Dec 21, 2015, 9:01 pm
Last edit by: StartinSanDiego
THIS THREAD IS NOW ARCHIVED. PLEASE CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION HERE: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/2032204-support-animals-cabin-2021-onwards.html
Service and Support Animals (Updated)
Wednesday, December 2, 2020WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is revising its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by air to ensure a safe and accessible air transportation system. The final rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals can be found HERE.
The Department received more than 15,000 comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking. The final rule announced today addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on aircraft.
The final rule:
Previous rule:
The main requirements of Part 382 regarding service animals are:
• Carriers shall permit dogs and other service animals used by persons with disabilities to accompany the persons on a flight. See section 382.55(a)(1–2).—Carriers shall accept as evidence that an animal is a service animal identifiers such as identification cards, other written documentation, presence of harnesses, tags or the credible verbal assurances of a qualified individual with a disability using the animal.
—Carriers shall permit a service animal to accompany a qualified individual with a disability in any seat in which the person sits, unless the animal obstructs an aisle or other area that must remain unobstructed in order to facilitate an emergency evacuation or to comply with FAA regulations.
• If a service animal cannot be accommodated at the seat location of the qualified individual with a disability whom the animal is accompanying, the carrier shall offer the passenger the opportunity to move with the animal to a seat location in the same class of service, if present on the aircraft, where the animal can be accommodated, as an alternative to requiring that the animal travel in the cargo hold (see section 382.37(c)).
• Carriers shall not impose charges for providing facilities, equipment, or services that are required by this part to be provided to qualified individuals with a disability (see section 382.57).
To determine whether an animal is a service animal and should be allowed to accompany its user in the cabin, airline personnel should:
1. Establish whether the animal is a pet or a service animal, and whether the passenger is a qualified individual with a disability; and then
2. Determine if the service animal presents either
• a ‘‘direct threat to the health or safety of others,’’ or
• a significant threat of disruption to the airline service in the cabin (i.e. a ‘‘fundamental alteration’’ to passenger service). See 382.7(c).
full text can be found: here.
United policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://hub.united.com/united-emotio...530539164.html
Delta policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...e-animals.html
American Airlines policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ce-animals.jsp
Service and Support Animals (Updated)
Wednesday, December 2, 2020WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is revising its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by air to ensure a safe and accessible air transportation system. The final rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals can be found HERE.
The Department received more than 15,000 comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking. The final rule announced today addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on aircraft.
The final rule:
- Defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability;
- No longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal;
- Requires airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals;
- Allows airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s health, behavior and training, and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner;
- Allows airlines to require individuals traveling with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) up to 48 hours in advance of the date of travel if the passenger’s reservation was made prior to that time;
- Prohibits airlines from requiring passengers with a disability who are traveling with a service animal to physically check-in at the airport instead of using the online check-in process;
- Allows airlines to require a person with a disability seeking to travel with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel;
- Allows airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to two service animals;
- Allows airlines to require a service animal to fit within its handler’s foot space on the aircraft;
- Allows airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft;
- Continues to allow airlines to refuse transportation to service animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others; and
- Continues to prohibit airlines from refusing to transport a service animal solely based on breed.
Previous rule:
—Carriers shall permit a service animal to accompany a qualified individual with a disability in any seat in which the person sits, unless the animal obstructs an aisle or other area that must remain unobstructed in order to facilitate an emergency evacuation or to comply with FAA regulations.
• Carriers shall not impose charges for providing facilities, equipment, or services that are required by this part to be provided to qualified individuals with a disability (see section 382.57).
To determine whether an animal is a service animal and should be allowed to accompany its user in the cabin, airline personnel should:
1. Establish whether the animal is a pet or a service animal, and whether the passenger is a qualified individual with a disability; and then
2. Determine if the service animal presents either
• a ‘‘direct threat to the health or safety of others,’’ or
• a significant threat of disruption to the airline service in the cabin (i.e. a ‘‘fundamental alteration’’ to passenger service). See 382.7(c).
full text can be found: here.
United policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://hub.united.com/united-emotio...530539164.html
Delta policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...e-animals.html
American Airlines policy on Emotional Support Animals: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ce-animals.jsp
The Definitive Discussion of Emotional Support Animals on Airlines
Sep 25, 2016, 3:28 pm
#151
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Many of the legit organizations are trying to organize to stop the fakes.
Which leads me to wonder... if you have a declared medical issue, say asthma, I would think ADA would have a huge problem with booting you from the flight. IDK, but just a thought.
Sep 28, 2016, 10:14 am
#152
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum, BA Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 91
Does BA allow emotional support llamas in F? I need to know for an upcoming trip.
Sep 28, 2016, 12:33 pm
#153
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PDX
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Sep 28, 2016, 2:07 pm
#154
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: East Anglia UK
Programs: BA-S UA LH-Sen KLM/AF-Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Sep 28, 2016, 5:07 pm
#155
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an alpaca is a bit smaller, so would perhaps be easier to accommodate
Oct 2, 2016, 3:57 am
#156
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
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Posts: 2,363
Oct 15, 2016, 5:32 pm
#157
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
The airlines may be starting to push back...
"Airlines would like to close the barn door on emotional-support animals that the Transportation Department opened during the 1990s. They want to limit the animals traveling in plane cabins to trained service dogs, such as those for the blind and deaf. The airlines would also accept miniature horses, as recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act."
- USA Today, October 11, 2016
Click here for the story.
"Airlines would like to close the barn door on emotional-support animals that the Transportation Department opened during the 1990s. They want to limit the animals traveling in plane cabins to trained service dogs, such as those for the blind and deaf. The airlines would also accept miniature horses, as recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act."
- USA Today, October 11, 2016
Click here for the story.
Oct 19, 2016, 4:03 am
#159
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Trained service dogs for the deaf or blind = ok
Every other animal goes in the hold.
Every other animal goes in the hold.
Oct 19, 2016, 4:25 am
#160
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
Until then, let the service ducks, pigs, hedgehogs, etc... flog in.
Oct 24, 2016, 10:25 am
#161
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
Emotional support animal policies being increasingly abused? [Argument 23-Oct in EWR]
I got to witness a lovely little pitched battle in EWR Term A last night, on my connection coming home from Europe. I found it notable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this is the 3rd "emotional support animal" fracas I've witnessed in the last ~6-9 months.
A guy had a full-grown Pit Bull that he was trying to take onto a UA RJ45 express flight departing from the gate next to mine. Prior to departure, this dog was "wrestling" with him in the waiting area, yanking on his leash, barking occasionally, etc... Someone on his flight (not mine) apparently saw that, complained to customer service about the dog, and so staff approached him to talk.
First thing to note is that this was not a small dog / puppy / mix... It was a fully-grown, 3-foot-long rock solid meat log. I can't even begin to figure out where this dog would have fit in an RJ-45 to begin with. Second, while I've known several perfectly friendly Pits, there's no question that there's a bit of "breed prejudice" out there with pit bulls, and a lot of folks are clearly uncomfortable with them.
Nonetheless, this guy got belligerent when they started asking him questions and saying that the dog might not be able to fly on that aircraft. It escalated for a good 10 minutes, ending up with the guy yelling at a supervisor and screaming things like "I'm a combat veteran" and "I have PTSD".
Finally the pilot banned him from the flight for going nuts and screaming at the staff, not for the dog...
Now, I obviously can't say that those weren't true statements, but about 20 minutes earlier while he was waiting in the seats, I overheard him telling a passer-by that he and his girlfriend bred Pit Bulls, and that they were actually really nice dogs, etc... So the assertion that he breeds dogs at least semi-professionally means that this is probably a little something more than just an emotional support animal.
After decades of flying with rarely/ever seeing animals in the cabin, this appears to be an increasingly common thing. Back in July, I was on a CRJ-700 IAD-CLE where a guy had a full-grown German Shepherd -- and a similar argument pre-flight until the person who was in the bulkhead row came forward and offered to switch. The dog was perfectly well behaved, but we had this giant Shepherd sitting in front of row 7 for the whole flight.
