As a service dog handler that regularly flies Southwest, I can understand your frustration. My dog was professionally trained, wears a vest that identifies him as a service dog and he is very well behaved in public. As nice as this sounds, that alone does not make him a service dog.
The right to public access with a service dog belongs to the person with disabilities, not the dog. That is the first thing you must understand. Just because this person was not in a wheelchair does not mean that they were not disabled. How do you know if the person has invisible disabilities like PTSD or seizures? You don't. That's none of your business and will be kept between the passenger and the airline. Don't make assumptions when you do not have all the information.
What makes a service dog? Technically, it must be trained to perform tasks that help that person with their disability. Those tasks can range from providing tactile pressure or distraction during a PTSD episode to alerting for seizures. Again, it's not anyone else's business.
What does the ADA and DOT require as proof that the animal is a service dog? A statement by the handler that the dog is, in fact, trained to aid with a disability. That's basically it. Does it allow someone to cheat the system? Of course. Was this person cheating the system? You can't really know. You just assumed you knew all the information and formed an opinion.
As someone with a legitimate service dog that helps me with legitimate disabilities, I hate to see fakers even more than you do. That sort of selfish behavior breeds anger in people like you. Then when I come along with a legitimate service animal, I catch all the same kind of crap for no reason. I have ceased to be surprised by how many ignorant people are out there that think they know all about service dogs and the law when they actually know nothing at all.
I have often had people tell me that they can tell my dog is a "real" service dog by the way he behaves in public. All that really proves is that my dog is well trained (and experienced) but not that he is an actual service dog. You will just have to take my word for it until Congress passes a law requiring actual standards and certifications. To achieve that they will have to make major changes to the ADA and you can expect that to be a near impossible task. Until our society makes such changes, your temper would be best served by educating yourself about service dogs and the law.
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11-08-2017
05:15 PM
11-08-2017
05:15 PM
Well, whatever their policy is, I call it total bull**bleep**. I'm done with Southwest Airlines. They basically stole $400 that I will never recover. The person that has the credit on their account won't use it. IT sounds like legal theivery. I'll take my 10 flights a year to someone else.
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10-13-2017
06:28 PM
10-13-2017
06:28 PM
Why is that, if *I* pay for a ticket for my son to travel with me and he cannot make the trip, that I cannot cancel that ticket and have the funds go into my travel funds? He did not pay for that ticket, I did. It also doesn't make much sense that I can't simply transfer the ticket to another person. It's not like SWA is losing any money on this. To the contrary, you are gaining money that will never be used by anyone. I'd even be happy to pay a modest change fee for something like this. I'd rather pay, say $35 to simply change the person travelling, rather than be out $400 for one ticket and have to buy another ticket at what is now $600, So essentially, SWA has taken *my* money and locked it up so that I can no longer lay claim to the funds if I need to cancel the flight. That absolutely makes no sense at all unless its just a money grab. I've been a loyal SWA customer for years. If this is the best you can do, I will never fly with SWA again.
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05-17-2017
01:44 AM
05-17-2017
01:44 AM
Lindsey, I don't think you got this one right. A kennel for a service dog, if it is needed at the destination, is considered medical equipment. As such, the airline should ship it for free. I can personnally attest that Southwest ticket agents understand this. I have twice had my service dog's kennel shipped along with my luggage without any surcharges. Please correct me if I am wrong. Pete
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05-17-2017
01:30 AM
Thank you for all the information! This is going to save me a lot of having to deal with other passengers and limites space.
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05-17-2017
01:27 AM
05-17-2017
01:27 AM
I seem to remember that the new flights open up at 10 a.m. What time zone that is, I have no idea. I realize this isn't a lot of help. I would start checking at 10 a.m Eastern time and check every hour after that. Also, keep in mind that flight prices will likely drop so if you reserve early, keep an eye on fare prices and you will probably find a lower fare.
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05-05-2017
03:08 PM
Can you tell me how the refund procedure works? I have an 80lb service dog and having that extra seat can make a huge difference, especially on a longer flight. Any chance for a reduced fare for that extra seat? How do I make a reservation for an empty seat? Who do I enter as a passenger? My dog on the floor at the bulkhead seats. I also wish to add that, since my dog came home with me 2 years ago, I have flown exclusively on Southwest. From the second I walk in the front door of the airport to the minute I leave at my destination, Southwest employees are always the most friendly and helpful I have ever encountered. They have always cheerfully accomodated my dog in the terminal and during flights. I run into a lot of problems at other places with my dog but Southwest always makes my air travel as painless as possible and I am truly grateful for that!
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