The Headline Reads: No Snakes On The Plane

[Ax01]

i ran outta space in the thread title. the full headline from a Forbes article the other day reads No Snakes On The Plane: American Airlines Cracks Down On Emotional Support Animals.

what do u think of that headline? it's a play on words and references the movie. but is it also a dig at snake owners specifically?

anyways it's been awhile since we discussed one of our fav topics - ESA's - and some airlines have updated their policies and staff training. American Airlines announced their new policy the other day which will go into effect this July 1st - right in time for the Independence Day, 4th of July and summer travel rush.

the article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michael.../#6c8f80d921d5

Business travelers on US airlines have often felt they were instead boarding Noah’s Ark, encountering emotional support roosters, snakes, pigs, monkeys, hamsters, dogs and even a purported emotional support peacock that ruffled United’s feathers. Yet thousands of flyers will not board without their support animal. Now the other shoe—or paw—has dropped, and American Airlines has followed United and Delta in an attempt to bring some order to the menagerie.

American just put out an announcement detailing what the airline calls, in wonderfully Orwellian language, the “enhanced requirements” for traveling with emotional and/or psychiatric support animals. According to a spokesman, American wanted to get input from disability advocacy groups before initiating the new regulations, which focus primarily on emotional support animals, not trained service animals.

The ‘enhanced requirements’, of course, are actually a set of limitations. For example, traveling with a service or emotional/psychiatric support animal will also bar both of you from sitting in comfortable exit row seats for safety reasons. If an approved animal meets the list of ‘enhanced requirements’, it can fly with you if it can fit at your feet, under your seat or in your lap. If the animal is to be seated on your lap, it must be smaller than a 2-year old child. And “emotional support and service animals” (categories that many experts believe are quite different) cannot protrude into or block aisles, occupy a seat, and, no matter how cute or clean, eat from tray tables.

The behavior of even approved service animals will be monitored. The owner is expected to keep his companion under control at all times, and tethered by leash and/or harness. Growling, biting or attempting to bite and jumping on or lunging at people are no-nos. Mysteriously, American states the penalty if such behavior isn’t corrected or controlled (also known as being “a bad boy”) is not ejection at the next airport but that the animal “will be considered a pet and all pet requirements and applicable fees (typically $125) will apply.” Like other airlines, American now bans a wide range of dogs and cats from traveling as checked baggage, from pit bulls and boxers to brachycephalic or snub-nosed dogs and cats like bulldogs and Boston Terriers.

So who qualifies as a support animal on American—and who doesn’t? It’s hard to believe anyone would use a spider or insect as a support animal, but they are now specifically banned. So are amphibians, ferrets, goats, hedgehogs and rodents like the ‘emotional support hamster’ tragically flushed down an aircraft toilet. Animals with tusks, horns or hooves are specifically verboten, which probably excludes emotional support pigs. However, there is a specific exception to the “no hoof” rule for miniature horses that have been “properly trained as service animals.” Flyers also must just say no to reptiles and snakes, as well as “non-household birds” such as farm poultry, waterfowl, game birds and birds of prey. The eagle may be part of American’s logo but it won’t be joining you in the cabin.

Some AA regulations, such as its ban on any animal that is “unclean or has an odor”, seem open to interpretation. And other animals, like the monkey that roamed a Las Vegas flight, are not specifically banned. But American says it is prepared for such arguments, as “our employees are trained to ask certain questions to determine the classification applicable to your animal.”

As part of the process, the airline is also tightening documentation requirements for emotional support animals. American requires three pieces of documentation, including a signed form from a mental health professional, behavior guidelines and a form stating that on flights over 8 hours, your animal won’t need to relieve itself or can do so in a way that doesn’t create a health or sanitation issue. All this must be provided to American’s Special Assistance Desk at least 48 hours before a flight. The airline also notes that the “documentation validation” process will include contacting the passenger’s mental health professional.

Will the new “enhanced requirements” for emotional support animals bring order back to the cabin and the boarding process? We’ll find out over the July 4th weekend, as the new beast ban begins July 1, at the height of the summer travel season.

they specifically ban reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. i also find it in interesting some breeds of dogs are also banned like pitbulls, boxers and bulldogs (snubnose breeds) and that previously these dogs traveled w/ their owners in the flight cabin as "checked luggage." i think alotta Pug owners are gonna be really upset. also no aisle seat for those w/ ESA's and your ESA must be in your lap or on the floor between your legs.

so if you're planning to travel with your ESA or animal, know the new rules. there's alotofthem. here's the American Airlines policy specifically:


from here: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ce-animals.jsp

[JRLongton]

Personally, I wouldn't allow any animal, including seeing eye dogs. The cabin of a plane is just too confined a space and all animals can be unpredictable at times. It's stressful for humans, imagine how a dog or cat (to say nothing of a reptile!) would feel!

