[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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