If you haven’t chosen your seat on a flight there is always the worry that you’ll end up next to a snorer, behind an inconsiderate recliner or, beside a horse.

Passengers on a recent American Airlines flight to Omaha, Nebraska, were shocked to find themselves sharing the aisle with a miniature pony.

The service animal, called Flirty, was seen boarding the flight from Chicago, Illinois with its owner last week.

And it wasn’t long before passengers began sharing videos of tiny Flirty casually pottering through the airport on a lead.

Another clip shows Flirty having a snooze with its owner onboard the flight.

A Twitter user, who uploaded a video, joked: ‘At this time we would like to begin boarding with any active duty military, families traveling with children under the age of 3, and horses.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/B11OAchg3kY/

Flirty’s owner said on the animal’s Instagram page – which boasts thousands of followers – that she couldn’t have a service dog as she’s allergic and had spent years training horses.

Although many were shocked to see the little pony on the aircraft, US citizens will have to get used to sharing their flights with animals following new government approved guidelines.

Last month, the US Department of Transportation announced that passengers would be able to take animals onboard American aircrafts as long as they are registered as service or emotional support animals.

Airlines could face fines if they separate owners from their animals.

The US Department of Transport told CBS 62: ‘With respect to animal species, we indicated that we would focus our enforcement efforts on ensuring that the most commonly used service animals (dogs, cats, and miniature horses) are accepted for transport’.

But airlines will still be able to decide whether other service animals – that aren’t cats, dogs or miniature horses – are allowed onboard on a ‘case-by-case basis’.

In the UK the laws are a lot stricter, with only a few airlines allowing support dogs on flights.

However, some companies don’t allow any emotional support animals in the cabin as they are not legally recognised as service dogs.

This isn’t the first time a passenger has tried to take an unusual animal on a flight, after a woman attempted to get a support peacock alongside her in the cabin in January, last year.

And in 2016, a turkey made it onboard a United Airlines flight as it was registered as a service animal for its owner who was disabled.

Other images uploaded to social media over recent years show a pig, a duck, and even a kangaroo making it onto flights.

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