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CNN: American Airlines to no longer recognize ESAs as service animals. “Animals that previously traveled as ESAs may travel as carry-on or cargo pets”

Saucycarpdog

Saucycarpdog

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,301
www.cnn.com

Southwest joins other airlines in banning emotional support animals | CNN

Southwest Airlines has joined other major US carriers in banning emotional support animals. Effective March 1, the airline will no longer transport emotional support animals.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
American Airlines says it will no longer allow emotional support animals starting next week.

The change matches a new Department of Transportation regulation that says airlines "are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets."

The DOT defines a service animal as a dog "trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability."

American says on January 11, when the new DOT rule comes into effect, it "will no longer authorize new travel for animals that do not meet that definition, such as emotional support animals."

Emotional support animals are prescribed by mental health professionals to provide comfort and support, but unlike service animals, they are not required to have training in specific tasks.

Animals that previously traveled as emotional support animals may travel as carry-on or cargo pets, the airline said.
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Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,025
Not shocked, folks like this make it hard for people with legit issues
www.bbc.com

'Emotional support peacock' barred from United Airlines plane

United Airlines refuses to let a woman in New Jersey board a plane with a peacock, citing its size.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
_99824354_peacock_976.jpg
 
antonz

antonz

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,309
Unfortunately it was an area for people to cheat ruining it for people who might have actually benefitted from said animals.
 
TheYanger

TheYanger

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,139
Since last thread was full of people thinking it didn't get abused all the time: I work in a doctors office and getting these notes to people is part of what I do, as well as fielding the requests for them. It's not even close, it's gotta be like 95:5 in terms of people that just want a fucking free pet on board, vs people that legitimately could use a little support puppy or something.
 

Deleted member 86105

Banned
Nov 18, 2020
1,408
giphy.gif


Emotional Support Animals required zero training so they could be an absolute nightmare to other passengers with little recourse. There was an industry that allows you to buy "genuine" ESA prescription letters online for like $50-$100 so you can take your pet on flights while avoiding the pet fee (like $125 each way).

Emotional Support Letter from Touch ESA

Emotional support animal (ESA) letters in 24 hours or less. Touch ESA offers the ESA letter for housing or emotional support animal letter for flying.
touchesa.com touchesa.com

The whole idea needed to go. Service dogs for the disabled are still allowed, and they can re-think their approach to ESA in the meantime.
 
steejee

steejee

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,604
I do hope that people that legitimately need the animals are able to find a way to get proper service animals. I had one co-worker who had a 'support animal' leash and harness so he could take his dog on planes and it immediately made me loathe him.
 
Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,025
TheYanger said:
Since last thread was full of people thinking it didn't get abused all the time: I work in a doctors office and getting these notes to people is part of what I do, as well as fielding the requests for them. It's not even close, it's gotta be like 95:5 in terms of people that just want a fucking free pet on board, vs people that legitimately could use a little support puppy or something.
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I can believe, that is jobs want you to jump to through so many hoops with doctor notes IE FMLA
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,958
"Animals that previously traveled as emotional support animals may travel as carry-on or cargo pets, the airline said."

Seems pretty reasonable. you can't abuse the system and arbitrarily claim your chicken as an emotional support animal so they can ride on your lap. If you have a documented disability and have a service dog, they can fly with you.

I am my dog's emotional support animal. Without me he's a wreck.
 
Merv

Merv

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,456
So if you need an emotional support animal and also need to fly it should fit under the seat in a carrier then. Makes sense.

We travel to my parents and back usually once a year. We can't kennel and have three pets, so we just load up our mini van and go.

The Albatross said:
I am my dog's emotional support animal. Without me he's a wreck.
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I think this is the case more often than not. Lol
 
Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,025
Akira said:
giphy.gif


Emotional Support Animals required zero training so they could be an absolute nightmare to other passengers with little recourse. There was an industry that allows you to buy "genuine" ESA prescription letters online for like $100 so you can take your pet on flights while avoiding the pet fee (like $125 each way).

