“I don’t have kids, but my guess is it’s very similar to traveling with a small child,” she said. Ives-Rublee said it’s especially important to plan ahead if you’re not used to traveling with a service animal. Power survey Advice for new service animal handlers “There’s many times I have to put my hand down and block someone who’s trying to do what I call a drive-by petting,” Ramp-Adams said.įan favorites: Southwest, Delta and JetBlue win top marks for customer satisfaction in J.D. “Your interactions with them, whether it is petting, or talking to them, or even saying their name, it creates distractions for the dogs, which can create dangerous situations for the handlers.”īoth women also said it’s important to ask the handlers before petting a service animal and not to get offended if you’re told no. “Even if the dog doesn’t look like they’re quote-unquote working, they are working, and your interactions could create distractions,” she said. Ives-Rublee said service animals are pretty much always on the clock when they’re out in public. “That moment of distraction can cause an accident or can cause the handler to get injured.” “I know Sampson is gorgeous and fluffy and cute, (but) please don’t interact with a service animal,” Ramp-Adams said. Ives-Rublee and Ramp-Adams both said that as frustrating as it can be, other travelers should do their best to not try to get a service animal’s attention. Not so fast: Why you should think twice before booking flights with a tight connection How should other travelers act around service animals? Holtgraves added that airlines may require handlers to purchase a seat for some large service dogs. If it does not comply with the health and safety requirements of an international destination.If it causes significant disruption at the gate or onboard the aircraft.If it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of other passengers.If the dog is too large or heavy to be accommodated in the cabin.
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“If you train your own service dog you can list yourself as the trainer.”Ĭan service animals ever be denied boarding?Īirlines are required to transport service animals free of charge, but the DOT outlines specific conditions under which they can be denied boarding. “There’s no certification at all that’s required to fly,” Holtgraves said.
“Education is a big, big thing and making sure that people are very aware of what is allowed and not allowed and how they go about conducting check-ins.”Īlthough service dogs are required to be trained, there’s no national service animal registry or any formal licensing for training facilities. “I have had a lot of issues with checking in,” she said. “For the most part, it’s relatively smooth and accommodating but not always,” she said, adding that problems seem more likely to occur at the airport rather than on the plane. Joey Ramp-Adams said she travels frequently with her 10-year-old service dog Sampson, a golden retriever, and said issues are rare but extremely frustrating when they do happen. Tell us your story: Mobility device lost or damaged by an airline? USA TODAY wants to hear about it. “The DOT has made it pretty explicitly clear that no other documentation is allowed outside those two forms,” Holtgraves said, and airlines can require the forms to be submitted up to 48 hours in advance.īut travelers with experience flying with service dogs told USA TODAY things don’t always go as smoothly as the regulations might suggest.
An attestation about the animal’s health, behavior and training.What are the requirements for a service animal?ĭOT regulations state that dogs of any size or breed can qualify as service animals, so long as they are “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.”īeyond that, service animal handlers can only ever be required to submit two forms to the airlines, and legally, airline employees are restricted in what they can ask about a service animal. “The biggest thing is that service animals, the definition of service animals in the eyes of the Department of Transportation is that service animals are service dogs, that term is synonymous basically,” Noah Holtgraves, a data and tips writer for Trips to Discover told USA TODAY. Cruising Altitude: Progress for disabled travelers is not coming fast enough What qualifies as a service animal?Īccording to the Department of Transportation, only dogs count as service animals – sorry to the emotional support peacocks and service miniature horses out there.
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