Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
American Airlines Joins Alaska Air in Grounding Emotional-Support Animals
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
January 5, 2021

Share

DALLAS — American Airlines is banning emotional-support animals in a move that will force most owners to pay extra if they want their pets to travel with them.

The airline said Tuesday that it will allow animals in the cabin free of charge only if they are trained service dogs. The change takes effect Monday, although passengers who already bought tickets can fly with a companion animal until Feb. 1.

The move follows a similar decision by Alaska Airlines and is likely to be copied by other carriers. The U.S. Transportation Department cleared the way for the crackdown against companion animals last month.

American said passengers with a service dog will need to complete a government form vouching for the dog’s health, training and temperament.

Other animals, including dogs not trained as service dogs, will only be able to fly in the cargo hold or a kennel that fits under a seat in the cabin. Either way, American will collect a pet fee ranging from $125 to several hundred dollars.

Jessica Tyler, American’s president of cargo, said the rules will help passengers with service animals and protect employees on planes and in airports.

The number of passengers flying with companion animals grew rapidly in recent years, with some saying the animals helped them overcome anxiety and other issues. Passengers only needed a note from a health professional, and a cottage industry sprang up to provide those notes along with vests and other accoutrements for their animals.

Airlines and particularly flight attendants took a more critical view, saying passengers were exploiting a loophole in federal regulations to avoid pet fees. In a few cases, including some involving serious injuries, companion animals bit other passengers.

Last month, the Transportation Department settled the matter, siding mostly with the airlines. It said carriers were free to ban any animal other than dogs formally trained to help people with physical or psychological disabilities.

The department estimated that under the new rules airlines will scoop up $59.6 million a year in pet fees.

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

DON'T MISS

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

DON'T MISS

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

DON'T MISS

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

DON'T MISS

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

UP NEXT

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

UP NEXT

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

UP NEXT

This French Bulldog Is So Fetch: Meet Toaster Strudel

UP NEXT

Giant Sloths and Mastodons Lived With Humans for Millennia in the Americas, New Discoveries Suggest

UP NEXT

US Deportations Surge to Highest Level in a Decade Before Trump Takes Office

UP NEXT

White House Pushes to Find American Journalist Abducted in Syria

UP NEXT

This Fuzzy-Wuzzy Kitty Yearns for the Quiet Life

UP NEXT

Liberal Donors Plot to Overturn Republican House Majority in 2026

UP NEXT

New York Man Finds Mastodon Jaw While Gardening in His Backyard

UP NEXT

The ‘Murder Hornet’ Has Been Eradicated From US, Officials Say

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

17 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

17 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

18 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

18 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

18 hours ago

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

18 hours ago

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

19 hours ago

This French Bulldog Is So Fetch: Meet Toaster Strudel

20 hours ago

The Fed Expects to Cut Rates More Slowly in 2025. What That Could Mean for Mortgages, Debt and More

23 hours ago

New California Voter ID Ban Puts Conservative Cities at Odds With State

24 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

In a recent interview, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs outlined his concerns about the possibility of war with Iran, framing it as the culm...

15 hours ago

15 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

16 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

17 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

17 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

17 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

18 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

18 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

18 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend