Seating with an emotional service dog

[nparry13]

Does anyone know if you are allowed to preboard with your emotional service dog of should i buy an upgraded ticket?

[BullsFan]

Please  remember that people like me have severe allergies and keep the dog in the carrier, please.

when I sit in the hair and dander left by an animal on a prior flight withought seeing it, I end up in the hospital...

[dollyemma]

To all these self centered people who have sucj negative attitudes towards animals, not all Emotional Support dogs are scams!!! 

I have a letter from my Dr and as far as im concerned it's no one's business why i have a Therapy Dog as long as i have papers to prove she is.  And most small dogs like mine are hypoallergenic.

And what about the smell and noise i have to endure, body and hair odor, bad breath, cigarette smell off of someone who smokes or nasty perfume that someone has bathed in???  Or the noise of a crying baby that cries the whole flight or the kid who has temper tantrums???

I understand that no flight is perfect but i dont appreciate being discriminated agains!!!! It's bad enough that i have to print on the dogs vest EMOTIONAL SUPPORT as its no ones business and its very humiliating too because there are people like me who are very private and fell embarrassed even though our therapy dog is for real!!!!

[chgoflyer]

Is your animal an Emotional Support Animal or a Therapy Animal? Those are two different things.

Southwest allows Emotional Support Animals (with proper documentation) to fly for free, but does not allow Therapy Animals to do so -- those are considered pets, and are subject to the pet fee.

I think that the confusion around the various types of animals traveling onboard adds to the problem. For example, there is no need for an emotional support animal to ever wear a vest, especially one with a label such as you mention. Scam websites online sell such items to those wishing to fraudulently claim their pet is a Trained Service Animal, and many people recognize them as such.

If your animal is an Emotional Support Animal and you've presented proper documentation, and follow the rules (such as keeping the animal in their container or on a leash at all times) I suspect you'll have no issues at all.

More information about traveling on Southwest with Trained Assistance Animals, Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Animals can be found here.

[spacecoastbill]

>>>>.I have a letter from my Dr and as far as im concerned it's no one's business why i have a Therapy Dog as long as i have papers to prove she is

Yea, plenty of online ESA paper mills give the same letter for $50 or so.....

Exactly why ling overdue rules restricting these scam reasons to not pay the fee for an animal in the cabin are finally starting.

The only real service animal is a ACA/ACAA service dog.

[dfwskier]

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@spacecoastbill wrote:

>>>>.I have a letter from my Dr and as far as im concerned it's no one's business why i have a Therapy Dog as long as i have papers to prove she is

Yea, plenty of online ESA paper mills give the same letter for $50 or so.....

Exactly why ling overdue rules restricting these scam reasons to not pay the fee for an animal in the cabin are finally starting.

The only real service animal is a ACA/ACAA service dog.

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The federal government disagrees with you:

"

The Air Carrier Access Act

The Air Carrier Access Act was passed in 1990 and works alongside Department of Transportation rules prohibiting discrimination of disabled individuals traveling by air. According to the Air Carrier Act provisions, airlines are not allowed to refuse transportation, limit, or require advanced notice before offering service to individuals who are disabled.

Airlines may require advanced notice for certain accommodations, such as medical equipment or electric wheelchairs, and may require notice for ESAs, depending on the individual airline guidelines.

The Air Carrier Act requires that airlines accommodate ESA owners who have verified identification, which is your ESA letter and possibly additional forms based on the specific airline.

Before you fly, make sure you are aware of the materials you need to board the plane with your Emotional Support Animal. For example, check out Delta’s here.

ESA owners are not required to sit in any particular location unless the animal is large enough to obstruct an aisle that must remain unobstructed.

The Air Carrier Act also restricts airlines from charging fees for accommodating disabled persons with an ESA."

[spacecoastbill]

No, you confused SERVICE animal with SUPPORT animal.

2 different definitions.

I said Service animal, not the support animal that you can easily get a letter generated online for less than 100 bucks.  Its commonly used to bypass apartment restrictions, airline fees, etc (or should I say abused).

[dfwskier]

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@spacecoastbill wrote:

No, you confused SERVICE animal with SUPPORT animal.

2 different definitions.

I said Service animal, not the support animal that you can easily get a letter generated online for less than 100 bucks.  Its commonly used to bypass apartment restrictions, airline fees, etc (or should I say abused).

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Makes no diference. The legislation says airlines have to acomodate them. Of course, Southwest coud ignore federal law and pay the legal and PR price for doing so. -- NOT.

[spacecoastbill]

They can put restrictions on the size and type of ESA.  Exactly what other carriers are doing.  

Its still a scam.