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
#676
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,051
I can see how an ESA can be viewed as a pet, but by definition, they weren't trained as a pet, but as an ESA. My understanding is that a true ESA is trained for that role in a very, very specific way.
And I think this is where the airlines are drawing the line, so that people can't arbitrarily bring their pet and claim it to be their ESA just like that.
And I think this is where the airlines are drawing the line, so that people can't arbitrarily bring their pet and claim it to be their ESA just like that.
I got Bayani, my first dog, in 2009, and when he passed back in October, it really hit me. When I finally found another that I connected with back in December, Dakila, I come home from rough days at work, and his demeanor waiting for me at the door wagging his tail uncontrollably, is such a uplift, I am glad he is here.
Small, shared spaces like planes, subways, elevators demand behavioral norms. I was taught as a kid that my right to do what I want pretty much stopped once it impinged on or bothered someone else, that is just being polite. Pets on planes are just one manifestation of the problem -- one that was, maybe until recently depending how these regs play out, enabled through a legal loophole that many pet owners abused.
#677
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
#678
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
United Airlines Bans Emotional Support Animals
From OMAAT:
United bans emotional support animals
United Airlines will continue to accept emotional support animals for reservations booked before January 11, 2021, and for travel on or before February 28, 2021. For travel as of March 1, 2021, United won’t transport any emotional support animals.
Read more here.
United bans emotional support animals
United Airlines will continue to accept emotional support animals for reservations booked before January 11, 2021, and for travel on or before February 28, 2021. For travel as of March 1, 2021, United won’t transport any emotional support animals.
Read more here.
#679
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
From OMAAT:
United bans emotional support animals
United Airlines will continue to accept emotional support animals for reservations booked before January 11, 2021, and for travel on or before February 28, 2021. For travel as of March 1, 2021, United won’t transport any emotional support animals.
Read more here.
United bans emotional support animals
United Airlines will continue to accept emotional support animals for reservations booked before January 11, 2021, and for travel on or before February 28, 2021. For travel as of March 1, 2021, United won’t transport any emotional support animals.
Read more here.
Originally Posted by OMAAT
United Airlines will continue to accept service animals:
- A service animal is a dog of any breed or type that is over the age of four months, and that’s individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability
- Each person may travel with at most two service dogs
- A service animal has to sit on the floor space in front of the customer’s assigned seat and cannot protrude into the aisles or the foot space of adjacent travelers
- As of February 1, 2021, United will require completion of DOT service animal forms, including a service animal training and behavior attestation form, and a relief attestation form for flights of over eight hours
#680
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,455
The crux here is what documentation proves the dog is a service animal (specifically trained for a particular task), not just your pet, more than a doctor's note saying you need a psychiatric service animal, which anyone could no doubt buy online.
#681
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: IAH
Programs: UA1K, AS Gold 75K, HH Diamond, MR Titanium LT Gold, IHG Platinum, HZ PC, CLEAR
Posts: 341
Humans have to wear masks, animals should have to wear masks.
There is no medical proof that animals cannot spread Covid.
There is no medical proof that animals cannot spread Covid.
#682
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
It will not get any better and they will need to rewrite it again, even tighter.
So we are still 1-2 years away from getting this resolved.
#683
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,099
Moderator Note:This thread is now ARCHIVED.
The last 60 or so posts have been COPIED into the new thread to assist with the continuity of the discussion. Please continue the 2021 discussion here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...1-onwards.html
The last 60 or so posts have been COPIED into the new thread to assist with the continuity of the discussion. Please continue the 2021 discussion here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...1-onwards.html