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-   -   Feds to ban emotional support animals (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/131781-feds-ban-emotional-support-animals.html)

rickair7777 01-11-2021 10:34 AM

Big 3 + AS quickly pulled the trigger on ESA bans...


https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...upport-animals

copy 01-11-2021 01:55 PM

https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit...pport-animals/

I think it’s just about every airline.

Grumpyaviator 01-11-2021 02:12 PM

SWA doesn’t carry live cargo, so we’ll probably continue to carry Rocco, the Emotional Support Pitbull in the cabin next to the terrified toddler.

rickair7777 01-11-2021 04:22 PM


Originally Posted by Grumpyaviator (Post 3180234)
SWA doesn’t carry live cargo, so we’ll probably continue to carry Rocco, the Emotional Support Pitbull in the cabin next to the terrified toddler.

There's probably a market niche for that, but I thought it was NK.

Myfingershurt 06-28-2022 06:29 PM


Originally Posted by capabilitieso (Post 3450650)
Hello, guys! Sorry for a stupid question, but what is the general situation with ESAs now? Is it possible to travel with them without sending the animal to the luggage section?

I think it’s dogs and cats only.

dualinput 06-28-2022 07:43 PM

Has to be in a carrier under the seat and pay the pet fee if applicable I think

rickair7777 06-28-2022 09:27 PM

Depends on the airline, but the only safe bet is either a legit service dog (not ESA), or small dog or cat in a carrier which is small enough to carry on.

AllYourBaseAreB 06-29-2022 03:30 AM

Too bad out the miniature horses

rickair7777 06-29-2022 07:22 AM


Originally Posted by AllYourBaseAreB (Post 3450840)
Too bad out the miniature horses

I was always curious as to the back story about how those got approved as service animals... some specialty horse breeder must have had a cousin in congress. The fed just needs to limit the access rights to reasonable animals, ie dogs. If you're allergic, poodles work for that. You can have an asian elephant as a service animal if you want, you just don't have the right to bring into grocery stores, airplanes, etc.

TransWorld 06-29-2022 08:45 AM


Originally Posted by AllYourBaseAreB (Post 3450840)
Too bad out the miniature horses

You mean my emotional support porcupine cannot be brought on board? I always insist my seeing eye lion be with me. You should have seen the look on first officers’ faces though the years.

Fah2 06-29-2022 09:28 AM


Originally Posted by TransWorld (Post 3451076)
You mean my emotional support porcupine cannot be brought on board? I always insist my seeing eye lion be with me. You should have seen the look on first officers’ faces though the years.

Every zoo is technically a petting zoo, unless you’re a little b!tch….

Throwitaway 06-29-2022 11:15 AM


Originally Posted by FahQ2 (Post 3451107)
Every zoo is technically a petting zoo, unless you’re a little b!tch….

Very eloquently stated, "FahQ2"...

AllYourBaseAreB 06-29-2022 04:48 PM

Well the horses are real, and not emotional support, but… yeah…

rickair7777 06-29-2022 04:56 PM


Originally Posted by AllYourBaseAreB (Post 3451465)
Well the horses are real, and not emotional support, but… yeah…

Yes, they're real service animals. I'm just wondering "why"?

AllYourBaseAreB 06-30-2022 03:50 AM


Originally Posted by rickair7777 (Post 3451473)
Yes, they're real service animals. I'm just wondering "why"?

i dunno. I think the horses are very perceptive of human behavior changes and could also be helpful for their sturdiness with people having mobility issues. There is this lady in my hood with cerebral palsy that uses a massive Great Dane to help her walk without a walker (useful in a city that is very often not ADA compliant).


for people with Dog allergies?

Aero1900 06-30-2022 05:26 AM

The idea behind the service miniature horse is lifespan.

It takes years to train a dog to be a true service dog and then you only get 7 or 8 years of service with them. A miniature horse can live 25 years.

Learflyer2 06-30-2022 06:18 AM

Person with an ESA: Oh my god. Life is hard. People give my anxiety. I can’t leave the house.

Also person with an ESA: I think I’ll fly across the country in a man-made machine dodging thunderstorms with a hundred people surrounding me.

rickair7777 06-30-2022 06:37 AM


Originally Posted by AllYourBaseAreB (Post 3451671)
i dunno. I think the horses are very perceptive of human behavior changes and could also be helpful for their sturdiness with people having mobility issues. There is this lady in my hood with cerebral palsy that uses a massive Great Dane to help her walk without a walker (useful in a city that is very often not ADA compliant).

for people with Dog allergies?

Poodles. But I guess mobility would benefit from a larger animal. A standard poodle is not small, but it's not a horse either.


Originally Posted by Aero1900 (Post 3451694)
The idea behind the service miniature horse is lifespan.

It takes years to train a dog to be a true service dog and then you only get 7 or 8 years of service with them. A miniature horse can live 25 years.

That makes some sense. But not on airplanes.

Tranquility 06-30-2022 06:40 AM

1 Attachment(s)
This would work for me….

Margaritaville 06-30-2022 07:17 AM


Originally Posted by Tranquility (Post 3451754)
This would work for me….

I can get behind this! Always 5 o'clock somewhere!

Aero1900 06-30-2022 08:25 AM


Originally Posted by rickair7777 (Post 3451751)
Poodles. But I guess mobility would benefit from a larger animal. A standard poodle is not small, but it's not a horse either.



That makes some sense. But not on airplanes.

Yes, but have you ever held a horse?

My aunt and uncle bred miniature horses for a while. Very interesting little things!

JamesNoBrakes 07-05-2022 09:24 PM


Originally Posted by capabilitieso (Post 3454815)
I know that some initiatives online, like The ESA Registration of America, help to obtain the ESA letter online that is intended for traveling. But it still depends on the airline's conditions because ESAs are not considered service animals officially. Is it possible to travel somewhere in the US with my cat in my hands in the main plane’s space? I have never seen that, but if it is possible, then that would be cool.

it’s cargo. All cargo must be secured by regulation. If you can reasonably hold onto it, yes…but cats are cats and they don’t like to be held onto and can generally make it so uncomfortable and painful they can get free. Dogs that sit under the seat where luggage would go is more along the lines, although lap children under 2yrs are allowed by regs, so it comes down to whether the airline thinks a cat can be reasonably secured for takeoff and landing and then whether they want to allow it. ESAs are, or are least were, considered a category of service animals. That’s what created this whole mess. Airlines never had to agree to take exotic or unusual animals as ESAs or ones that couldn’t be secured, but they lacked the training and legal departments to enforce that. The law rewrite has made this much easier, by excluding all but a few animals that can be transported in the cabin as service animals. But as far as transporting animals in general, that’s up to the airline and whether it can be secured as cargo. People bring cats in carriers into the cabins all the time…

rickair7777 07-06-2022 06:45 AM


Originally Posted by capabilitieso (Post 3454815)
I know that some initiatives online, like The ESA Registration of America, help to obtain the ESA letter online that is intended for traveling. But it still depends on the airline's conditions because ESAs are not considered service animals officially. Is it possible to travel somewhere in the US with my cat in my hands in the main plane’s space? I have never seen that, but if it is possible, then that would be cool.

Just put it in a small animal carrier designed for that, and stick it under the seat in front of you. Doesn't even need to be an ESA. All US airlines probably allow that for cats and small dogs (check the airline's website). They don't allow some more exotic animals because of smells, or the risk of their behavior if they escape. Rodent-like animals for example will ground the plane until they are caught and they can be very hard to find. The hazard is that they'll chew on wires.


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