[nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a dog

Wed Apr 14 12:43:57 UTC 2010

also iata.org, International Airlines Transportation Association, some of 
them are not as up to date as the one that steve posted, again thank you.

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
C10-10646

http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574

http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Johnson" <stevencjohnson at centurytel.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a dog

> No Cheryl, your are incorrect, it is from the Air Carrier Act passed in 
> May
> of 2009, the updated version.  There is a great overview on the Southwest
> DBTAC at
>
> http://www.bcm.edu/ilru/dlrp/html/publications/ebulletins/legal/2009/may2009
> .html
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of cheryl echevarria
> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 4:38 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a 
> dog
>
> That is from the ATA.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Independent Travel Consultant
> C10-10646
>
> http://Echevarriatravel.com
> 1-866-580-5574
>
> http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> CST-1018299-10
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steve Johnson" <stevencjohnson at centurytel.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 9:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a 
> dog
>
>
> > Cheryl, taken from the updated Air Carrier Act of 2009:
> >
> > .Requires 48-hour notification that a customer is bringing an emotional
> > support animal or psychiatric service animal on board the aircraft.
> >
> > Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
> > The definition of service animals includes guide dogs, signal dogs,
> > psychiatric service animals, and emotional support animals.  Air 
> > carriers
> > are required to allow service animals traveling with persons with
> > disabilities to sit with them in the cabin of the aircraft.65 Passengers
> > traveling with pets, as opposed to service animals or emotional support
> > animals, do not have any rights under the ACAA. To determine whether a
> > passenger with a disability is entitled to travel with a service animal,
> > air
> > carriers may ask questions and request documentation in certain
> > circumstances. The questions that may be asked and the level of
> > documentation that may be required will vary depending on the 
> > individual's
> > disability and the type of service animal. The purpose for the variation
> > in
> > requirements is because 1) many people traveling with a service, comfort
> > or
> > psychiatric support animal may have a have a hidden disability so the 
> > need
> > for a service animal is not apparent and 2) the reason an individual 
> > with
> > an
> > obvious disability requires a service animal is not always evident.
> >
> > As evidence that an animal qualifies as a service animal, an air carrier
> > must accept identification cards, other written documentation, presence 
> > of
> > harnesses, tags, or the credible verbal assurances of the passenger with
> > the
> > disability using the animal.66 If an air carrier is not certain of the
> > animal's status, even after being told that an animal is a service 
> > animal,
> > additional questions may be asked, including: "What tasks or functions
> > does
> > your animal perform for you?," "What has the animal been trained to do 
> > for
> > you?," and "Would you describe how the animal performs this task or
> > function
> > for you?''
> >
> > For emotional support or psychiatric service animals, air carriers may
> > request very specific diagnostic documentation 48 hours in advance of a
> > flight. The documentation must be 1) current (not be more than one year
> > old); 2) be on letterhead from a licensed mental health professional; 3)
> > must state that the person has a mental or emotional disability 
> > recognized
> > in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV); 
> > and
> > 4) state that the animal is needed as an accommodation for air travel or
> > for
> > activity at the individual's destination. The documentation should also
> > state that the health professional is treating the individual and 
> > include
> > the date and type of the mental health professional's license and the
> > state
> > or other jurisdiction in which it was issued. It does not need to state
> > the
> > individual's diagnosis.67
> >
> > Unusual animals such as miniature horses, pigs, and monkeys may be 
> > allowed
> > to travel as service animals.68 To determine whether the animal will be
> > allowed in the cabin, the air carrier may take into account the animal's
> > size, weight, and whether the animal would pose a direct threat to the
> > health or safety of others, or cause a significant disruption in cabin
> > service. If the animal would pose or cause any of these things, the 
> > animal
> > may have to travel in the cargo hold. In addition, if there are
> > restrictions
> > on any of these animals at the final destination point of travel, the
> > animal
> > may not be allowed to fly at all. Other unusual animals such as snakes,
> > other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders may be denied boarding as
> > they
> > may pose other safety and public health concerns. Foreign carriers are
> > required to transport only dogs as service animals.69
> >
> > Service animals cannot be denied passage because other passengers are
> > offended or annoyed by animals.70 Any service animal may be denied
> > boarding
> > privileges if the animal barks, growls, jumps on people or misbehaves in
> > ways that indicate the animal has not been trained to behave properly in
> > public settings, poses a direct threat to the health and safety of 
> > others,
> > or poses a significant risk of disruption of cabin service.71
> >
> > People with disabilities can sit in any seat with their service animal
> > unless they block an aisle or an area designated for emergency 
> > evacuation.
> > If they cannot be accommodated in a requested seat, then they must be
> > given
> > the opportunity to move to another seat within the same class of 
> > service.
> > A
> > person with a disability may request a bulkhead seat or another seat 
> > that
> > better suits their needs. 72 A person traveling with a service animal 
> > may
> > ask to pre-board.
> >
> > Air carriers are not required to make modifications that would 
> > constitute
> > an
> > undue burden or would fundamentally alter their programs. In order to
> > accommodate a service animal, a carrier does not have to ask another
> > passenger to give up all or most of the space in front of their seat 
> > (This
> > is rarely necessary, since most service animals fit comfortably at the
> > feet
> > of the handler, beneath the seat in front of the handler.) Carriers may
> > try
> > to find someone willing to share their foot space. Carriers can
> > voluntarily
> > reseat a person traveling with a service animal to a business or
> > first-class
> > seat to accommodate a service animal, but are not required to do so.73
> >
> > In-flight services and facilities do not have to be provided to service
> > animals. Individuals traveling with the animals must provide for the
> > animal's food, care, and supervision.
> >
> > In the terminal, air carriers must provide animal relief areas. They 
> > also
> > must provide escort service to individuals traveling with service 
> > animals
> > to
> > these areas, upon request.74
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> > Behalf
> > Of cheryl echevarria
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 6:26 PM
> > To: nagdu
> > Subject: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a dog
> >
> > On GDF conference call they are saying that we need to let airlines know
> > we
> > have guide dogs with us.
> >
> > Why, that is not so.
> >
> > Cheryl Echevarria
> > Independent Travel Consultant
> > C10-10646
> >
> > http://Echevarriatravel.com
> > 1-866-580-5574
> >
> > http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
> > Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
> > CST-1018299-10
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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