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Minnesota magician sues airline for banning dove from flight

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Oct 28, 2011 at 10:57 am

HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) - A magician from Minnesota is suing AirTran Airways after the airline wouldn't let him bring his show dove on a flight.

Bernard Poston of Apple Valley says he had to leave Magic the dove behind with an airport employee in Las Vegas last month after he wasn't allowed to board a flight home with the bird tucked in his pocket.

AirTran, based in Orlando, Fla., says the bird must be in a carrier and placed under a passenger seat in order to be transported. Airline spokeswoman Brandy King tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://bit.ly/w4Lbuc ) that having a loose pet on a flight is not an option, especially a bird.

Poston is seeking more than $50,000 in damages in his Dakota County District Court lawsuit.