Cynnamin

Does anyone travel with service dog such as hearing dog or guide dog? I'm not talking about emotional support dogs. If you do, what is your general experience with specific airlines? What about service dogs-in-training?

oklAAhoma

Sorry I can't relate personal experience with service animals, but over the years I have seen half a dozen or so seeing-eye dogs on AA flights. IIRC the pax with the guide dog have always been in bulkhead seats. The AA FAs have seemed to be very helpful, knowledgable, and respectful.

(And what always amazes me about those wonderful dogs is that unless one sees them board, it is quite possible to be unaware they are even on the flight.)

JDiver

A recent thread on the American AAdvantage Forum discusses some aspects of service animals on an American Airlines flight (in this case, a passenger's allergic reaction to dander from an emotional support dog - and the OP's disbelief such an animal is legitimate.)

Under ACAA (or Air Carrier Access Act), airlines are REQUIRED to accommodate service animals. They may of course take steps to assure flight safety, etc. but they can not decline a passenger's request for a service animal. The trouble is many have differing opinions of what service animals are, and in some cases their legitimacy.

I have seen service monkeys and dogs primarily, but there are more... and the issue of service animals for those who travel is nicely dealt with by 14 CFR Part 382 - Guidance Concerning Service Animals in Air Transportation. (PDF Link..)

I would personally recommend anyone with an unregistered / undocumented or non-stereotypical/ nontraditional service animal (e.g. vested seeing eye dog etc.) print this out, familiarize themselves with it and carry a copy when traveling on any public conveyance or common carrier to hep prevent misunderstanding and provide some guidance to untrained or harried transportation personnel.

ariaaria

I travel with my service dog on planes several times a year, including international flights. My dog is 46 lbs and does NOT fit between my knees in front of my seat as is often suggested. Some times I have been assigned a bulkhead seat which is first row in economy class. There is a barrier in front of you rather than another seat , and there is a bit more room for my dog. However, if you have a dog phobic person in the seat next to you, it is really bad for everyone, including the dog, because no way can the dog stay sitting in the tiny space for hours without turning around or lying down. And bulkhead seats have fixed arms and do not recline which is problem for me. Last time I I actually bought an extra seat for my service dog and that worked out better.
Do NOT expect airline assistants to know the disabled access rules concerning service dogs on planes, especially in foreign countries. Have the rules printed on a card to hand them, and make sure your dog is perfectly behaved, or for sure they'll question whether he/she is certified. Good Luck in your travels!

jeffrocowboy

Yes, I would think this would not be a good situation - I think the 'phobic' person should be re-seated, to make it more comfortable for all.

Sydny1

Cynnamin:

A Service Dog is NOT a Hearing Impaired nor a Sight Dog, and the terms should not be intertwined. Specifically, a Service Dog is trained for multiple tasks to assist some who have balance issues, others have training for wheelchair assistance, and all are trained for normal home behavior such as opening drawers, bringing the phone, picking items off the floor, etc. Folks such as I, having been diagnosed with MS in 2003, changes my entire safety attitude when accompanied by my Service Dog.

Although basically ambulatory, I am excited to have my Service Dog graduate with Advanced Certification. With his Vaccination Records, official Certification Records, proof of Chip, neutered records, and an official picture. Wearing the official vest and patch......and under ADA and SDA qualification.......the following links may be of interest:

* IAADP - International Association of Assistance Dog Partners
* US Department of Justice Commonly Asked Questions about Service Animals in Places of Business
* Honolulu Star Bulletin - Service Dogs and Documentation
* Air Carriers Access Act

Hoping this has clarified any questions or concerns folks might have about our companion Service Dogs. Thank you for your interest and support.

Sydny Greene
Member since 04
Programs: CO-Elite, HA-Premium, NW, AA

acoldspoon

Not exactly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_dog:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) defines "service dog" under its broader definition of "service animal". "Service Animal" (ADA Subsection 36.104): "Any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding people with impaired vision, alerting people with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items."

