sweaters and I didn’t have a clue. I have no idea how she even fit in there!”
Just last October in Texas, a 5-pound chihuahua managed to get inside a bag without its owners’ knowledge. They only discovered that the dog was inside the bag after opening the bag to repack it to avoid a fee for the overweight luggage.