[Wasagdu] Delta Airlines new policy

Fri Feb 23 00:42:24 UTC 2018

It does say that we still need to travel with the documentation.
That's not ideal, but I don't see Delta asking for it in practice. The
policy no longer says that we have to check in at a ticket counter.

Will be interesting to hear the NFB's position on it.

Mike

On 2/22/18, Michael Forzano <michaeldforzano at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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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>>
>