As well, in relation to air travel, Military Working Dogs, Police Dogs, Search And Rescue Dogs, Human Remains Dogs, Birdstrike Control Dogs, and Detection Dogs (narcs, FD, EOD, currency, to name a few) sometimes fall under contracts of carriage definitions or airline agreements for Service Animals or Service Dogs. For instance, Search And Rescue Dogs are often correctly referred to as Search And Rescue Service Dogs. Service Dogs traditionally implies that a dog has been trained and often times certified to preform a specific task or roll that serves either a specific disabled person, or the community at large. Traditionally these animals also fit under the larger scope of Working Dogs, which would include everything from Seeing Eye Dogs, to Therapy Dogs, to Field Trails Retrievers. When the ADA was being written, there was some concern that Therapy Animals would be confused with Service Animals, and thus the ADA legal definition of Service Animal and Service Dog became the generally expected vernacular especially as it refers to legal access of such animals. Post 9/11 and post Katrina, many state laws are being re-written to further the scope of access and protections for Military Working Dogs, Police Dogs, and Search And Rescue Dogs to be more in line with Service Dogs for the disabled. This is wonderful, and a long time coming, but has led to some confusion in definitions again. In the end, it's all really a matter of semantics. Working Dog, Service Dog, Assistance Dog, access and respect is what matters most of all. And these dogs being so extraordinarily well trained by bona fide handlers that they deserve the access they get.

Autism Mom

YOU ARE WRONG - PERIOD - A "Hearing Ear" dog is considered a service dog, as is a "Seeing Eye" dog - also known as a "Guide Dog." Yes, mobility assistance dogs fit into this category too, as do "Autism Assistance Dogs" and "Seizure Alert" dogs as well as dogs trained to detect blood sugar spikes and dips and those who assist survivors of shaken baby syndrome or fetal alcohol syndrome - to name but a few types of people whose lives can be improved DRAMATICALLY with an assistance animal but not all.

The key is the tasks the animal is trained to perform, a much more inclusive list than you've indicated.

Autism Mom

I have seen service monkeys and dogs primarily, but there are more... and the issue of service animals for those who travel is nicely dealt with by 14 CFR Part 382 - Guidance Concerning Service Animals in Air Transportation. (PDF Link..)

Help! This link isn't working...

Thx

Katja

Corrected link: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20030509.pdf

kubalek

Just a warning - I recently flew with my service dog on American Airlines and they were a total nightmare! I was denied boarding, called a LIAR multiple times (I called to prearrange the animal, and they claimed to have no record of the TWO TIMES the documents were faxed, and the MULTIPLE calls made to confirm everything was in order). One customer service manager, in DFW, actually laughed in my face when I started to cry because I was so frustrated about the treatment I'd received. I will NEVER EVER fly that airline again, and I strongly urge anyone with a disability not to either. I understand that some airlines aren't educated about service animals, but every single person I encountered was flat out AWFUL. I was a nervous wreck when i finally made it home. I would hate for anyone else to have to go through that!

CDTraveler

Sorry about your miserable experience - it sounds similar in tone to my last AA experience, altho the details were different attitude was the same.

Could you be a little more specific about the type of problems with AA beyond the attitude? Did they try to deny you the right to have your service animal on the plane? charge extra fees? move your seat?

kubalek

Ok, so I was flying the return portion of my trip, Reno to Mexico City. I fly with my service dog, who, due to extreme fear of flying, as well as other disabilities, is supposed to assist me in keeping calm.

Each time I reserve a flight, I immediately call the airlines, as I did this time with AA, to confirm that they still have the previously faxed documents on file, to confirm they have properly noted the service dog, and to confirm there haven't been any changes in requirements, that they have what they need to make the boarding process go smoothly.

So I called and after a 60 minute call, where the phone person repeatedly asked me to wait while she documented everything, I asked her no less than 3 times, "Please, I have had so many problems with AA. I really cannot handle any stress, so it is vital that we confirm now that everything is in order, that you have documented all of this, and that I won't be harassed when I get to the counter." She assured me that all was documented, I was good to go.

