Delta Airlines Restricts Emotional Support Animals on long flights

[cruisefam38]

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/11/delta-bans-support-animals-from-long-flights--and-no-puppies.html

and

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/delta-bans-kittens-and-puppies-as-support-animals-on-all-flights-and-all-emotional-support-animals-on-longer-hauls-2018-12-10

 

Rather than dredge up the previous threads regarding this topic.......

Edited December 11, 2018 by cruisefam38

[philpcruiser]

A step in the right direction.  A really a small step.  How many flights are over 8 hours?  Not many.

[cruisefam38]

My perception is that the progression (digression?) from allowing and supporting service animals traveling with their humans to allowing emotional support animals to regular abuse of this allowance by pet owners took some time, a couple of years.  In 2018 there has been a travel industry walk-back on there policies, establishing and enforcing more restrictive guidelines and rules gradually. 

[ghstudio]

Hopefully, Celebrity will institute the same rules for cruises over 8 hours......

 

 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

How are emotional support pets going to mix with Eden?

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, ghstudio said:

Hopefully, Celebrity will institute the same rules for cruises over 8 hours......

 

 

I'll second that. 

[ipeeinthepool]

Works for me.  I'll only fly Delta.  However I don't think it's directed at the people abusing the Emotional Support Animal loophole to fly their pets without a fee.  Rather it's a recognition that the animals need to relieve themselves on long flights and there aren't facilities on-board the aircraft.  There was also a ban on animals younger than 4 months old, presumably for the same issue.  The young animals can't be expected to be housebroken.

 

Perhaps someday, Delta and Celebrity can address the passengers abusing the Emotional Support Animal regulations.

[dkjretired]

2 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Works for me.  I'll only fly Delta.  However I don't think it's directed at the people abusing the Emotional Support Animal loophole to fly their pets without a fee.  Rather it's a recognition that the animals need to relieve themselves on long flights and there aren't facilities on-board the aircraft.  There was also a ban on animals younger than 4 months old, presumably for the same issue.  The young animals can't be expected to be housebroken.

 

Perhaps someday, Delta and Celebrity can address the passengers abusing the Emotional Support Animal regulations.

 

Don't know that people are abusing the ESA regulations, you might be confusing them with the ADA rules for support dogs.  ESA dogs and support dogs are two totally different thing with different rules.   

[cruisefam38]

On all cruises shorter than 8 hours, emotional support animals (ESAs) may stay in Eden for the duration of the cruise. 

However, there is a strict rule against said ESA's not eating apples on the premises, nor may ESA's consume performers dressed as fruits or vegetables, and especially not apples.  Violation of this rule will of course result in banishment.

[voyager70]

3 hours ago, davekathy said:

I'll second that. 

 

Make it three.

 

[dkjretired]

43 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

Don't know that people are abusing the ESA regulations, you might be confusing them with the ADA rules for support dogs.  ESA dogs and support dogs are two totally different thing with different rules.   

 

Sorry I messed that up, ESA support dogs are totally different from SERVICE dogs, my mistake.  Service dogs are covered by the ADA which is being abused.  

Edited December 12, 2018 by dkjretired

[ipeeinthepool]

5 hours ago, dkjretired said:

 

Sorry I messed that up, ESA support dogs are totally different from SERVICE dogs, my mistake.  Service dogs are covered by the ADA which is being abused.  

 

No, I was talking about Delta's rules for ESAs.  People may be abusing the ADA rules but that's a different subject.  Perhaps regulations was too strict a word for rules.  Delta allows small pets to be brought onboard aircraft but they must remain in the carrier and there is a charge for the animal.  However, if they can get a doctor's note that their animal is an ESA, there isn't a fee for the animal and they can hold and play with the animal during the flight.  This greatly increases the chance that the animal may injure another passenger.

Edited December 13, 2018 by ipeeinthepool

[waterbug123]

13 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

No, I was talking about Delta's rules for ESAs.  People may be abusing the ADA rules but that's a different subject.  Perhaps regulations was too strict a word for rules.  Delta allows small pets to be brought onboard aircraft but they must remain in the carrier and there is a charge for the animal.  However, if they can get a doctor's note that their animal is an ESA, there isn't a fee for the animal and they can hold and play with the animal during the flight.  This greatly increases the chance that the animal may injure another passenger.

