08-12-2008
10:51 AM
14 Loves
Anonymous,
Because Southwest Airlines doesn’t currently accept pets, when speaking with a Customer intending to travel with an animal, our Employees are trained to ask the Customer some factfinding questions to determine if the animal is a pet, an assistance animal, or an emotional support animal. As you may be aware, accessibility in airline travel is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, 49 U.S.C. 1374(c) and the regulations implementing the Act issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) as 14 CFR Part 382, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel. You may review the DOT’s Guidance Concerning Service Animals in Air Transportation here: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20030509.pdf. Please note that while our Employees cannot ask a Customer to divulge the nature of his/her disability, they can request that a Customer advise us what assistance an animal provides in order to obtain credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained assistance animal. If the Customer intends to travel with an emotional support animal, our Reservations Sales Agents will advise the Customer of the specific documentation requirements for emotional support animals.
Southwest Airlines is a very good airline, with an excellent performance record; friendly, capable Employees; and a strong commitment to Customer Service. You are, of course, entitled to find alternate means of transportation if you wish, but we hope that you will not make the decision to go elsewhere as we truly value and appreciate your business.
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