Is this just a new "thing" and airlines just haven't figured out a way to deal with it yet? Or is it a loophole being increasingly abused to avoid the cost and problems with PetSafe??
A guy had a full-grown Pit Bull that he was trying to take onto a UA RJ45 express flight departing from the gate next to mine. Prior to departure, this dog was "wrestling" with him in the waiting area, yanking on his leash, barking occasionally, etc... Someone on his flight (not mine) apparently saw that, complained to customer service about the dog, and so staff approached him to talk.
First thing to note is that this was not a small dog / puppy / mix... It was a fully-grown, 3-foot-long rock solid meat log. I can't even begin to figure out where this dog would have fit in an RJ-45 to begin with. Second, while I've known several perfectly friendly Pits, there's no question that there's a bit of "breed prejudice" out there with pit bulls, and a lot of folks are clearly uncomfortable with them.
Nonetheless, this guy got belligerent when they started asking him questions and saying that the dog might not be able to fly on that aircraft. It escalated for a good 10 minutes, ending up with the guy yelling at a supervisor and screaming things like "I'm a combat veteran" and "I have PTSD".
Finally the pilot banned him from the flight for going nuts and screaming at the staff, not for the dog...
Now, I obviously can't say that those weren't true statements, but about 20 minutes earlier while he was waiting in the seats, I overheard him telling a passer-by that he and his girlfriend bred Pit Bulls, and that they were actually really nice dogs, etc... So the assertion that he breeds dogs at least semi-professionally means that this is probably a little something more than just an emotional support animal.
After decades of flying with rarely/ever seeing animals in the cabin, this appears to be an increasingly common thing. Back in July, I was on a CRJ-700 IAD-CLE where a guy had a full-grown German Shepherd -- and a similar argument pre-flight until the person who was in the bulkhead row came forward and offered to switch. The dog was perfectly well behaved, but we had this giant Shepherd sitting in front of row 7 for the whole flight.
Is this just a new "thing" and airlines just haven't figured out a way to deal with it yet? Or is it a loophole being increasingly abused to avoid the cost and problems with PetSafe??
Oct 24, 2016, 10:37 am
#162
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I can't blame anyone from trying to get around the emotional support issue vs sending Fido down below, but if the dog is licensed and wearing a uniform, and the owner has gone through the proper procedure to get their need documented, there is absolutely nothing anyone can or should be saying about this.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
Oct 24, 2016, 10:39 am
#163
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
I can't blame anyone from trying to get around the emotional support issue vs sending Fido down below, but if the dog is licensed and wearing a uniform, and the owner has gone through the proper procedure to get their need documented, there is absolutely nothing anyone can or should be saying about this.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
Also, IS there any formal policy on what can/can't be accommodated? I mean, can I bring my "emotional support elephant" onboard??
I realize that's hyperbole, but honestly, if the flight was full, I don't know where this dog could possibly have fit!
Oct 24, 2016, 10:41 am
#164
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Join Date: Jan 2012
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It is a "new thing" as people become increasingly "emotionally aware" and/or "abused" by society. Not just an issue on UA, but all the airlines, in my limited experience/observations.
Oct 24, 2016, 10:45 am
#165
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
I can't blame anyone from trying to get around the emotional support issue vs sending Fido down below, but if the dog is licensed and wearing a uniform, and the owner has gone through the proper procedure to get their need documented, there is absolutely nothing anyone can or should be saying about this.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
If the dog is not in uniform or properly identified and someone is just making a claim about emotional support, it's a sticky situation because the airline (or restaurant, bookstore, etc) can be sued under the ADA for making a fuss, and win or lose, it's still an expensive mess.
ADA certification is much much much harder to get and is generally the accepted certification in Europe (or the European equivalent of the ADA)
I wish US airlines would adopt those same policies. If you are so sick or emotional that you can't fly without fluffy there to calm you, maybe driving is a better choice for you.