[NAGDU] going on US domestic flights with a guide dog

Mon Aug 6 14:28:41 UTC 2018

There is no form for service dogs, Dan.  I always carry a rabies 
certificate, but that's it.  'Never been asked.  I do usually ask for 
help scheduling enough time for Claire to relieve herself outside the 
terminal when we have connections.  Claire refuses to enter airport 
relieving areas - inside the terminal, or outside the terminal.  
Fortunately, she will go in the street, beside the curb.

I have found that airline personnel do not mind having a 'real' service 
dog on board.  They've told me incredible stories about the behavior of 
ESAs.  In fact, more than once, I have been told, "We are so glad to 
have a real service dog on board.  Let us know if we can do anything for 
your her."

*David in Clearwater, FL*
*david at bakerinet.com

*
On 8/6/2018 9:56 AM, Dan Weiner via NAGDU wrote:
> thank you to all, I'm just anticipating that I'll have this type of 
> conversation:
>
> "is that a service dog (or ESA, or whatever term_.
>
> Dan "I'm blind and it's a guide dog"
>
> Air line person "but it doesn't show here that you filled out the form 
> required for service dogs".
>
>
> Dan: "There's probably a misunderstanding, I'm blind and he's a guide 
> dog and those requirements aren't needed for a guide dog".
>
> And so on and so on.  I just envisage a lot of confusion, and I do 
> understand Melissa's point about talking to the airline in advance, 
> I'm curious what accommodations you ask for or can potentially ask 
> for, it might be something that would be good for me or my dog.
>
>
> You take care
>
>
> On 8/6/2018 9:49 AM, Mary Metzger via NAGDU wrote:
>> My Seeing Eye dog and I recently traveled to and from Atlanta on 
>> Delta.  Although I carried a rabies certificate with me I was not 
>> asked for any documentation regarding my dog.
>>
>> Mary Beth Metzger
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa 
>> Allman via NAGDU
>> Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 9:06 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Melissa Allman <MAllman at seeingeye.org>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] going on US domestic flights with a guide dog
>>
>> Hi Dan and Parker. There is indeed a lot of confusion surrounding 
>> this issue. At this point, you do not need to provide documentation 
>> to the airlines proving that your dog is a guide dog or that you need 
>> to travel with a guide dog. You can show up as you did before if you 
>> would like. You should be able to check in on line or at curb side or 
>> at the counter. People traveling with emotional support animals can 
>> be required to complete documentation in advance of traveling which 
>> is unfortunately where the confusion stems from.
>>
>> If you decide you want or need accommodations, you can let the 
>> airline know. For example,, when I have flown American Airlines 
>> recently a couple of times and put in my reservation that I am 
>> traveling with a guide dog and need accommodations, it automatically 
>> brings up this form requesting information about the accommodations 
>> needed. Then they call you and ask for information about the weight 
>> and breed of your dog. You can either take the call or not. I tend to 
>> take the call because I have no objection to providing the 
>> information since I know they are not using it to prevent me from 
>> flying with my dog. I also know they cannot legally refuse to allow 
>> me to sit in the seat I've purchased so if I'm available I take the 
>> call and provide the information. Not all airlines do this, I'm just 
>> sharing my recent experiences with American.
>>
>> Personally, I prefer to let the airlines know ahead of time about the 
>> accommodations I'm requesting i.e. assistance getting to the gate and 
>> preboarding because I'm a planner. This is a personal choice.
>>
>> Delta is requiring that all service animal handlers (using the ACAA 
>> definition of service animals) carry a rabies certificate but I have 
>> been told that unless there's an issue delta will not generally ask 
>> people working with guide dogs to produce them and that they are 
>> doing it because of the problems associated with emotional support 
>> animals. Whether Delta should be requiring everybody traveling with a 
>> service animal to carry proof of rabies vaccination is another 
>> discussion that is not the focus of my email.
>>
>> International flights are another story and I won't' go into that, 
>> but I do want to remind everybody that on flights that last 8 hours 
>> or more airlines can ask for verification that the animal will not 
>> need to relieve during the flight or that if it does, the situation 
>> can be managed in a sanitary way.
>>
>> I hope that helps some.
>>
>> Melissa R. Allman, Esq.
>> Senior Specialist, Advocacy and Government Relations The Seeing Eye, 
>> Inc.
>> P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375 (mail)
>> 10 Washington Valley Road, Morristown, NJ 07960-3412 (deliveries)
>> 973-539-4425 ext. 1724,     Fax:  973-525-1081 mallman at SeeingEye.org
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dan Weiner 
>> via NAGDU
>> Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:55 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Cc: Dan Weiner
>> Subject: [NAGDU] going on US domestic flights with a guide dog
>>
>>
>> Hello, beautiful people:
>>
>>
>> Dan W. from Florida with the Parker dog here.
>>
>> I want to clear up  something. I hear a lot lately about various 
>> airlines, Delta and United for example, requiring documentation, 
>> whether vet records  or forms filled out for those of us who fly with 
>> in quotes service dogs. I put in quotes because I'm a guide dog user 
>> and that is what concerns me at this point.. Is any of this stuff 
>> applicable to us.
>> I had always thought that in domestic flights in the US that the FAA 
>> regulations or air carrier access act allowed access without any 
>> additional rigamarole, essential in my traveling days, I would show 
>> up, on occasion I told when making the reservation that I had a dog, 
>> most times I didn't, and I literally had no problems.  So what is the 
>> scoop nowadays. It concerns me that when I look at several of the 
>> guide dog school web sites here in the States that it seems like they 
>> are just going along with  it telling students that "remember to 
>> check with the airlines about t required forms" or something strange 
>> like this.
>>
>> I haven't been flying in several years and am looking to get back in 
>> to traveling by air which of course includes my pup.
>>
>> Who can give me the definitive answer...am I as a guide dog user 
>> required to fill out these bizarre service dog forms  or do anything 
>> else in advance or required to bring random documentation on domestic 
>> US air flights...I don't mean in quotes "oh the airlines are saying 
>> they want it so why not bring it..."smile, I mean the actual 
>> requirements, I've even herd from some fellow guide dog  users saying 
>> "Oh I filled out the  forrs and I had no problems the airline such 
>> and such was very
>> nice"-- So I don't want that either, anyway you probably get it.
>>
>> Who wants to give me the skinny, the bottom line, the scoop...
>>
>>
>> Yours,
>>
>> Dan and the Parker Hound
>>
>> smile
>>
>>
>>
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