So I get dropped off at the airport and am at the counter and am told the letter is not sufficient, there is no record of them being notified. She looks at me and says, NO. They will not let the dog on as a service dog, that I will have to pay $150. I ask about all of the documents on file, the documents that I had faxed for the outbound flight, and the previous r/t flight. She actually says to me, "No, you didn't call, no, you didn't fax anything." I am LIVID. I DID call, and on my previous trip, the gate attendant even faxed the docs HERSELF.

And since this is the return portion of my trip, how, then, did I make the trip here on this letter, if it is not sufficient? She just shook her head and said, no, they would not accept this and I would have to pay for my "pet."

All I have on me is $150, and I need that to pay for the hotel in Dallas where I have to layover. I'm literally stranded at the airport. I am very, very upset. The plane is by then boarding, and she won't let me on. Finally, I am so upset, I just pay. I now have to fly upset and with no idea how I am going to pay for my hotel.

I get to the gate, where I recognize the gate agent who has boarded me in the past (with my service dog) and break down into tears, asking if she recognizes me and can do anything. She tells me to call the disability office of AA. Unbelievably, THEY also call me a liar, saying they have nothing on file, despite the fact I have flown with them 4 times in the last 6 months, each time faxing over the documentation. This guy actually says to me that "it is not even possible" that I am telling the truth!

OMG - I was so, so angry I am crying and shaking and yelling and I almost threw the phone. OF COURSE I AM TELLING THE TRUTH! More tears, more shouting. I demanded to be met in DFW by a real manager, someone who could DO something about this situation. How can they treat people this way?

So, that happened, and the woman who met me in Dallas actually has brought security with her, and as I am explaining to her how upset I am, she actually smirks and LAUGHS in my face. She LAUGHED at me! THIS is the representative that AA says is there to help disabled passengers!!! OMG!

The next morning, I boarded the connecting flight in Dallas, and they actually pulled me off the plane, telling me that the health documentation I had for the dog, the international health certificate, was no good. It was then 6 days old. They had been so intent on harassing me over the health letter, they said they hadn't properly inspected my other documents. I was told on the phone when I confirmed everything that the certificate had to be within 10 days of travel, but they insisted when they pulled me off the plane that it is 5 days.

Now, stranded in Dallas, I missed my flight, and they would not let me fly until I had a vet come to the airport to issue a new document. I didn't have any more money, so I had to spend about $100 on collect calls to my boyfriend, who had to leave his job to make calls to try to find a vet who would come to the Dallas airport.

Again, missing my flight (and with no way to get a message to my driver, who had come 3 1/2 hours to pick me up on the other end!) tears, trauma. I was so traumatized, I just sat on the floor under a bank of phones and cried for hours. The vet finally came ($250!) , and they put me on the next flight, but by then, I couldn't stop shaking and crying. I was now going to land in Mexico city (a dangerous city) at midnight, with no one to meet me, with no way to get home, with no accommodations there. I was still shaking when I boarded, a total wreck, feeling targeted and traumatized by this whole experience.

When I got to Mexico City, they assured me that they only require the certificate to have been issued within 10 days.

I know I should write a letter to the department of justice and AA, but honestly, even recounting this is so upsetting. These people are pure evil. I hope no disabled person will ever go through what I did. That woman in Dallas should be fired for how she treated me. She even stated that they had recorded "my behavior" as out of control (yes, I travel with my service dog to keep me CALM). They can type any notes they want to about a situation to back themselves up. Unbelievable. Where is the real advocate for disabled passengers?

oklAAhoma

Truthfully, I am almost at a loss for words after reading your post. I have encountered a few less than stellar employees over the years, but never anyone like you have reported.

There is never an excuse for being rude to passengers nor for giving wrong information. Are you sure your original health certificate was dated within 10 days?

kubalek

Yes, I am quite sure. I saved all the documentation to prove it, and my boyfriend, who had to intervene in Dallas, heard me 1) make the confirmation call to AA that they claim I lied about and 2) was the one who took me to get the original certificate exactly 5 days before I left Reno. He also spoke to the gate attendant who pulled me off the plane and confirmed they insisted that I pay the fees for the vet to come to the airport.