If you are flying Alaska Airlines in mid-January, do not plan on boarding your support pig or miniature horse.
The airline, acting in the wake of new federal guidelines designed to contain a series of sometimes exotic animals that passengers brought on commercial planes as emotional support animals, kept it simple by announcing on Tuesday what it would allow: only qualified service personnel who can lie on the floor or be held in their lap.
Ray Prentice, director of customer defense for Alaska Airlines, who said he was the first major airline to publicly change its animal policy in the light of updated federal guidelines, said the airline’s decision was a positive step.
“This regulatory change is good news as it will help us to reduce disturbances on board, while continuing to accommodate our guests traveling with qualified service animals,” said Prentice in a statement.
The airline said that as of January 11, it will only allow guide dogs trained to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
A Dec. 2 decision by the United States Department of Transportation that amended the Air Carrier Access Act gives airlines the authority to classify emotionally supportive animals as pets rather than service animals. According to the decision, only dogs that meet specific training criteria are allowed as service animals for people with physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disabilities.
The new regulatory decision was criticized by advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities, who said the restrictions would weaken protections for people with disabilities by limiting the definition of a service animal. According to formal guidance released by the Department of Transport in 2019, common service animals include dogs, cats and miniature horses.
“While it is no secret that we still remain a long way from a truly accessible transportation system in this country, the DOT rule will only serve to exacerbate the existing inequalities for people with disabilities who participate in air travel and, instead, will accommodate almost exclusively the interests of airline industry, ”said Curt Decker, executive director of the National Disability Rights Network, in a statement this month.
Despite criticism, airlines and other air travel companies, such as the Airlines for America lobby group, welcomed the recent changes, saying they will do more to reduce animal misbehavior on flights and help deter individuals who violate animal service rules.
In the past, passengers have tried to travel with a variety of animals, from the mundane to the absolutely unusual, such as pigs, monkeys and birds. (An unsuccessful attempt even included a peacock.)
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines miniature dogs and horses as service animals “that are individually trained to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” Under the law, dogs that provide emotional support only are not designated as service animals.
Alaska Airlines’ revised policy will allow a maximum of two guide dogs per passenger and will include psychiatric guide dogs. Passengers will also have to submit a form, developed by the Department of Transport, which confirms that the dog is a service animal and has received appropriate training and vaccines.