[nagdu] Service Animal Policies of Several Airlines

[Ann Chiappetta]

thanks for sharing this information.

Oh, boy, Jet Blue's policies got a roar out of me.  Two or more service 
animals? Snakes? Spiders? Oy!Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

They do not differentiate between a genuine service animal and a 
therapy/emotional support animal. that's muddy waters, IMO.

Annie & Ro
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 12:59 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Service Animal Policies of Several Airlines


> The recent thread about Frontier (and my desire to procrastinate) led me 
> to
> compare the policies for several airlines as posted on their web sites. 
> Some
> appear not to have been updated since the new regulations went into effect
> on May 13. Some are pages exclusively devoted to service animals; some
> include information for people with disabilities generally. I find that
> Frontier's policy sounds a little heavy-handed in comparison to some 
> others.
> What do you all think? I put *** at the beginning of the material for each
> airline. (I apologize that some of the URLs are links while others are 
> not.
> I'm having formatting issues.)
>
> *** Delta Airlines
> http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/services_tra
> velers_disabilities/special_concerns/index.jsp
>
> We offer special seating for passengers with certain types of 
> disabilities.
> Passengers who can have special seating include anyone:
>
> Who uses an aisle chair to get on the aircraft and can't readily transfer
> over a fixed aisle armrest.
> Traveling with an attendant helping them during the flight.
> Traveling with a service animal.
> With a fused leg.
> Return to top
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
>
> Service Animals
> We welcome service animals in the aircraft cabin, such as dogs and monkeys
> trained to assist passengers with mobility, visual, or hearing 
> disabilities.
>
> A service animal must be in the floor space where the passenger sits and 
> may
> not get in the way of an aisle or any area that needs to remain clear for
> emergencies. (That's why we can't seat you in the exit row.)
>
> Some locations (Hawaii, Great Britain, etc.) have quarantine laws for
> animals, or might not permit their entry at all. See Health Requirements 
> for
> more information.
>
> We, or your travel agent, will be able to help you find out what the
> requirements are for your destination. But remember, it's up to you to
> follow the regulations.
>
> Return to top
> *** Frontier Airlines
> http://www.frontierairlines.com/frontier/customer-service/travel-support/pla
> nning-your-trip.do
>
> traveling with a service animal
> We accept service animals trained to assist passengers with disabilities 
> in
> the cabin of our aircraft at no charge. Here are a few things to know 
> about
> traveling with a service animal:
> A health certificate is not required for service animals.
> Identification of a service animal, including one or more of the 
> following,
> is required:
> Animal identification card
> Harnesses, vests, capes or backpack with appropriate identification
> Verbal assurance detailing what services the animal provides, as well as 
> the
> training received
> A written statement or completion of Frontier Medical Authorization Form
> 30905 (PDF) by a mental health care professional may be required for
> passengers wishing to travel with a therapeutic/emotional support animal.
>
> Your service animal must be properly harnessed for the duration of the
> flight(s). A proper harness is considered a collar and leash or guide dog
> harness. The animal may sit at your feet and may not sit in the aisle or
> another seat. If the animal is small enough, it may sit on your lap. If 
> you
> are traveling with a service animal, you may not be seated in an emergency
> exit row.
>
> NOTE: We reserve the right to refuse to accommodate an animal in the cabin
> if credible proof of service and training is not available, or if the 
> animal
> is considered aggressive or disruptive.
>
>
> *** JetBlue
> http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/webisapi.dll?New,Kb=askBlue,case=obj(10
> 95)
>
>
> Guidelines/Requirements - Service Animals on JetBlue
> JetBlue welcomes service animals in the cabin, at no additional charge.
> JetBlue will accept one service animal per qualified individual with a
> disability; JetBlue will make every reasonable effort to accommodate you 
> in
> the event that you require the assistance of two or more service animals.
> You may purchase a second seat so that the animal can be accommodated in
> accordance with FAA safety regulations or wait until a later flight (if 
> the
> animals cannot be accommodated together at a single passenger seat).
>
> Please note the following when traveling with a service animal:
>
> Service animal(s) may not obstruct an aisle or any other area used for an
> emergency evacuation. Service animals typically should remain on the 
> floor;
> however if the animal is small and well-behaved, circumstances may permit
> the animal to remain in your lap during all stages of flight.
> Certain unusual service animals (i.e. snakes, other reptiles, ferrets,
> rodents and spiders) pose unavoidable safety and/or public health concerns
> and will not be allowed to jet with us. The release of such an animal in 
> the
> aircraft could result in a direct threat to the health or safety of
> customers and crewmembers.
> Service animals in training are not accepted.
> Service animals may not occupy a seat.
> JetBlue will provide assistance to and from Airport Animal Relief Areas 
> for
> Customers and their service animals.
> Currently there are no vaccination requirements for service animals on
> domestic flights.
>
>
>
>
> Types of Service Animals
> Service Animals - A Service Animal has been through some type of training 
> to
