[nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you have a dog
Robert Stigile
rstigile at sbcglobal.net
Wed Apr 14 14:05:07 UTC 2010
Hello,
I would like to see the air carrier act, can someone point me in
the direction of finding it.
Thank you,
Robert Stigile
E-mail: rstigile at sbcglobal.net
Skype: robertstigile1
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Johnson" <stevencjohnson at centurytel.net
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:47:21 -0500
Subject: Re: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you
have a dog
Just one more quick point of clarification, remember, the aDA
does not cover
air transportation accessibility; the Air Carrier Act does.
-----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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