FortHay

Now this:
United Airlines Denies Passenger's Request to Bring 'Emotional Support Peacock' on Flight - Breitbart

Seems like fake news, but this insanity has no limits, so who knows?

rsteinmetz70112

It really happened and the peacocks instagram account has the story. Not fake just rediculous. Seen the post tow above.

MitchR

I have had the following experiences in the last year. An AA employee in street clothes pushed me aside in TSA pre screen so that she and her miniature poodle could get through security first. Why should employees who are not on duty or deadheading be physically pushing passengers aside just to get to the head of the line? A woman with a shitzu demanded that I give up my First Class aisle seat on a flight from JFK to LAX because her pet was nervous and didn't like an aisle seat. A German Shepherd pooped in the terminal at DEN and its owner just walked on and left the passengers to fend with the mess. I was at the LAX Admirals Club and came back from the restroom to find that a woman's collie had knocked my soup off of my table and was eating it. She admonished me for leaving my food unattended. After the soup incident I wrote to AA only to receive a snappy smart-assed response from a customer service person admonishing me for being a dog hater (I have a dog, she has flown with me, in a carrier, that's not the issue) and advising me that asking the airline to place restrictions on ESA's would be unethical, and suggesting that I should change flights if I wanted a "pet free flight." In my experience lately a "pet free flight" is an option about 2/3rds of the time. She concluded the letter with a cut and paste statement that "no compensation would be offered." I wrote another letter, this time addressed to a customer service supervisor. The letter pointed out that I was simply asking what was being done about these issues in general. I never asked for compensation, and I questioned why asking a passenger to put a pet on a leash in the Admirals Club is unethical. I also pointed out that I was not objecting to actual service animals, just pets flying under the guise of some sort of support animal. The letter was routed to the same customer service person who sent me a three sentence letter stating that the Airline had an ethical responsibility to allow service animals (again these were not service animals) and admonishing me to seek out "animal free flights." I am not happy about the situations but I am more surprised that AA would respond to a 35 year, 3 million plus mile, Platinum Exec with the smart assed response that I received.

toomanybooks

How exactly would one seek out a “pet-free” flight?

I do not remember seeing that search option.

ursine1

United tightens their policy as well.

The article states "Each of the three largest airlines require notification about a comfort animals 48 hours before departure, with a note from a licensed medical professional confirming the passenger’s disability and need for the animal." I'm assuming they're including American along with Delta and United, not Southwest.

Action by the individual carriers comes after the DOT dropped the ball on issuing new guidelines. They are now expected to issue a proposal in July.

I'd like to see WN adopt similar guidelines, but I suspect they'll wait to see what the DOT says, effectively keeping them from being the "bad guy."

beachmouse

At least until the flight diversion caused by the emotional support cheetah going after the emotional support peacock somewhere in the vicinity of Kansas City.

kennycrudup

Heh. God Bless that peacock pax- who ended up being the "reverse Rosa Parks" for "E"SAs on UA!

kennycrudup

NYT: It’s Time to End the Scam of Flying Pets

Fur and fury at 40,000 feet as more people bring animals on planes

Often1

DL's new form requires a certification of a DSM-recognized mental disease or defect, not merely some made up anxiety. UA says that it will publish a new form before its requirements come into effect. We'll have to see if the new form contains the requirement. AA does not currently require the DSM-recognized condition.The theory is that not many people will want a mental illness diagnosis when they do not have one and not many licensed professionals will make such a diagnosis without supporting evidence and a thorough exam.

ursine1

I've mentioned this multiple times already, but I'll restate again that the requirements, per law, can include professional certification of a mental disorder, but absolutely do not demand the disclosure of any specific mental disease. Which would, of course, be in violation of HIPPA privacy rules.

The DSM recognizes somewhere north of 450 distinct disorders, which include things like "anxiety disorder" (made up or not), claustrophobia, "denial," insomnia, erectile disfunction, "night eating syndrome," OCD, and stuttering.

The specific disorder would not be disclosed. People have been getting these kinds of diagnoses for years for purposes like obtaining prescription drugs (including, now, marijuana) and work leave-related legal issues, and some "professionals" already make these diagnoses online through questionnaires and virtual visits.

Getting a diagnosis letter is an extra hurdle, but, unfortunately I don't expect it will have all that much overall effect as a deterrent.

Edited to add:

AA's form does require the DSM-recognized condition -- not sure if the form was recently updated. United's current form requires it as well.

toomanybooks

LegalTender

Southwest claims the girl "approached the dog," implying it was her fault.

Everyone's 'approaching' a dog lying by the boarding door in the bulkhead row.

apodo77

The odds that was a real service dog are about nill.

Insulator-King

Just saw this today on Dailymail.com.

Very tired of all these 'emotional support' people. Sometimes life is hard. and you just have to grit it through.

Personally, emotional support dark chocolate is my favorite emotional support aid.

pinniped

You'd be able to resist that chocolate if you had your Night Eating Syndrome Support Animal with you.