Still too many dogs on flights
Apr 22, 2019, 8:42 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: Delta SkyMiles
Posts: 10
Still too many dogs on flights
At the risk of being roasted here, I think there are still way too many dogs on flights. These are not ‘Service Dogs’, they are mostly lap dogs people bring along because they don’t want to leave them at home. (For the record, I love dogs and two of my own.)
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Apr 22, 2019, 8:47 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
At the risk of being roasted here, I think there are still way too many dogs on flights. These are not ‘Service Dogs’, they are mostly lap dogs people bring along because they don’t want to leave them at home. (For the record, I love dogs and two of my own.)
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
My thought is that despite the nonstop complaining about this on FlyerTalk, I have never, in all my years of flying, --not once--seen an actual problem caused by an animal on board a flight. I know there have been some headline makers. But really, I think it's mostly nosy people who get grumpy and make judgements about things that are actually just not a problem.
Apr 22, 2019, 8:52 pm
#3
Join Date: May 1999
Location: CVG
Programs: DL DM 4MM, Lifetime Marriott Plat Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,429
Yes, you will most likely be flamed... I too, am a dog lover, but not on planes. I have no issue with true service animals, but have great issues with any other animal in the cabin. I have family and friends who are allergic to dogs and cats, and yet there is no accomodation to them. Declare a peanut allergy and the plane is deep cleaned. I would prefer that airlines simply say, animals ride as cargo. If you don't like / want that, then use a a local kennel.
Apr 22, 2019, 8:57 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
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My thought is that despite the nonstop complaining about this on FlyerTalk, I have never, in all my years of flying, --not once--seen an actual problem caused by an animal on board a flight. I know there have been some headline makers. But really, I think it's mostly nosy people who get grumpy and make judgements about things that are actually just not a problem.
As someone who was attacked by a dog as a child and who still bears scars from the experience, I have a deeply ingrained fear of dogs, and being seated near one that is unrestrained on a flight is a really traumatic experience. If emotional support animals are permitted onboard without proper restraints, there needs to equally be a process for registering a medical need for an emotional support not-animal, IMHO.
Apr 23, 2019, 1:28 am
#6
Suspended
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Location: JFK BOS LAX
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Here’s a real gem from a recent trip
uhh, no. Maybe on a private jet, but not in commercial aviation.
at BEST you’ll get a flight crew that decides not to serve peanuts — basically modifying the service to 75-300+ people just to cater to your needs.
as for the dogs, there are way too many. Haven’t seen any puppies lately, though.
here’s a real gem from a recent flight:
Last edited by CatchFlightsNotFeelings; Apr 23, 2019 at 1:36 am
Apr 23, 2019, 5:25 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
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Apr 23, 2019, 5:29 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: AA, FB, UA
Posts: 111
I fly with my dog sometimes and she's never caused a problem for anyone. Even when not flying with a dog, I find it terribly charming when other passengers bring them and large ones hanging out are the most amusing of all. As for forcing dogs into the hold, mine would freak out--not doing it.
Apr 23, 2019, 5:43 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Delta Plat, National Executive
Posts: 165
I too have noticed more dogs, only a few times have I had a concern, once when there was a large dog in first class, who decided to lay in the aisle and the flight attendant had to work around him. But by far the worst was a lady with a medium sized dog sitting in an aisle seat in Comfort Plus on a flight from ATL to SJU. The dog relieved itself in the seat and all over the aisle which was beside the bathroom. It was an awful smell and all the flight attendants except for one couldn't handle the smell. The one FA worked very had try to clean up the disaster. At the end of the flight I gave her one of my recognition coupons since she was so professional and did the best from an awful situation.
Apr 23, 2019, 5:47 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 233
Here’s a novel idea... leave your dog at home with a friend or family member. It’s what’s best for everyone, including your dog.
Unless you are moving, you don’t need to take your pet with you.
Unless you are moving, you don’t need to take your pet with you.
Apr 23, 2019, 5:59 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 443
Glad they are not allowed on UK flights, don't think they are in Europe either
Apr 23, 2019, 7:23 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 148
There is too much uncommon ground to come to a compromise. For a lot of people Its hard to respect anyones sense of "common courtesy" when those people also have such a different view on things as common as eating meat. There is no community sense of "the right thing". For some people the prevailing moral cue is to not chance an animal bothering or endangering others on an airplane. and for others its not letting the animal feel abandoned or being endangered at a kennel. Another problem is that air travel can be overly stressing for both humans and animals. A lot of people don't adequately train their animals to be in a foreign, cramped, crowded environment like that. But Ive also seen my fair share of humans completely lose their cool while traveling.
Apr 23, 2019, 7:38 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 355
There is a procedure for taking dogs on planes that are not true Service Animals: they stay in their approved carrier, under the seat, for the duration of the flight. If they don't fit in the carrier (with room to turn around), they don't fly.
I'm also a dog owner, but there's such rampant abuse of the system these days. If your dog can't fit under the seat, and you're not willing to send your dog as Cargo, perhaps you should consider driving, or leaving your dog at home.
I'm also a dog owner, but there's such rampant abuse of the system these days. If your dog can't fit under the seat, and you're not willing to send your dog as Cargo, perhaps you should consider driving, or leaving your dog at home.
Apr 23, 2019, 7:55 am
#15
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I've had some discussion with another moderator. This topic isn't Delta-specific. Use of comfort animals is substantially regulated by the DOT - and they have generously (foolishly?) permitted much the same standards as for service animals, use of which is a right by the Air Carrier Access Act. Write your congress-person.
Delta was the first of the big carriers to apply further restrictions to comfort animals.
Jan. 19, 2018Delta Air Lines said on Friday that it was tightening its rules for transporting service and support animals in an effort to reduce misbehavior by dogs and other creatures that air carriers are required by law to allow on board.
Service dogs are specially trained to aid people with disabilities. Emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship to their owners and do not require coaching.
Delta, which carries nearly 250,000 such animals a year, said that starting March 1, it would require documentation about their health and, in some instances, a promise of good conduct. The new rules make Delta’s policy among the most demanding among major carriers.
www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/delta-airlines-service-animals.html
Here's a relevant federal regulation, 14 CFR § 382.117 - Must carriers permit passengers with a disability to travel with service animals?
www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/382.117
Thread locked.
3Cforme - Delta Forum Moderator
Delta was the first of the big carriers to apply further restrictions to comfort animals.
Jan. 19, 2018Delta Air Lines said on Friday that it was tightening its rules for transporting service and support animals in an effort to reduce misbehavior by dogs and other creatures that air carriers are required by law to allow on board.
Service dogs are specially trained to aid people with disabilities. Emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship to their owners and do not require coaching.
Delta, which carries nearly 250,000 such animals a year, said that starting March 1, it would require documentation about their health and, in some instances, a promise of good conduct. The new rules make Delta’s policy among the most demanding among major carriers.
www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/delta-airlines-service-animals.html
Here's a relevant federal regulation, 14 CFR § 382.117 - Must carriers permit passengers with a disability to travel with service animals?
www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/382.117
Thread locked.
3Cforme - Delta Forum Moderator
Last edited by 3Cforme; Apr 23, 2019 at 10:50 am