Baze

True, in a forum like this. But flying, you will be the one asked to move or deplane if the person next to, or near you, has an animal and you can't tolerate it. And not just service animals, same situation of emotional support animals or even a paid in a carrier in cabin pet. You will be the one who has to move or deplane like it or not.

Aussienarelle

I also contacted United and they responded to me that currently they do not have a mechanism for me to inform them of my allergies prior to the flight (either in my profile or at time of booking) but they did welcome my constructive suggestion that this be considered as a future enhancement.

Currently if there are animals in the boarding area I will confirm with the GA that the animals will not be near me on the plane.

WineCountryUA

UA has updated the rules for Service Animals and pets in the UC

zitsky

Thank you United!!!!

bocastephen

This is all pretty much common sense stuff, although I will posit that some of this applies to children in the UC, and probably to more than one UC guest I've seen over the years.

Note that service and emotional support animals are still allowed to be outside of a kennel, even if they must be leashed.

nycflyer222

Are ESA's allowed in United Clubs?

SFO 1K

Pet and service animal policy

• Service animals and in-cabin pets are welcome in United Club locations, provided local ordinances permit them.
• All policies associated with service animals and in-cabin pets traveling on United or United Express flights also apply in our United Club locations.
• In-cabin pets must remain inside their kennels with the door secured at all times.
• Animals must be trained to behave properly in public settings and follow the direction of their owners.
• Animals must be clean and under the owner's control at all times.
• Animals are not allowed to occupy seats that are designed for United Club guests.
• Animals are not allowed to eat or drink from United Club serviceware.
• Animals may not engage in disruptive behavior such as roaming freely, barking, growling or biting.
• All animals must remain on the floor when they are near food or beverage display areas.

zitsky

I don't see a reference to ESA's. ESA's are NOT service animals.

WineCountryUA

The DOT states they are

pdxflyer12

Got one for the crowd. I recently flew with my small dog (a in-cabin pet, for which I paid $125 each way, and was in her travelling case for the entire flight without making a single peep) and encountered an interesting fellow pax. While the situation came to a fine ending I'm interested to know how UA would/could have handled this if the situation did not come to an okay resolution.

The short of the story is I booked my wife and I tickets home from Christmas on UA251 on 12/27 from IAD to PDX traveling with my 16 pound Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as an in-cabin pet. Assuming due to the holiday when I booked (a bit over a month out) there were only three seats left in first and none of the seats were together (I booked myself in 1E and my wife in 2E with the dog). When my wife got to her seat she let the pax in 2F know that we have a small dog just to make sure there were no issues. Low and behold there was an issue, as the women stated she was allergic to dogs, and in no uncertain terms that she would not be sitting next to a dog for six hours (while also berating my wife for traveling with a dog, and telling her that her ticket was worth less than hers because she saw my wife name on the upgrade list, which was the result of a standard JN award. What a peach she was). I ended up talking with the purser who asked fellow pax's in F if anyone was willing to switch to 2F (as the pax in 2F did not want to switch to my seat). Ultimately one very nice lady from 4F agreed to switch and the situation was resolved, but my question is what would have happened in no one in F agreed to switch. Would the FA's have removed the lady from 2F from the flight or my wife and I from the flight (the flight was completely full in F and E) or other? While I don't travel with my dog often (maybe 1 time a year when visiting family during the holiday's) I'm just looking to understand what could have happened in the super-remote chance a situation like this ever occurs again.

SFO 1K

If she had an allergy she would have been taken off the flight and accomodated on another flight. If she was simply unwilling to sit in her seat on principle I’m not sure how far UA would go for her.

Aussienarelle

Although I believe you are right, it makes me seethe that the person with the animal has superior rights. It is a pet. The person with the animal thinks the person who it seems had already booked her seat in 2F and presumably likes the window should be the person who needs to move to a less preferred seat because she has an allergy to the animal. The animal and human it is travelling with remain in their assigned seat. Animals apparently have superior rights to humans - very Orwellian.

SFO 1K

It really is not about the pet having more rights. If you identify to a crew member that you may be in some way incapacitated, having a flu, an allergy that could cause you to stop breathing, etc. the airline is within their right to offload you to reduce risk to the flight of having an onboard medical emergency. They are protecting their operation and ensuring your safety as a potentially medically impacted individual. That's why it is foolish for someone not allergic to claim an allergy on the premise they should stay and the animal should go.

As it relates to Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals, the Air Carrier Access Act (not ADA mind you) provides that the person with the animal stays on board as they have a disability and are receiving accommodation for that disability. But that is not the case in the scenario above so I am not suggesting ACAA applies here.

WineCountryUA

A better way to look at this, is neither has the superior right BUT you can not force either to take a different flight. Either can make that voluntary decision, but an allergy does not give them the right to force a passenger (and pet) off the plane.

Aussienarelle

I would agree with you except in the situation as described the person with the pet remained in their seat as the reseating was the person in 2F not the pet and person in 2E. That leads me to believe pets are giving priority over people by UA. Animal Farm (George Orwell) comes to mind with the story as described by the spouse of 2E.