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

Thu Apr 15 02:41:50 UTC 2010

Thanks for the info, always good to share knowledge/resources.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 7:42 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

thank you I was looking at the ATA, Air Transportation Association,
www.airlines.org,

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
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nagdu mailing list
> > nagdu at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> > nagdu:
> >
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/stevencjohnson%40cent
> > urytel.net
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nagdu mailing list
> > nagdu at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> > nagdu:
> >
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotma
> il.com
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/stevencjohnson%40cent
> urytel.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotma
il.com
> 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/stevencjohnson%40cent
urytel.net