<p>I have to say that I have never travelled with a dog or cat sitting next to me and I travel quite a bit. I probably would insist on getting my seat moved.</p>
<p>I think that quite a few people who travel to resort/vacation destinations with their small, yappy dogs are not doing this out of neccessity. These are the same people that would bring their pampered pet to a posh restaurant, order a steak dish, cut the steak into small pieces and put the plate under the table for the dog to enjoy. Yup, seen that. 
Thank goodness there are restrictions on bringing pets to HI!</p>
<p>Service dogs are NOT pets; should we exclude the blind or the deaf from airplanes? Drug-sniffing dogs (who are used in most airports) are not pets. The bomb-sniffing dogs used in most international airports–they’re not pets either. Search-and-rescue dogs routinely travel in the cabin with their handlers because it’s safer for them there. </p>
<p>About half a million pets fly each year; that count would not include service dogs since they are not counted as a pet. The law is very clear that service animals MUST be allowed to travel with their people: [Air</a> Travel Hotline](<a href=“http://www.iaadp.org/usdot-may2008-airline-guidance.html#guid]Air”>http://www.iaadp.org/usdot-may2008-airline-guidance.html#guid)</p>
<p>I have seen a service animal or a pet animal on every flight I’ve been on in recent years (and I fly five or six times a year). I haven’t seen any untoward incidents or animal urine or feces on any plane I’ve been on, while I have seen ill humans vomit in the aisles. Stuff happens, but I’d argue that animals are less likely to be a problem than humans.</p>
<p>Quite a while back on this thread, GreenTeaLee mentioned a crying baby on a 15-hour flight. If the flight takes 15 hours, most likely it’s a trip that cannot be taken by car–or at least, not without great difficulty (and it must be in the other hemisphere). A family traveling that distance with an infant will almost certainly have to take some variety of common carrier, unless the family is very wealthy. Some trips of this type cannot be postponed until the child is 4 or 5.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone here is begrudging a blind/handicapped individual their service dog. That would be ridiculous. There are legitimate reasons for having this sort of service animal aboard, and while those with allergies still may be disturbed, they provide a service to a human being which many (most?) consider a necessity for living independently. It would be a stretch to equalize the value of the two sets of animals, IMO. I would also wager that most travelers would be willing to overlook the presence of such a well trained, albeit hairy and dander-filled, service animal (note, not “pet”) for just that reason. </p>
<p>What some do object to is yappy lap dog/meowing kitty on the lap of their seatmate. (which is where you WON’T see a service animal) It’s rude to assume that your neighbors enjoy having dander/hair flying everywhere, and that somehow because they are sleeping (and you paid the extra 100.00) it makes it ok. It’s not. The circulation system, as you noted, circulates the air in the cabin, yet I find it hard to believe that some of the particulates from these critters don’t end up wafting about the cabin. I feel for the folk who truly are highly allergic. No one should have to end up sick because Fido or FiFi HAD to go to Cabo for vacation. Pet cargo areas, with proper heat/temp control, seem to solve this problem for the people in this equation. Who, IMO, are the ones who need to come first.</p>
<p>I donate to a charity that raises service dogs, and my sister used to train service dogs, so I’m very familiar with what a service animal is. And yes, some service dogs are Maltese.</p>
<p>dmd, I wonder how many of the so called “service dogs” are genuinely service dogs? I’m not talking about bomb-sniffing dogs, seeing eye dogs, guide dogs clearly identifyable by the vests and collars they wear, etc. I’m talking about tiny toy dogs that some folks lug around as integral parts of their LV purses. Pretty much anyone can claim that their pet is a “service animal” since it is illegal for business owners to ask for any proof of that fact. However,</p>
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<p>[Commonly</a> Asked Questions About Service Animals in Places of Business](<a href=“http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm]Commonly”>Redirecting…)</p>
<p>Isn’t there also a distinction between a service animal (has a legal definition and legal protections) and some of these “therapy” or “companion” animals which people who have anxiety disorders are now using? I remember reading about them somewhere.</p>
<p>Do they have animal-free flights? If not, they should.</p>
<p>oldfort, animal-free flights would violate the ADA.</p>
<p>From Delta’s service animal policy:</p>