> perform a specific active function, such as path finding, picking up
> objects, carrying things, providing additional stability, responding to
> sounds, etc.
>
> Emotional Support/Psychiatric Service Animals - An Emotional Support or
> Psychiatric Service Animal can only be used by persons with a diagnosed
> mental or emotional disorder and need not have specific training for that
> function but must be trained to behave appropriately in a public setting.
>
>
>
>
> Documentation and Requirements for Traveling with a Service Animal
> Service Animals
>
> Service Animals shall have identifiers such as identification cards, other
> written documentation, presence of harnesses, tags or "the credible verbal
> assurances of a qualified individual with a disability using the animal".
>
> Please note: documentation is not required as a condition for permitting 
> an
> individual to travel with his or her service animal in the cabin unless a
> Customer's verbal assurance is not credible.
>
> Emotional Support/Psychiatric Service Animals
>
> Emotional Support/Psychiatric Service Animals require current 
> documentation
> (i.e., not more than one year old) on letterhead from a licensed mental
> health professional stating:
>
> that the Customer has a mental health-related disability
> that having the animal accompany the Customer is necessary to the 
> Customer's
> mental health or treatment
> that the individual providing the assessment of the Customer is a licensed
> mental health professional and the Customer is under his or her 
> professional
> care
> the date and type of the mental health professional's license and the 
> state
> or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.
>
>
>
> International Travel with a Service Animal
> If you are traveling with a service animal on an international flight,
> please read the additional health documentation requirements here.
>
>
> *** 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.
>
> Emotional Support Animals
>
> Animals used for a Customer's emotional support are accepted in the cabin.
> In order for a Customer to travel with an emotional support animal, the
> Customer must provide to a Southwest Airlines Employee current 
> documentation
> (not more than one year old) on letterhead from a mental health 
> professional
> or medical doctor who is treating the Customer's mental health-related
> disability stating:
> The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the
> Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition 
> (DSM
> IV)
> The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as
> an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger's
> destination
> The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health
> professional, and the passenger is under his or her professional care AND
> The date and type of the mental health professional's or medical doctor's
> license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.
> Customers traveling with an assistance animal or an emotional support 
> animal
> cannot sit in an emergency exit seat.
>
>
>
> *** United airlines
> http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1045,00.html
>
> United Airlines and United Express welcome service animals accompanying
> persons with disabilities. There is no fee for service animals, and they 
> may
> travel in the aircraft cabin as long as they do not obstruct an aisle or 
> any
> other area used for emergency evacuations.
>
> It may be helpful to outfit your service animal with a harness or vest to
> make the animal's status obvious to airport personnel. If the animal's
> status is questioned, you simply need to provide credible verbal assurance
> that the animal is assisting a passenger with a disability.
>
>
> Please note that quarantine restrictions may apply. Check with your travel
> agent or a United reservations agent at least one month prior to departure
> to find out if there are any regulations specific to your destination.
>
>
> Emotional support animals
> Emotional support animals are considered to be service animals. However, a
> customer traveling with an emotional support animal will need to have
> documentation on letterhead from a licensed mental health professional,
> dated within the past 12 months, stating that the customer is under
> professional care for a mental-health-related disability, and that the
> animal's assistance is essential to his or her mental health.
>
>
> Therapy animals
> Therapy animals, which are pets that have been trained and registered by a
> therapy organization in order to visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools 
> and
> other facilities, are not considered to be service animals. When traveling
> with a therapy animal, standard pet-related regulations and restrictions
> will apply.
>
> Destination-specific information
>
> Hawaii
> There are restrictions regarding the entry of service animals into Hawaii.
> Customers planning to travel to Hawaii should contact the Hawaii Animal
> Quarantine Branch manager directly for quarantine requirements. The 
> 24-hour
> phone number is 808-837-8092. You may also view animal quarantine
> information at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture web site.
>
>
> United Kingdom
> United Airlines is permitted to accept service animals on flights to the
> United Kingdom. Because UK regulations for accepting service animals are
> very strict, both United and our customers must carefully follow the
> appropriate procedures.
>
>
> As part of those procedures, any customer who intends to travel with a
> service animal must obtain a preapproval letter from Defra (Department for
> Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), a UK government agency. Please note
> that the preapproval process for transporting service animals to the UK 
> can
> take up to two months.
>
>
> Visit the Defra web site for more information about requirements and
