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Alaska Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will no longer allow emotional support animals on its flights, just weeks after the U.S. government tightened its definition of service animals allowed on airplanes.
As of Jan. 11, the airline will only allow service dogs “specially trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability” on board, the company said in a statement.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALK | ALASKA AIR GROUP | 51.93 | -0.72 | -1.37% |
Under the new Alaskan policy, the airline will only accept a maximum of two guide dogs per passenger in the cabin and “will include psychiatric guide dogs”.
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Before boarding, passengers must complete an online DOT form on the airline’s website, stating “that your pet is a legitimate service dog, has been trained and vaccinated and will behave properly during the journey”.
If flights are booked more than 48 hours before travel, guests must send the completed form by email. If a flight is booked less than 48 hours before travel, guests must submit the form to the customer service agent at the airport.
Ray Prentice, director of customer defense for Alaska Airlines, said the move will help reduce “disturbances on board, while continuing to accommodate our guests traveling with qualified service animals”.
Earlier this month, the Department of Transport (DOT) announced that it will no longer require airlines to provide the same accommodations for emotional support animals that are required for trained service dogs. The agency formally determined that only dogs can fly as service animals, and the companions that passengers use for emotional support do not count.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS WILL NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED IN FLIGHT SERVICE ANIMALS, DOT DECIDES
The government agency revised the rules in part because passengers carrying unusual animals on board “have eroded public confidence in legitimate service animals”. He also cited the increasing frequency of people “fraudulently representing their pets as service animals” and an increase in the inappropriate behavior of emotional support animals, ranging from peeing on the carpet to biting other passengers.
“Although emotional support animals and other pets are not service animals, the rule does not prohibit their transportation,” said the agency.
Instead, it will be left to the airlines to decide whether they want to transport them as pets “according to the established policy”.
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Alaska will continue to accept emotional support animals under its current policy for any reservations made before January 11 for flights on or before February 28, 2021.
After February 28, emotional support animals will no longer be accepted for travel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.