[nagdu] Southwest COS and Service Animal Policy Clash!

Peter Donahue pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net
Sat Aug 29 23:48:14 UTC 2009


Hello Angie and listers,

    Please read Southwest's service animal policy and my comments following 
it. Here it is:

 *** Southwest Airlines
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/disability.html

Assistance Animals
Trained Assistance Animals

Southwest Airlines welcomes trained assistance animals on all of our
flights. In accordance with federal Safety regulations, the animal must be
positioned so as not to obstruct Customers' expeditious evacuation in the
unlikely event of an emergency. Except when too large to be safely
accommodated, a trained assistance animal traveling with and providing
assistance to a Customer with a disability will be accommodated in the
aircraft cabin on the floor in front of or next to the Customer with a
disability.

    And therein lies the problem! If they would allow Johnny to lie next to 
me in the unoccupied seat which on all of my flights remained empty even 
prior to my purchasing the second seat for my return home from the 
convention. Assuming the space was available  why even put me through that 
nonsense in the first place. The above policy statement is exactly what led 
me and I'm sure other Southwest passengers of size that use service animals 
to believe we wouldn't need to worry about being made to buy a second seat. 
It should have been obvious to them that I would most likely need to control 
Johnny and would need to have one or both arms out of the way so why make it 
an issue.

  Oh well I jumped for joy upon learning that Southwest is under 
investigation by the FAA for using uncertified parts to repair some of their 
older aircraft. I find it interesting that they hassled a large passenger 
with a guide dog who could have used the additional space since the seats 
were unoccupied yet they can't be sure that their parts meet Federal 
regulations putting the lives of many in danger. Now to fix supper.

Peter Donahue





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