Crossing the line? Rights of UA passenger when animals are on the flight.
#91
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
I an allergic to animals. After my nose and eyes run, I start to wheeze. Into a long flight, my asthma may be bad enough to require a breathing treatment.
I have travelled safely next to a quiet, well behaved genuine service dog. But a furry, active dander spreader is another story....
I have travelled safely next to a quiet, well behaved genuine service dog. But a furry, active dander spreader is another story....
The asthma attacks are scary for me, but the sneezing and runny eyes makes people sitting next to me quite concerned, especially during flu season and I always try and reassure people it is not a cold but allergies. Ventolin/steroids is truly a life saver!
People think I make this up but genuine service dogs apparently do not impact me and I do not understand why. I suspect it is something to do with the shampoos or lack thereof, and service animals are very clean with apparently very little dander.
#92
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston,TX
Programs: UA Plat, Mil Miler, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, National Exec. Elite, Hertz Prez Circle
Posts: 191
It's only an animal, right? Get real, folks!
And while I might not actually die (but some with more severe allergies than me might come close to that), I defend my right to travel in comfort over that of an animal. Thousands of animals are transported in aircraft holds every day, and the number of deaths is miniscule in proportion to the whole.
And while I might not actually die (but some with more severe allergies than me might come close to that), I defend my right to travel in comfort over that of an animal. Thousands of animals are transported in aircraft holds every day, and the number of deaths is miniscule in proportion to the whole.
From the FAQ:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...imals/faq.aspx
The PetSafe program has the following features:
Pets travel within United's specially designed plane compartments that are pressurized in the same way as passenger cabins.
#93
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,008
#94
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: UA Gold,, AA, AS, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3
The Department of Justice has established guidelines for service animals under ADA.
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act. Under the ACAA you may still ask thectwo legal questions allowed under ADA. 1) Is the dog a service animal? 2) What Service has the dog been trained to provide? (If not obvious). Further, ACAA allows request for documentation if thecdog is an “emotional support animal” which is not a class of service dog under DOJ rules for ADA.
All that said it is easy to gin up documentation off the web for fake service or ES animals and this disingenuous behavior is actually encouraged by many otherwise legitimate organizations and individuals.
Bottom line is if enough of society accepts people wanting to do this, lying or not, it’s going to keep happening. $20 will buy you a service animal vest on eBay.
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act. Under the ACAA you may still ask thectwo legal questions allowed under ADA. 1) Is the dog a service animal? 2) What Service has the dog been trained to provide? (If not obvious). Further, ACAA allows request for documentation if thecdog is an “emotional support animal” which is not a class of service dog under DOJ rules for ADA.
All that said it is easy to gin up documentation off the web for fake service or ES animals and this disingenuous behavior is actually encouraged by many otherwise legitimate organizations and individuals.
Bottom line is if enough of society accepts people wanting to do this, lying or not, it’s going to keep happening. $20 will buy you a service animal vest on eBay.
Last edited by l etoile; Oct 31, 2017 at 1:42 pm Reason: Removed broken quote
#95
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Omaha, Nebraska (OMA/KOMA)
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 41
The wife is allergic to cats and birds. I go out of my way to tell the airline after booking so they can update her PNR. It hasn't happened yet, but she understands that when the time comes she'll have to leave the plane, and the airline will put her on another flight (though it may be a day or two).
#96
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
In this case the correct procedure would be to ask the passenger if the animal is a service animal and then to inquire as to the service that is provided. If the answer is "emotional support" then you are well within your rights to request a copy of the verification letter" and to ask the FA to request the letter in the event of refusal. If the answer is "the animal detects seizures" then you are probably SOL.
...
I have made it a policy to question every person who brings a non-service animal into an establishment that serves food (which is not permissible in California). I have been called all kinds of names but I have yet to see an actual disabled person provide a lawful explanation.
...
I have made it a policy to question every person who brings a non-service animal into an establishment that serves food (which is not permissible in California). I have been called all kinds of names but I have yet to see an actual disabled person provide a lawful explanation.
I don't travel with animals (of any sort, service or not). But if I did and you questioned me about it, you can rest assured that you'd be called all kinds of names, even if I had a legitimate reason to have a service animal.
#97
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,611
In our experience, UA is thorough and efficient with their rules and procedures. After booking our flights, we fax the required documentation. About a week later, we call to confirm that the documentation was received and applied to the PNR.
Before arriving at the airport, our dog gets a long walk and is not fed. She gets another walk and trip to the pet relief area at JFK, EWR or wherever we are flying from. At check-in, we present the original authorization document, at which point we get a gate pass for our dog that allows her to go past security. After this, no one asks anything.
In 20+ trips, our 20 pound Boston Terrier has literally never made a sound, had an accident, gotten away from us or been aggressive in any way. She basically sleeps on my wife's lap the entire way, which is her "job." We fly up front so that no one needs to sit in our row (among other reasons of course). No one has ever objected to being near us (to our knowledge), if if they did I'd be more than happy to move around to accommodate.
I understand there are horror stories, though we've never seen one. As I have said elsewhere, poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners should not be allowed on planes, ESA or no. People who bring dogs (or any animal) on a plane need to go above and beyond in terms of being respectful and accommodating. The person the OP came across obviously failed miserably in this regard, no ifs ands or buts.
As for us, we are fortunate to have never experienced even one drop of the vitriol some have expressed in this thread. Personally this leads me to think that the ESA "problem" is way overblown. From the way some people carry on in this thread you'd think UA became a subsidiary of Pet Airways. To be crystal clear, I'm not saying dogs and their owners are angels 100% of the time. We've all read the stories, and there clearly are people who shouldn't be allowed to fly with their pets. But in my opinion that doesn't -- and shouldn't -- mean that "animals shouldn't be on planes."
