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Re: Pets On Board

sneezy
Explorer C

While it's good advice to prepare for a flight by taking meds beforehand, and to do what you can on the flight to ensure your own health, this response and others I've read show a lack of understanding of what it means to have allergies.  I have severe allergies to animals, perfumes, dust, molds, etc.  Being in any public place is a constant risk, a risk that I have no choice but to accept.  I carry an Epipen but in a severe attack, I'm not sure that I could administer it to myself.  The current fad of everyone claiming to have a service dog or emotional support animal is out of hand.  Anyone can order a service dog vest on the internet.  Airlines, hotels, grocery stores, hospitals, car rental agencies, etc.  all have to recognize the risk they are putting people at when they allow such abuses.  And yes, I know there are laws that currently must be adhered to, but companies should be working to get the laws changed, if for no other reason than to avoid the lawsuits that are bound to come as more and more people abuse the priviledge of traveling with an animal.  Hotels limit rooms that can accept pets.  Why can't airlines limit the flights, or at least the seating?  Why not have an option when booking a flight for passengers to declare whether they have allergies or wish to travel with an animal?  First passenger to declare their needs determines whether pets are allowed on that flight.  I know this isn't a perfect solution.  As you point out, dander left from a previous flight could be a problem.  But if the animals were still restricted to (let's say) the rear of the plane, and anyone declaring allergies were seated as far as possible away from that section (whether there's animals on that particular flight or not), that would go a long way toward ensuring the health of everyone.  While I know I can never eliminate all the risk of traveling, there are things you could be doing to improve my chances.  

Re: Pets On Board

damitarice77
Explorer C

i agree 100%

Re: Pets On Board

rnchick74
Explorer C

Yes, there are abuses in the service dog and emotional support dog world. People use those terms interchangeably, but there really are 2 different types of assistance animals there. One has public access rights all over (service dog) and the other only has limited rights to public access, specifically with travel (emotional support). While those of us with REAL service dogs are very sympathetic to those with allergies, would you ask someone with a hearing aid to give that up? Or a prosthetic to get rid of it? A trained service dog provides just as much help, protection, and life-saving as your epi-pen does. A service dog is not a pet - it is a medical service in the eyes of the law. There are safeguards that the airlines take to see if a dog is a REAL service dog or not - you can look it up in the Americans with Disability Act & see what they are allowed to ask. Are there abuses - sure. Like with everything. The service dog community is trying to work & solve those issues. However, people with disabilities who chose to use a service dog have just as much right to travel, on any schedule they need, as you do. Segregation ended a long time ago.

Re: Pets On Board

chgoflyer
Aviator A

I think your anger would be better directed at the increasingly large number of people traveling with fake service animals, vs those with legitimate severe pet allergies. As those are the ones who fail to follow the rules and cause the most problems.

 

Also, to be clear, the Americans with Disabilities act has nothing to do with air travel on board a plane. The governing legislation is the Air Carrier Access Act.

 

I suspect that changes will come at some point in the next couple of years that should help both legitimate service animal owners and passengers upset by so many animals traveling in the cabin.

Re: Pets On Board

mammawj
Explorer C

Guess we will just have to see a few law suits where those suffering with allergies are labeled as disabled and given some rights in this situation.  Some pets are essential to their owner, like those that signal blood sugar problems but most are not. Surely there should be some consideration of priorities here.  All of us should reasonably expect that our safety will be considered ahead of personal preferences. Allergy sufferers would gladly leave their allergy behind but can not.

 

Clearly this situation needs some attention.

 

Re: Pets On Board

dfwskier
Aviator A

@mammawj wrote:

Guess we will just have to see a few law suits where those suffering with allergies are labeled as disabled and given some rights in this situation.  Some pets are essential to their owner, like those that signal blood sugar problems but most are not. Surely there should be some consideration of priorities here.  All of us should reasonably expect that our safety will be considered ahead of personal preferences. Allergy sufferers would gladly leave their allergy behind but can not.

 

Clearly this situation needs some attention.

 


Clearly this situation is governed by FEDERAL STATUTE.

 

SW and every other airline is doing what the law  says they should do.

 

If you don't like it, contact your senators and congressperson and tell tham that you want to see the law changed.

Re: Pets On Board

svma8986
Explorer B

I can barely get myself on board let alone my pet ! awww lol

 

Re: Pets On Board

Fumarfreak
Explorer C

Can I request a person with an animal not sit in an empty seat next to me due to my allergies if I was seated first?

Re: Pets On Board

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@Fumarfreak wrote:

Can I request a person with an animal not sit in an empty seat next to me due to my allergies if I was seated first?


 

I would politely mention your allergies to them as they are choosing the seat, and if there are any issues ask the flight attendant to assist.

 

If you have severe animal allergies, you should notify the OPs agent prior to boarding.

 

Animal allergies

If a Customer is severely affected by allergies to an animal and notifies us of his/her allergy at the departure gate, we can ensure that the Customer with the allergy is seated as far away from the animal as possible. 

Re: Pets On Board

peltonsl
Explorer C

While I absolutely agree that pets should be seated as far away from people who are allergic, but that must be a new policy.  I have hypoxia and am on oxygen.  I also have asthmatic reactions to cat hair.  When a cat was being boarded, I told the pre-boarding person and their response to me was to ask me if I had a letter from my MD.  Well, I do now carry a letter to this effect, but my doctor and all of the people I have told were shocked by this response.