[Wasagdu] Delta Airlines new policy

Fri Feb 23 00:33:06 UTC 2018

The policy has been updated on the Delta website. It now says that
advance notice is encouraged but not required for customers traveling
with trained service animals.
https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/service-animals.html

This is great news!

Mike

On 2/22/18, Marci Carpenter via WASAGDU <wasagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I am sure that the NFB will issue a statement if our position has changed.
> Last weekend President Riccobono said that we had sent a letter to the CEO
> of Delta right after the original policy was announced. He said that Delta
> only notified the NFB after the policy was released. In his letter to them
> he expressed our concerns and offered to meet with top Delta officials. A
> meeting was arranged in Atlanta but there were to be no top level Delta
> officials at the meeting so President Riccobono did not attend. Other
> Federation members did attend the meeting and voiced our concerns again.
> Nothing was resolved. As of last Friday we had received no word from Delta
> about any changes. If the policy has actually changed in a way that makes it
> less burdensome for blind people using guide dogs to fly Delta I am sure we
> will hear about it from our leaders.
>
> This list is for National federation of the Blind announcements and
> discussion. We don’t need to post ACB announcements. People wanting to read
> them can go to ACB lists to do so.
>
> Marci
>> On Feb 22, 2018, at 3:19 PM, Kaye Kipp via WASAGDU <wasagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I certainly hope so.  I need to see the whole thing.
>>
>> Kaye
>>
>> From: WASAGDU [mailto:wasagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> <mailto:wasagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Becky Frankeberger via
>> WASAGDU
>> Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 3:00 PM
>> To: 'Washington Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Cc: Becky Frankeberger
>> Subject: [Wasagdu] Delta Airlines new policy
>>
>> Forgive the shameless commercial. I knew you all would want to know about
>> this change. NAGDU will have something a little more meaty then this
>> crap.
>> Becky
>>
>>  <> <>ACB Commends Delta for Revising Its Service Animal Policy
>> Link to Press Release: http://acb.org/delta-policy-revision
>> <https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/acb.org?p=eyJzIjoic1lOX3V6LWJxTlVVeG5hTW1GWVNnbjVmMVVvIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwOlxcXC9cXFwvYWNiLm9yZ1xcXC9kZWx0YS1wb2xpY3ktcmV2aXNpb25cIixcImlkXCI6XCI4NTM3NmNhN2Y0YmY0YmVmYjI5MmI1ZGY3Y2FjOThkNFwiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcImVhOGI4NDk1ZDhiODBmNmFhYTVkMzM3MjY3N2I3ZDg5M2Y1ZTkyNjFcIl19In0>
>>
>> WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2018 – The American Council of the Blind commends
>> Delta Airlines for re-examining its recent policy on service animals,
>> relaxing constraints that negatively impacted travelers with guide dogs.
>> The revised policy announced today makes changes to a policy released
>> earlier this year that was intended to reduce the number of fraudulent
>> service and emotional support animals that have disrupted travel and, in
>> some cases, caused injury to passengers.
>>
>> “ACB is pleased to learn that Delta listened to the concerns ACB and our
>> members raised following the release of their January 18th change in
>> policy,” said Eric Bridges, ACB’s executive director. “The new policy
>> provides a much more workable solution that still allows for the freedom
>> of travel by passengers using guide dogs.”
>>
>> Since its inception, ACB has advocated tirelessly for equal access by
>> individuals who rely on the use of a guide dog. ACB played an active role
>> in the passage of the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 and the Americans
>> with Disabilities Act of 1990. Both laws have established the fundamental
>> right to access in places of public accommodation and across multiple
>> transportation networks, including all commercial airlines.
>>
>> “We look forward to working with Delta and other airlines to assure that
>> the skies remain accessible for all travelers, especially those who
>> experience the freedom that comes through traveling with a guide dog,”
>> said Anthony Stephens, ACB’s director of advocacy and governmental
>> affairs. A guide dog user, Stephens was actively involved in the 2016
>> Department of Transportation negotiations tasked with finding a solution
>> to the rise in service animal fraud.
>>
>> The initial policy change, released January 18th, would have created
>> multiple barriers to free and independent access to air travel by
>> consumers with guide dogs. Passengers with service and emotional support
>> animals would have been required to provide prior notice, and upload
>> relevant documents affirming the dog’s training and vaccination records.
>> The revised guidelines relax many of these policies for individuals with
>> legitimately trained service animals, which have already undergone great
>> scrutiny and training before being released in the community with their
>> handlers. Passengers traveling with trained service animals will still be
>> required to have their dogs vaccinated and be able to provide proof of
>> vaccination should issues or injury arise as a result of the animal.
>>
>> ACB recognizes Delta’s desire to assure that in the rare case of injury,
>> the appropriate documentation can be made available. We thank Delta for
>> listening to its customers and redrafting a policy that does not
>> discriminate against travelers who rely on their service dogs to be
>> independent.
>>
>> The American Council of the Blind is a national membership organization
>> whose purpose is to work toward independence, security, equality of
>> opportunity, and improved quality of life for all blind and visually
>> impaired people. Founded in 1961, ACB’s members work through more than 70
>> state and special-interest affiliates to improve the well-being of all
>> blind and visually impaired people <>.
>>
>> <image001.jpg>
>>
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