[MasonC2K]

One person's emotional support animal is another's emotional distress animal.

[Momokahn]

Let me see. The last time this came up was the emotional support squirrel I believe.

I don't believe ANY legislation should have been or should ever be enacted in the future for "emotional support animals". Dang just go the Wal-Mart and buy a pacifier for 69 cents if you are that unstable. I don't hate animals. I have 4 snakes, a dog, 2 parrots, 2 guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, a ferret, and several cats outside. They need my support, not the other way around.

Before the replies come rolling in saying I don't have a clue, all I can say is really? I have 2 daughters in the military with another daughter joining the military next month. You might think well that's nothing on a parent "emotionally" since it is girls in the military. Well I can divulge this much, ask ISIS how much they liked my daughters.

I could fill this forums server on more with myself personally but there is no need. I just suck it up Buttercup, as well as my 2 daughters do and I comfortably walk past the pacifiers each day in Wal-Mart.

[Kira]

Let me see. The last time this came up was the emotional support squirrel I believe.

I don't believe ANY legislation should have been or should ever be enacted in the future for "emotional support animals". Dang just go the Wal-Mart and buy a pacifier for 69 cents if you are that unstable. I don't hate animals. I have 4 snakes, a dog, 2 parrots, 2 guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, a ferret, and several cats outside. They need my support, not the other way around.

Before the replies come rolling in saying I don't have a clue, all I can say is really? I have 2 daughters in the military with another daughter joining the military next month. You might think well that's nothing on a parent "emotionally" since it is girls in the military. Well I can divulge this much, ask ISIS how much they liked my daughters.

I could fill this forums server on more with myself personally but there is no need. I just suck it up Buttercup, as well as my 2 daughters do and I comfortably walk past the pacifiers each day in Wal-Mart.

No need to be so insensitive. When I was 20 my parents sold the only home I had ever known and moved to California. I stayed in Oregon and lived with my friend's insane parents. 6 months later my dad unexpectedly passed away.

I could barely get out of bed or eat. Between dealing with a major loss and a loud, rude, couple who always yelled at each other I hardly had any motivation to take care of myself. So I adopted a dog. That encouraged me to get out of bed early and take him on long walks. I started eating more and taking better care of myself.

3 years have passed since then and I am still thankful to my little guy for giving me the strength to pull myself up when the world was crashing down on me. Sure he's not registered as an emotional support animal but that has been the role that he has served for me. While I do think a lot of people who have emotional support animals (like a peacock!) are taking advantage of the system- that doesn't mean there aren't people who need them.

You never know what's going in someone else's life or how much they have suffered so saying "suck it up" is unnessecary and unproductive.

[tttaylorrr]

I have 2 daughters in the military with another daughter joining the military next month.

pain is not a competition of who can suffer more. all pain is relative.

[Godzilla78]

Define “need”. There are people without clean water in the world. An emotional support animal may be important to some people, but it is a LUXURY.

[Alter-Echo]

Don't need any emotional support animal? Good for you!

Need an emotional support animal? Fine by me, do whatever helps you get through this minefield called life.

That being said, critters in a a passenger compartment is just asking for a disaster, so having them ride in the cargo hold or something is probably the safest option.

[Bogertophis]

All this makes me miss the "good old days" when I flew home from overseas with 2 chipmunks in a small carry-on under my seat...and no, they
weren't "emotional support" animals...I was theirs. (and no, they weren't smuggled, I had permits etc)

[bcr229]

All this makes me miss the "good old days" when I flew home from overseas with 2 chipmunks in a small carry-on under my seat...and no, they weren't "emotional support" animals...I was theirs. (and no, they weren't smuggled, I had permits etc)

You can still bring pets on the plane as long as you follow the pet rules for the airline. I think the difference between having a pet versus an ESA in the cabin is the fees; passengers pay more for a pet. Hence the $125 additional fee if your ESA becomes a problem during the flight.