 

And those letters are just as easy to get as a service dog vest.  One only needs an internet connection and a valid credit card.  IMHO, there is abuse of the system regarding both service animals AND ESAs.

[cruisefam38]

As has been stated several times in several ways in a few different threads, an important step in regaining control of the service animal-emotional support animal-travel pet issue is that national level regulatory guidelines need to be generated and put in place. 

Like so many other issues, it will probably take a person with severe allergies to animals being placed in jeopardy by a travel pet and/or a traveler being physically harmed by someone else's travel pet before anything substantive will be done.

 

Again:  this is not an issue of the validity of service animals or even a challenge to prescribed emotional support animals for those with PTSD or other debilitating anxiety disorders.  The issue is that the designation of "emotional support animal" is being used and abused by some travelers for various reasons of their own, not related to active mental health treatment.  And, even if there is some kind of diagnose-able mental health issue, the human is not being responsible for the animal or considerate to other humans.

[ipeeinthepool]

4 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 

And those letters are just as easy to get as a service dog vest.  One only needs an internet connection and a valid credit card.  IMHO, there is abuse of the system regarding both service animals AND ESAs.

 

The difference is that ESA's don't have the same legal protections afforded true service animals. Airlines and cruise lines are able to establish their own rules for these animals.  I hope Delta and other companies continue to develop rules that restrict abuse of the privilege to travel with ESA's. 

[gatour]

Not sure why this thread is relevant to Celebrity cruises.  Perhaps a moderator can move this thread to an appropriate resting place.

[cruisefam38]

I would like to thank you good folks for your thoughtful and clever comments on this thread. 

A quick couple of internet searches this morning don't show any other airlines following Delta Airlines lead, nor any other modification in policies on cruise lines.  However, searches did give me links with interesting  information:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2018/12/11/delta-air-lines-further-restricts-rules-around-in-flight-emotional-support-animals/#6a2df0f63e02

In this Forbes article one quote that surprised me " At the time of that policy update, the airline pointed out that ESA use had jumped 84% from 2016 to 2017. "   The size and speed of the increase was greater and more rapid than I realized.

 

Also this article on RCCL's announcement prohibiting ESA's.   As I recall, at the time some CC members speculated that Celebrity, being a unit of Royal Caribbean International, would soon follow suit.

https://www.*****.com/2018/08/14/royal-caribbean-prohibits-emotional-support-animals-its-cruise-ships

If one is interested, and wants to take the time, read through the comments, particularly those of Jennifer N. Rain, a trainer of service dogs.

[dkjretired]

29 minutes ago, cruisefam38 said:

I would like to thank you good folks for your thoughtful and clever comments on this thread. 

A quick couple of internet searches this morning don't show any other airlines following Delta Airlines lead, nor any other modification in policies on cruise lines.  However, searches did give me links with interesting  information:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2018/12/11/delta-air-lines-further-restricts-rules-around-in-flight-emotional-support-animals/#6a2df0f63e02

In this Forbes article one quote that surprised me " At the time of that policy update, the airline pointed out that ESA use had jumped 84% from 2016 to 2017. "   The size and speed of the increase was greater and more rapid than I realized.

 

Also this article on RCCL's announcement prohibiting ESA's.   As I recall, at the time some CC members speculated that Celebrity, being a unit of Royal Caribbean International, would soon follow suit.

https://www.*****.com/2018/08/14/royal-caribbean-prohibits-emotional-support-animals-its-cruise-ships

If one is interested, and wants to take the time, read through the comments, particularly those of Jennifer N. Rain, a trainer of service dogs.

 

The problem with these dogs is that we don't know what these people are telling the cruise line as to the status of the dog.  If an ESA then the cruise line can take action, if they are saying they are Service animals, the cruise line has no recourse but to let them aboard.  We just don't know.  

[cruisefam38]

An update.  United Airlines has followed suit:

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/03/united-airlines-bans-emotional-support-puppies-and-kittens.html

[johhnnyt]

Was thrilled when I saw RCCL banned ESA's this year, too many people pushing dogs/animals n strollers ruined it for the people who actually needed it

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/royal-caribbean-bans-emotional-support-animals-from-all-cruises-2018-08-14

Edited January 4, 2019 by johhnnyt