Before arriving at the airport, our dog gets a long walk and is not fed. She gets another walk and trip to the pet relief area at JFK, EWR or wherever we are flying from. At check-in, we present the original authorization document, at which point we get a gate pass for our dog that allows her to go past security. After this, no one asks anything.
In 20+ trips, our 20 pound Boston Terrier has literally never made a sound, had an accident, gotten away from us or been aggressive in any way. She basically sleeps on my wife's lap the entire way, which is her "job." We fly up front so that no one needs to sit in our row (among other reasons of course). No one has ever objected to being near us (to our knowledge), if if they did I'd be more than happy to move around to accommodate.
I understand there are horror stories, though we've never seen one. As I have said elsewhere, poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners should not be allowed on planes, ESA or no. People who bring dogs (or any animal) on a plane need to go above and beyond in terms of being respectful and accommodating. The person the OP came across obviously failed miserably in this regard, no ifs ands or buts.
As for us, we are fortunate to have never experienced even one drop of the vitriol some have expressed in this thread. Personally this leads me to think that the ESA "problem" is way overblown. From the way some people carry on in this thread you'd think UA became a subsidiary of Pet Airways. To be crystal clear, I'm not saying dogs and their owners are angels 100% of the time. We've all read the stories, and there clearly are people who shouldn't be allowed to fly with their pets. But in my opinion that doesn't -- and shouldn't -- mean that "animals shouldn't be on planes."
#98
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Now dirt, BA Silver soon dirt EX NW IGE. EX BA Gold EX AA EXP x9. SQ Gold
Posts: 577
Cat allergy
What should one do if we boarded the aircraft and a person with a cat is seated near under or close to us?
My wife has a severe allergy to cat dander.
We normally fly in the first class cabin.
Should we request to take another flight?
Is there anything we can/should do?
My wife has a severe allergy to cat dander.
We normally fly in the first class cabin.
Should we request to take another flight?
Is there anything we can/should do?
#99
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
What should one do if we boarded the aircraft and a person with a cat is seated near under or close to us?
My wife has a severe allergy to cat dander.
We normally fly in the first class cabin.
Should we request to take another flight?
Is there anything we can/should do?
My wife has a severe allergy to cat dander.
We normally fly in the first class cabin.
Should we request to take another flight?
Is there anything we can/should do?
- Request to be reseated or rebooked
- Understand that if up until this point you have yet to encounter this situation it is highly unlikely you will. Despite the impressions on this thread/FlyerTalk in general, animals, including ESAs, are relatively rare.
Im up to nearly a million miles BIS in United and I have yet to see a cat that I can recall.
#100
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Now dirt, BA Silver soon dirt EX NW IGE. EX BA Gold EX AA EXP x9. SQ Gold
Posts: 577
- Bring antihistamines
- Request to be reseated or rebooked
- Understand that if up until this point you have yet to encounter this situation it is highly unlikely you will. Despite the impressions on this thread/FlyerTalk in general, animals, including ESAs, are relatively rare.
Im up to nearly a million miles BIS in United and I have yet to see a cat that I can recall.
- Request to be reseated or rebooked
- Understand that if up until this point you have yet to encounter this situation it is highly unlikely you will. Despite the impressions on this thread/FlyerTalk in general, animals, including ESAs, are relatively rare.
Im up to nearly a million miles BIS in United and I have yet to see a cat that I can recall.
Wife always has antihistamines.
We too fly lots. However this year has been hell for traveling on US carriers.
If it can happen it will. AND we have not encountered cats...yet.
#101
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
The wife is allergic to cats and birds. I go out of my way to tell the airline after booking so they can update her PNR. It hasn't happened yet, but she understands that when the time comes she'll have to leave the plane, and the airline will put her on another flight (though it may be a day or two).
Their advice to me is to check with the Gate Agent if there are any animals on the flight and ensure I am not seated near them and ask to be moved if I am. This is what I do.
Although this approach did not work for me last Thursday as there were no animals on my flight but there apparently had been one on the earlier flight as I started sneezing and eyes running and throat closing but fortunately they needed to replace the plane with a new one and all of a sudden all my symptoms disappeared.
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,320
- Bring antihistamines
- Request to be reseated or rebooked
- Understand that if up until this point you have yet to encounter this situation it is highly unlikely you will. Despite the impressions on this thread/FlyerTalk in general, animals, including ESAs, are relatively rare.
Im up to nearly a million miles BIS in United and I have yet to see a cat that I can recall.
- Request to be reseated or rebooked
- Understand that if up until this point you have yet to encounter this situation it is highly unlikely you will. Despite the impressions on this thread/FlyerTalk in general, animals, including ESAs, are relatively rare.
Im up to nearly a million miles BIS in United and I have yet to see a cat that I can recall.
Crab grass does unpleasant things to me, but if I use one of the stick-on masks I can take the weed eater and clear it all out, no problem. Note that the elastic-band masks do not protect me in that situation.
Unfortunately, the stick-on masks are single use only. Once you peel them off they're not going to stick too well.
#103
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kobe, Japan
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,496
If a dog so much as licks me I am guaranteed to have an allergic reaction on my skin and it will last up to an hour. I wonder if the passenger who brings the animal on has any liability? For that matter, how about the fur and dander the the animal is leaving behind?
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19,394
The other person is however under absolutely no obligation to respond to that inquiry.
#105
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,253
Could someone explain this?