The whole idea needed to go. Service dogs for the disabled are still allowed, and they can re-think their approach to ESA animals in the meantime.
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I seen people get fired from printing out doctors notes and bringing them into the job, but i think that speaks more to how jobs handle absences
 
Syriel

Syriel

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
11,088
sfedai0 said:
This is a good thing right? Too many people abusing this.
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Yes. We had a thread when the rule change was first announced, but short version is that nearly every "emotional support" animal was just a pet that the owner didn't want to pay for.

This change does NOT effect service dogs.

The main changes are:
* People gotta pay to fly their pets now
* Limits on number of pets in cabin can now be enforced

Old thread:
www.resetera.com

U.S. ruling says only service dogs are allowed for emotional support animals on planes

No more peacocks. :/
www.resetera.com www.resetera.com
 
KodaRuss

KodaRuss

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,855
Texas
I never really understood this anyway. I am pretty damn allergic to cats. If someone had a cat with them sitting next to me on a flight I would be absolutely miserable in about 30 mins for the rest of the flight.

Definitely would ask to move seats and all that but there are tons of people with pet allergies and who is going to willingly say yes, Ill sit next to this person with a cat I dont know.
 
Garlador

Garlador

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
14,131
I feel bad for those that actually NEED them. I know a lot of people abuse the system, but I'd like to think it did more good than harm.
 
Apath

Apath

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,116
KodaRuss said:
I never really understood this anyway. I am pretty damn allergic to cats. If someone had a cat with them sitting next to me on a flight I would be absolutely miserable in about 30 mins for the rest of the flight.

Definitely would ask to move seats and all that but there are tons of people with pet allergies and who is going to willingly say yes, Ill sit next to this person with a cat I dont know.
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I would gladly trade seats to sit next to a cat. Or almost any docile, well behaved animal for that matter.
 
S-Wind

S-Wind

Member
Nov 4, 2017
2,175
User Banned (1 Week): Insensitive Commentary Around Mental Health Concerns
So called emotional support animals... this is peak White People
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,117
Maybe this is a dumb question, we all laugh at the idea of an "emotional support peacock" and view that as a tipping point but who is to say that is any more or less valid than an emotional support dog or cat?
 
Mcfrank

Mcfrank

Member
Oct 28, 2017
15,200
Good. LAX was basically a dog park last time I flew at Christmas two years ago. Dog took a shit in the middle of the coffee line and the owner didn't even clean it up. I love dogs, but there is a reason kennels exist.
 
Violence Jack

Violence Jack

Drive-in Mutant
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Oct 25, 2017
41,674
Wasn't there a case aboard an airline where a person flew with their emotional support dog that pissed everywhere and attacked a passenger?
 

Deleted member 39374

Banned
Feb 1, 2018
5,083
Good.

ESA's are a common loophole for assholes to bring pets into "no pets allowed" areas. You can buy permits for them online, like a medical weed card. It's junk certification.

It is NOT a service animal, which is more advanced and actually functional
 

Deleted member 12224

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,113
Similar to studies on accessible parking spot abuse, where hangtags are rife for abuse whereas official license plates requiring stronger evidence are rarely ever abused, so making people go the extra step cuts out almost all of the issues, this should cut down on animal-on-plane abuse by almost 100%.

You'll get the occasional asshole who will do enough research to know how to get around service animal laws, essentially daring airline employees to call their bluff and risk a potential PR nightmare if they're wrong, but I imagine that'll be 1 out of 100 at best.
 
Tigerfog

Tigerfog

Member
Oct 28, 2017
766
Montreal
KodaRuss said:
I never really understood this anyway. I am pretty damn allergic to cats. If someone had a cat with them sitting next to me on a flight I would be absolutely miserable in about 30 mins for the rest of the flight.

Definitely would ask to move seats and all that but there are tons of people with pet allergies and who is going to willingly say yes, Ill sit next to this person with a cat I dont know.
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This, so much.
My mother and brother are allergic to cats.
I wouldn't want to them to travel anywhere in a confined space for hours with cat in their midst.
 
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