Friday, February 26, 2021

No More Pigs & Peacocks on Planes

Flyers will no longer be terrorized by so-called emotional support animals.  The Department of Transportation issued a new rule that  allows airlines to limit such animals to service dogs.  The airlines promptly took advantage of the new rules and implemented new restrictions.  The Department stated in a December press release: 

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.

The rule is posted below.  It took effect on January 11. 

 DOT took action because the number of passengers bringing "emotional support animals" on flights more than doubled from 540,000 passengers in 2016 to 1.13 million passengers in 2019.  Emotional support animals included peacocks, cats, spiders, birds, and yes, pigs.  More emotional support animals generated more complaints as such animals are often not trained as service animals.  "Bathroom accidents" on flights were not exactly rare.  The Wall Street Journal reported: 

Delta says it saw an 85% increase in incidents—bites, urination, defecation and disruptive behavior—involving ESAs on flights from 2016 to 2019. “We had flight attendants who were bit, customers who were bit,’’ says Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant. “That’s something we can’t tolerate.”...

 In 2018, Congress ordered the DOT to take action on the pet explosion in airplane cabins. Transportation officials found that ESAs were responsible for a significant percentage of incidents of animal misbehavior on planes, adding that many of the ESAs were “fraudulent.” The DOT also cited increasing complaints from passengers with disabilities whose highly trained dogs—it can cost $200,000 or more and take two years to train a service dog—responded to aggressive untrained dogs and sometimes had to be retired from service.... Rest of article.

Over 15,000 comments were submitted to DOT for the new rule. Emotional support animals can still travel with their owners but a fee will have to be paid.  Such animals will have to follow the same rules as other pets on flights.  Airlines will have to provide the forms on their websites. 

Kingfish note: The old rule was just like any other privilege.  Abuse it and don't be surprised if it gets revoked.


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

This new administration is clearly biased and repressive. How dare they infringe on the rights of emotionally fragile travelers.

Anonymous said...

This crap started with Obama's "inclusive" DOT. I predict that President-non-elect Harris will bring it back.

Anonymous said...

about time. if you need your emotional support mini horse to fly, you aren’t capable of anything in an emergency. you can’t evacuate the plane quickly and orderly with people freaking out over their pet cat on a flight.

Anonymous said...

I just don't fly anymore. Too much craziness. Not to mention being packed in like sardines into an airtight tube with people with God knows what disease. If I can't drive it, I ain't going.

Anonymous said...

Guess I won't be able to take with me my emotional support iguana on trips anymore!!! I'm frail and I cannot function without my iguana!!! Waaaaaahhh!

Anonymous said...

Common sense. There are some people who get their jollies by "pushing the envelope" regarding every rule or regulation and a confined space like an airplane cabin is their ideal forum. Them and their "comfort companion" can be the center of attention. I once met a damn fool who had an iguana and a big yellow snake as pets and said he wanted to take one on a plane with him. I told him it was impossible and I hope he didn't try that shit but he was certainly fool enough to do it. Some people will do any damn thing. That's what the airlines have learned the hard way.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 9:14. Flying now a days is a fucking joke. What would really freak me out is seeing the flight crew with their pups up front.

Anonymous said...

Can the pet just identify as a baby and sit in its “parents” lap?

Unfriendly Skies said...

Don't be fooled, they still let animals on the plane: the sheep who follow all these dang rules.

Anonymous said...

I'm still carrying my emotional support Cockroach on board.

Anonymous said...

Last time I flew a couple of years ago, a young woman had a large dog with a vest that said "support animal". She was walking around normally and there was no way it was for a legitimate physical impairment. I've got dogs and know their mannerisms, so when I saw the dog start sniffing around and pacing back and forth I knew what was coming. Sure enough the dog took a huge crap right in the middle of the waiting area. The girl saw it happen and then just walked away with the dog. Poor maintenance guy came around a few minutes later and had to clean it up.

The dog was obviously not trained to be a support animal, and the girl was completely oblivious to her responsibility to clean up. She just stuck a vest on her pet. That's the kind of irresponsible behavior that requires rules like this. There's always somebody trying to push things as far as they can.

Anonymous said...

So I guess I can’t take my emotional support Cotton Mouth with me anymore. Samuel Jackson refused to board with me once.

Anonymous said...

Aww man there goes my chance at a 300 pound emotional support hog.

My name is Anonymous said...

Good. I don't need to see or smell your pet/so-called ESA's rah boo-boo while I'm enjoying my flight and eating my stale airplane peanuts.

Anonymous said...

I think 9:20 nailed it. Some people just seem to get off on pushing other people's buttons, i.e., being inconsiderate and rude.

Anonymous said...

I have moved beyond emotional support.

My four legged traveling companion is my significant other.

We demand the same rights as all the other acronyms!

Clyde Beatty said...

@1:47 pm - the post of the day.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully the same policy can soon be applied everywhere.

I don't mind a "real" service dog helping anyone that needs the animal.
But I've seen the same abuse of these rules as 10:26 described.

Just like the illegal handicapped parking permits dangling from fat ass lazy people's rear-view mirror.
( As well as the fake "clergy" shit used to park in a fire-lane . . . or within a dedicated handicap parking space ).

Anonymous said...

6:17 - You might be thinking about clergy parking at Baptist Hospital. They don't get to park in fire lanes, regardless. Nor does a clergy sticker allow one to park in a Handicap zone.

If you want the privileges of clergy, carry your ass to seminary and graduate.

Anonymous said...

"No more pigs & peacocks on planes."

So, no Kardashians, elected officials, hip-hop acts or their fans, sorority gals, rednecks, etc., etc., etc. Hell, I'd rather have a well-behaved pup on my flight than any of the former. Any poor creature that has been subjected to being an "emotional support animal" can be forgiven its "quirks." Not so much the owner.

I remember when of the biggest asshole on 99.99% of flights was the person who ordered the last bottle relative few bottles of the really good Scotch on most flights, which was free in FC/BC and $4 in coach. And there was only one "coach," which made any of the 48 "coach" classes today seem like at least BC if not FC.

You kids stay off my flight AND my lawn!

Anonymous said...

Kingfish places post such as this one, just to see how stupid you really are.

Anonymous said...

"If you want the privileges of clergy, carry your ass to seminary and graduate."

Hah !

Why go to a seminary, when twenty-five bucks can buy five bumper stickers, an official certificate
. . . along with two of the collar things.

Any idiot can become a self proclaimed "Bishop" of something.


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