Good dog, bad dog … Delta wants to know
Delta Air Lines will soon require owners of service and support animals to provide more information before their animals can fly in the passenger cabin, including an assurance it’s trained to behave itself.
The airline said complaints about animals biting or urinating or defecating on planes have nearly doubled since 2016.
Starting March 1, Delta will require owners to show proof of their animal’s health or vaccinations at least 48 hours before a flight.
Owners of psychiatric service animals and of those used for emotional support will need to sign a statement vouching that their animal can behave. But owners will be on the honor system — they won’t have to show, for example, that their dog graduated from obedience school.
The new requirements don’t apply to pets, for which owners pay an extra fee. Delta, American and United all charge $125 each way for small pets in the cabin. Pets that don’t fit under a seat must fly in the cargo hold, also for a price.
Delta’s policy change arrives
with the number of animals in the cabin increasing.
A rift has grown between disabled people who rely on trained service animals, usually dogs, and passengers with support or comfort animals, with many in the first group suspecting that those in the latter are just trying to avoid paying $125.
However, owners of comfort animals, including veterans suffering from post-traumatic
stress syndrome, often say they wouldn’t be able to travel without their companion.
John Laughter, the airline’s senior vice president of safety and security, said there are insufficient rules in place to screen animals for health and behavior issues.
Last June, a 70-pound dog flying as a support animal bit another passenger several times in the face on a Delta plane in Atlanta. The victim was hospitalized.
Delta is seeking a balance “that supports those customers with a legitimate need for these animals” while maintaining safety, Laughter said.
Sara Nelson, president of the largest flight attendants’ union, praised Delta’s decision. She said passengers abuse the system to bring untrained animals on board, and if it isn’t stopped it could lead to a crackdown that will hurt veterans and the disabled “who legitimately need to travel with these animals.”
Eric Goldmann, a sales representative in Atlanta for a health care company, posts pictures on Twitter of support animals he thinks should have stayed home. He said owners are abusing the system and creating safety hazards.
“These dogs are everywhere, they’re out in the aisles,” he said. “Planes have to be evacuated in 90 seconds in an emergency. If animals get in the way, people will panic.”
Although exact figures aren’t available, airline employees said dogs and cats are the most common animals on planes, but there have been sightings of pigs, snakes and turkeys too.