> procedures for taking animals into the UK, or contact Defra by phone at 
> +44
> 870 241 1710, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. UK time. (Please 
> note:
> Before dialing the number above, you must first enter the international
> direct dialing code. In the United States and Canada, this code is 011.)
>
>
> Other international destinations
> Many countries restrict the entry of animals. Restrictions vary by 
> country,
> and customers should contact the appropriate embassy or consulate at least
> four weeks before departure to make sure that all necessary procedures are
> followed.
>
>     *** US Airways
> http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/traveltools/specialneeds/animals.aspx
>
> Service animals
> Service animals are welcome on all US Airways flights. There is no charge
> for trained service animals.
>  The number and type of service animals are not limited provided they
> can fit on your lap or in the area directly in front of your seat. Aisles
> may not be obstructed.
>  If the service animal sits on the lap of the passenger, the animal
> must be no larger than an infant child.
>  .Additional restrictions apply for travel with service animals on
> flights outside of the continental United States
>  If you're traveling with a service animal and if you would like
> special seating such as a bulkhead seat, please call US Airways 
> Reservations
> at 800-428-4322/TTY 800-245-2966 at least 24 hours before your departure. 
> In
> compliance with safety regulations, if you're traveling with a service
> animal, you may not sit in an exit row.
> To show that an animal is a service animal, please provide:
>  I.D. card for the animal
>  Presence of harness or tags
>  Other written documentation
>  Credible verbal assurance of the passenger using the animal
> Emotional support or psychiatric service animals
> Please call US Airways at 800-428-4322/TTY 800-245-2966 at least 48 hours
> prior to your scheduled departure if you're traveling with emotional 
> support
> or psychiatric service animals.
>
> To travel with an emotional support or psychiatric service animal in the
> cabin, you must provide current documentation dated within one year from 
> the
> date of the scheduled initial flight on the letterhead of a licensed 
> mental
> health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist or licensed clinical 
> social
> worker). Documentation must state:
>  The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the
> Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- Fourth Edition 
> (DSM
> IV)
>  The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service
> animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the
> passenger's destination
>  The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health
> professional, and the passenger is under his or her professional care.
>  The date and type of the mental health professional's license and
> the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued
> ________________________________________
> Hawaii animal quarantine
> Hawaii is a rabies-free state. If you're traveling to Hawaii with a 
> service
> animal, emotional support animal or psychiatric service animal, you must
> have a health certificate issued within 14 days prior to travel. You must
> also contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to get a Neighborhood
> Island Permit before leaving the mainland if you're traveling to Maui, 
> Kauai
> or the Big Island.
>
> US Airways will only permit service animals, emotional support animals and
> psychiatric animals in the cabin for travel to/from Hawaii.
>
> When the service animal or emotional support animal, or psychiatric 
> service
> animal is a bird or for information on requirements for allowing service
> animals, emotional support animals and psychiatric service animals to 
> enter
> the state of Hawaii without quarantine, please contact the Hawaii 
> Department
> of Agriculture.
>
> Hawaii Department of Agriculture
> Animal Quarantine Station
> 99-951 Halawa Valley Street
> Aiea, HI 96701-5602
> Phone: 808-483-7151
>  Visit the Hawaii Department of Agriculture's website
> UK animal quarantine
> The United Kingdom is a rabies-free country and its rules governing the
> entry of animals into the country, including service animals, are strictly
> enforced. In the past, all animals traveling into the United Kingdom were
> subject to quarantine for six months.
>
> Now, if you meet certain requirements, it is possible to transport a 
> service
> dog or a service cat in the cabin on a flight into the UK, without a
> six-month quarantine upon arrival.
>
> When making a reservation, or no later than 72 hours before departure, you
> must notify US Airways of your intention to transport a service dog or a
> service cat in the cabin on a flight into the UK.
>
> At the gate, prior to departure from the U.S., and upon landing in the
> United Kingdom, you must present a date-stamped official veterinary
> certificate, signed by a veterinarian licensed by an approved country or 
> an
> EU pet passport demonstrating that the animal has received:
>  A microchip implant readable by an ISO-compatible scanner or by
> another scanner compatible with the implanted microchip provided by the
> passenger.
>  A vaccination against rabies.
>  A rabies antibodies blood test. This test must be completed at least
> six months before the animal's initial entry to the UK.
>  Treatment for certain parasites.
> ________________________________________
> The passenger is responsible for the costs and fees associated with the 
> UK's
> Pet Travel Scheme.
>
> For detailed current information about compliance procedures, go to the 
> UK's
> Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFFA) website.
>  UK's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFFA)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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