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<p>I remember reading a hilarious article in the NY Times years ago about “emotional support animals” and how business owners were having a hard time saying no to them. One of the many unexpected side-effects of ADA.</p>
<p>Restaurants having to accept cats and dogs, animals showing up for doctor’s appointments and for hair laser removal (they had to cover the dog with a towel since they couldn’t find protective goggles that would fit) and of course airline travel. They mentioned and emotional support goat and a miniature horse that ended up flying the friendly skies!</p>
<p>Looking at Delta’s requirements, it seems that they’re making it as difficult as possible for BS support animals to make it on the plane. Hopefully, there will be no more goats in the cabin!</p>
<p>Still, if the ADA supports someone having their emotional support animal on the plane, it should also support my allergies and asthma since they directly effect my ability to breathe. Who wins?</p>
<p>It’s official, people are nuts!</p>
<p>[Wagging</a> the Dog, and a Finger - New York Times](<a href=“Wagging the Dog, and a Finger - The New York Times”>Wagging the Dog, and a Finger - The New York Times)</p>
<p>I do not know how well Delta’s policy fits within the provisions of the ADA (I guess their lawyers went through it with a fine tooth comb to make sure it complies with the ADA), but it brings up an interesting point: a business has to provide service to a person with a service animal without requiring any written proof of what the animal’s function is, but if said animal becomes disruptive, the person and the animal maybe asked to leave. What would an airline do if a service dog becomes aggressive or disruptive on a trans-Atlantic flight? </p>
<p>Greenwitch, you will be surprised: your allergies are not considered a disability unless they are truly life-threatening and you have supporting documentation, such as a letter from your doctor.</p>
<p>Here is a link to a NY Times article:</p>
<p>[When</a> Treating One Worker?s Allergy Sets Off Another?s - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/us/11spice.html]When”>When Treating One Worker’s Allergy Sets Off Another’s - The New York Times)</p>
<p>BunsenBurner asks the question: “What would an airline do if a service dog becomes aggressive or disruptive on a trans-Atlantic flight?”</p>
<p>To my knowledge, it hasn’t happened, but I expect the response would be the same as it is for a disruptive or aggressive passenger, which is: restraints and confinement. Personally, I’m a lot less scared of a big service dog than I am of the other passengers.</p>
<p>dmd, I’m sure the flight attendants are trained to handle these hypothetical situations. The point of my question was that maybe because of the nature of their business it is OK for airlines to have policies asking for written documentation, but I re-read what Greenwitch posted, and the policy only applies to “emotional support animal”, the “species” that are not ADA-protected. It still sounds like a passenger can still BS their dog’s way onto an airplane claiming that the dog is a “service dog” (requirement of written documentation in this case would violate the ADA language).</p>
<p>Since you and I are both very familiar with dogs, sitting next to a dog on an airplane will not be a big deal for us, but some people are pathologically terrified of dogs. My next door neighbor was not aware that we had a large GSD in the yard until after they bought their house! She was really frightened the first time she saw my dog, to the point that I thought she needed medical help for her panic attack! She got used to seeing the dog (and the other neighbors’ dog, too), but will not come anywhere near him.</p>
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<p>You’re absolutely right! The flight was from NYC to Hong Kong. I understand that emergencies happen and one must travel with a baby but I think it should be avoided as much as possible just for the well-being of the baby. I have seen very few babies do quite well on a plane.</p>
<p>One could pick a route with a few stops too.</p>
<p>I do sympathize, GreenTeaLee! There are a lot of annoyances involved in flying, but 10 hours of a baby crying, close to you, is hard to deal with. I’ve never taken a 15-hour flight (yet), though I think some are in my future. Unfortunately, I think the hassles of flying are essentially random–so there is no way to schedule around them, if one would like a quiet flight. As of yet, we can’t really justify the cost of first class or even business class on international flights, but maybe those are better–if someone has experience? </p>
<p>BCEagle91 makes a good point about breaking up the flight, if that’s workable. Of course, again you are back to the random possibilities, but at least each is shorter.</p>
<p>Aren’t there all sorts of quarantine issues for animals being taken out of the country?</p>