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

Wed Apr 14 15:53:46 UTC 2010

Hello,
I usually do not tell them either.
I get enough hassel when I get to the airport, I do not want to 
give them a chance in advance to change my seat.
I have heard in the past, that it is a violation of the air 
carrier, to change someone's seat without their permission, does 
anyone know if this is true, and if so, if anyone has a link, 
where I can find an
official letter on this matter.
Thank you,

Robert Stigile
E-mail: rstigile at sbcglobal.net
Skype: robertstigile1

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:42:46 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] why do we have to let airlines know that you 
have a dog

Steve, this bit of law pertains to emotional support and psych 
service
animals, not guide dogs.  I'm a bit confused why you think it's 
relevant
to whether or not we have to tell the airlines we're travelling 
with a
guide dog.  Perhaps you're pointing out the differences between 
kinds of
service animals?
I'm with Marion; I don't tell them.
Tracy

 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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