Delta Bans Emotional Support Animals on Long Flights – KQED Forum
San Francisco public radio station KQED had me on yesterday to talk about changing emotional support animal rules. Originally I was just supposed to open the segment to explain what’s been changing, most recently with Delta. But in the end, they had me stick around the whole half hour to talk about it with the other guests. You can listen at the link above.
There should be a national data base to register properly trained/vetted animals. These animals should have an ID chip which airports can scan to check the data base. If they are listed then they can travel in the cabin, if not they can’t.
You see signs in businesses that service dogs are permitted, but you never see a sign with legal guidelines for both the animal owner/public/business owner to make sure is being followed.
I like KQED’s forum. It’s a talk show where everyone is polite and respectful even when they don’t agree on the issue.
I also liked the way you handled the comment about this being a cash grab for the airlines. I never saw it that way. It’s not like bag fees, seat selection fees, or anything that would affect a lot more people.
I know of people who have abused the emotional support pet loophole because it saves them the in cabin pet fee, but something needs to be done to prevent people from bringing their pets everywhere.
Thank you for taking a very professional and educated approach to dealing with the emotional support animal issue which has become a major issue because the government has not acted and airlines have had to act on their own.
Delta is probably being the most aggressive in dealing with the issue because it wants to present itself as a carrier for business passengers who are not the least bit interested in being a part of this circus.
The most telling comment from the audio article was from the lady who said she is blind and her ability to live a fulfilling life are at risk from people who are faking disabilities so they don’t have to pay for services – or in the case of Delta, take pets at all since Delta has significantly cut even its paid pet transportation services.
The government needs to act and they need to get past the mind set that everyone else that can function in a normal and diverse society has to accommodate the disabilities of a small minority of people.
I very much believe that real (verified) disabilities should be accommodated. And the proliferation of fake emotional support animals is leading to real service animals being considered a nuisance when they really perform a valuable service.
Agreed.
Similar to how “glutards” (people who aren’t celiac but try to avoid gluten for dietary reasons and who often claim to be allergic to it, looking at you, Mom!) have led to people not taking celiacs’ needs seriously and serving them foods with gluten.
How common is all this, really? I’ve never seen an animal of any kind on board an airliner.
Anthony – That’s a point I made later in the show – this isn’t an epidemic or anything that impacts most people. The issue is that when it impacts someone, it can have an enormous impact. When a dog bites someone or it goes to the bathroom, there are health issues and liability issues for the airline. So it needs to be dealt with because any issue can have an outsize impact.
Seriously? Where have you been? I have seen about 30 animals on flights i have taken this year.
I’ve done two corporate relocations in the past 7 years. Its great to put the cat under the seat in front of you. Cat stays in a carrier and everyone is cool. Its a real cost though — $125 for this “privilege.” I just hope the answer doesn’t become no pets at all. Not sure what I would have done otherwise.
I’m still waiting to throw my money at any airline that bans non-human animals and humans under age 5 in the cabin. The former could -and should- be implemented by any airline. Animals go in a carrier in the hold, period.
On another note, I can’t believe we even entertain the notion of “emotional support animals”, or believe that anyone fragile enough to need one would board a 600mph cloud-rocket.