Yes, what you see above is an actual panda flying on a commercial airline.
China Airlines is a proud corporate sponsor of the panda snactuary at Cheng Du and was happy to help out recently with the transfer of a young panda cub to a zoo in the United States of America. After extensive consultation with the Sanctury’s veterinary staff it was concluded that the importance of the panda cub precluded it from traveling in the hold of the aircraft, where attending to its needs would be difficult. Thus China Airlines agreed to donate seats in its Business Traveler First cabin for the panda cub named Squee Squee and his carer, Fu Jiang Lang, seen here sitting in the window seat.
So there’s this — a live panda flying business class — and there’s this: Alec Baldwin got kicked off of a flight last night for continuing to play Words With Friends on his phone after the flight crew issued that bullsh*t demand that all passenger shut off electronic devices.
Reports the New York Post:
Hot-head Alec Baldwin was kicked off an American Airlines flight this afternoon in Los Angeles because he was playing a game on his phone apparently past the point when passengers are supposed to have turned off their devices.
On his Twitter account, Baldwin wrote: “Flight attendant on American [Airlines] reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving.”
Fellow passengers stuck on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport quickly tweeted about the incident moments after it took place.
Baldwin was aboard AA Flight 4, which was delayed an hour, when the “30 Rock” star was booted for not listening to the flight attendant.
So in 2011 live pandas on planes are cool in China but getting caught playing games on your phone in the U.S. will get you kicked off a flight. Got it. I mean, Alec Baldwin is a bit of an as$hole and pandas are adorable, after all.