[CT-NFB] Airlines

Thu Dec 3 20:25:21 UTC 2020

Yeah great news. I hope we won’t have to do anything extra when checking in

On Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 2:37 PM Elizabeth Rival via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Wonderful news. Let’s make sure we keep  this rule in place. Lucia, please
> forward out to all guide dog users. Beth
>
>
>
> *From:* Maryanne Melley [mailto:mvcmelley at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 03, 2020 10:27 AM
> *To:* llee at nfbct.org
> *Cc:* Elizabeth Rival <erival at comcast.net>
> *Subject:* Re: Airlines
>
>
>
> This is fantastic news!!!!!
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Maryanne Melley
>
> President
>
> National Federation of
>
> the Blind of Connecticut
>
> 860-212-5549
>
> mvcmelley at gmail.com
>
>
>
> “Live the life you want”
>
>
>
> On Dec 3, 2020, at 10:02 AM, llee at nfbct.org wrote:
>
> 
>
> Maryanne & Beth,
>
>
>
> The article below was in The Courant this morning.
>
>
>
> Lucia
>
>
>
> Feds ban emotional support animals from planes; new rule allows only dogs
> as service animals
>
> *By DAVID KOENIG*
>
> ASSOCIATED PRESS |
>
> DEC 02, 2020 AT 8:30 PM
>
>
>
> The government has decided that when it comes to air travel, only dogs can
> be service animals, and companions used for emotional support don’t count.
>
> The Transportation Department issued a final rule Wednesday that aims to
> settle *years of tension*
> <https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-airlines-service-animal-proposed-rules-20200122-y7hbuit4xrgelgkep5xlkgbcuu-story.html> over
> animals on airlines. The department decided that only dogs can fly for free
> as service animals, and companions that passengers use for emotional
> support don’t count.
>
>
>
> For years, the department required airlines to allow animals with
> passengers who had a doctor’s note saying they needed the animal for
> emotional support. *Airlines believed passengers abused the rule*
> <https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-united-airlines-emotional-support-animals-rules-20190103-story.html> to
> bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats, turtles, pot-bellied
> pigs and in one case, *a peacock*
> <https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-united-emotional-support-peacock-20180131-story.html>
> .
>
> The agency said Wednesday that it was rewriting the rules partly because
> passengers carrying unusual animals on board “eroded the public trust in
> legitimate service animals.” It also cited the increasing frequency of
> people “fraudulently representing their pets as service animals,” and a
> rise in misbehavior by emotional support animals, ranging from peeing on
> the carpet to biting other passengers.
>
>
>
> The Transportation Department proposed the new rule back in January and
> received more than 15,000 comments. While 3,000 commenters favored dropping
> protections for support animals, 6,000 spoke in favor of them, including
> people suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress
> disorder, the department said.
>
>
>
> The Paralyzed Veterans of America said the mere presence of a dog, cat or
> rabbit — even if untrained — can help some travelers, and pet fees of up to
> $175 one-way are a hardship on low-income people.
>
> The new rule will force passengers with emotional support animals to check
> them into the cargo hold — and pay a pet fee — or leave them at home. The
> agency estimated airlines will gain up to $59.6 million a year in pet fees.
>
> The number of animals on planes took off several years ago, and a cottage
> industry grew around providing papers, doctor’s notes and even dog vests
> for support animals.
>
>
>
> Delta Air Lines says it carried about 250,000 animals including service
> dogs in 2017 and about 600,000 last year.
>
>
>
> Under the final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, a service animal is a
> dog trained to help a person with a physical or psychiatric disability.
> Advocates for veterans and others had pushed for inclusion of psychiatric
> service dogs.
>
> Airlines will be able to require owners to vouch for the dog’s health,
> behavior and training. Airlines can require people with a service dog to
> turn in paperwork up to 48 hours before a flight, but they can’t bar those
> travelers from checking in online like other passengers.
>
>
>
> Airlines can require that service dogs to be leashed at all times, and
> they can bar dogs that show aggressive behavior. There have been incidents
> of emotional support animals biting passengers and growling or barking at
> guide dogs for the blind.
>
> Airlines for America, a trade group for the biggest U.S. carriers, said
> the new rule will protect passengers and airline employees while helping
> people travel with trained service dogs.
>
>
>
> The Transportation Department stood by an earlier decision to prohibit
> airlines from banning entire dog breeds. That is a setback for Delta Air
> Lines, which *banned “pit bull type dogs” in 2018*
> <https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-delta-pit-bull-ban-animal-20190925-6apvyflz3jckrlbrb6tnktxzua-story.html>,
> a move that was criticized by disability advocates.
>
>
>
> Delta, however, is giving no indication of backing down. In a statement, a
> Delta spokeswoman said the airline is reviewing the new rule but, “At this
> time, there are no changes to Delta’s current service and support animal
> policies.”
>
> [image: A service dog named Orlando rests on the foot of its trainer, John
> Reddan, while sitting inside a United Airlines plane April 1, 2017, at
> Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. The Transportation
> Department issued a final rule Dec. 2, 2020, that says only dogs can
> qualify as service animals aboard planes, and they have to be specially
> trained to help a person with disabilities.]
>
> A service dog named Orlando rests on the foot of its trainer, John Reddan,
> while sitting inside a United Airlines plane April 1, 2017, at Newark
> Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. The Transportation Department
> issued a final rule Dec. 2, 2020, that says only dogs can qualify as
> service animals aboard planes, and they have to be specially trained to
> help a person with disabilities. (Julio Cortez/AP)
>
> *ECT*
>
> *ING*
>
> pyright © 2020, Hartford Courant
>
>
>
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