Showing posts with label Delta Airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delta Airlines. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
‘The System is Clearly Abused’: Why 2018 Was a Terrible Year for Emotional Support Pets on Planes
It’s been a tough year for emotional support animals. Several have made headlines due to incidents with airlines and, in response, many airlines have tightened their restrictions on these animals.
The latest: Delta announced in a press release on Monday that it will be imposing stricter regulations on emotional support animals on its flights. Specifically, emotional support animals will not be allowed on flights longer than eight hours. Age also matters. Emotional support animals and trained service animals will not be allowed on flights if they are under 4 months old.
This comes less than a year after Delta announced that it would tighten its regulations on emotional support animals in response to an 84 percent increase in incidents with the animals since 2016. The airline specifically called out animals peeing and pooping on flights and biting passengers or crew.
United Airlines also changed its emotional support animal policy after an emotional support peacock was denied access to a flight. United now requires “additional documentation,” including a veterinary health form that shows the animal has been properly vaccinated and has been trained to “behave properly in a public setting. With prior documentation and clearance, a customer may travel with no more than one emotional support animal, which cannot weigh more than 65 pounds,” the new regulations say.
To read more on this story, click here: ‘The System is Clearly Abused’: Why 2018 Was a Terrible Year for Emotional Support Pets on Planes
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Thursday, June 21, 2018
Delta Airlines Announces That Pit Bulls Have Been Added to List of Banned Service/Support Animals
Delta Airlines announced Wednesday it’s updating its service and support animal policy yet again to further enhance restrictions.
The airline will now allow only one emotional support animal per customer per flight and will prohibit all “pit bull type dogs” as service or support animals.
These new limitations come as a “direct result of growing safety concerns following recent incidents in which several employees were bitten,” the airline said in a press release.
Delta first updated its policy in March, citing customer abuse and a rise in animal-related incidents.
The regulations require those wishing to travel with a service or support animal to provide special documentation. Customers must show a current signed veterinary health form or immunization record for the animal 48 hours in advance, as well as a signed letter by a doctor or mental health professional and proof the animal can behave while in the cabin.
"The safety and security of Delta people and our customers is always our top priority," Chief Operating Officer Gil West said in a statement. "We will always review and enhance our policies and procedures to ensure that Delta remains a leader in safety."
According to the statement, the airline carries around 700 service and support animals daily and has seen an “84 percent increase in reported animal incidents since 2016, including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 70-pound dog,” which they note is uncommon behavior for properly trained working animals.
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Thursday, February 25, 2016
In an Effort to Make Itself More Pet-Friendly, Delta is Stopping One of the Most Dangerous Methods of Flying for Pets: As Checked Baggage
In an effort to make itself more pet-friendly, Delta is
stopping one of the most dangerous methods of flying for pets: As checked
baggage.
According to the Department of Transportation, a total of
76 animals died aboard Delta flights over the past 10 years — the highest of
any U.S. airline.
The last reported death happened on Nov. 28. Somewhere
between Atlanta and Pittsburgh, a Mini Dalmatian puppy died in the cargo hold
of a Delta flight. The puppy was flying from Albany, Georgia: After a
three-hour layover in Atlanta, it was loaded onto the Pittsburgh-bound flight.
When gate crew unloaded the plane, they found the puppy was unresponsive.
This most recent death of a checked pet on a Delta flight
will be the last, if the airline can help it. Delta will no longer carry pets
as checked baggage starting March 1.
The airline will still allow pets to be transported in the
cabin, if they are small enough to fit in a carrier under a seat, or shipped
via Delta Cargo's pet shipping Variation Live program.
The Humane Society recommends that pet owners "do not
transport your pet by airplane unless absolutely necessary," and to choose
keeping the pet in the cabin if possible.
"We want consumers to be well-informed about the risks
of flying," KC Theisen, director of pet care issues at The Humane Society
of the United States, told Mashable. "Cargo hold is not the passenger
cabin, just a floor down."
Cargo is where the majority of animal incidents happen,
usually on long distance flights or flights with several different legs,
Theisen said.
Brachycephalic, or short-snouted, animals, like bulldogs,
pugs or Persian cats should never be shipped in cargo, according to the Humane
Society. These animals can easily overheat or have difficulty breathing in
environments that are not temperature controlled. For this reason, many
airlines will only allow these breeds as carry-ons.
The steps that pet owners should take before travel:
Crate train: It's important to crate train pets well before travel, Theisen said. By
mimicking travel conditions and building up the amount of time a pet stays
crated, owners normalize the experience and help pets understand that they will
eventually be let out.
Talk to the airline: For those about to fly with a pet, the
best thing to do is get "in serious contact with the airline well in
advance," according to Theisen. Because every airline has different
regulations, it's important to find out well in advance what options are
available:
American Airlines permits pets as carry-ons, cargo or checked luggage — excluding brachycephalic
dogs and cats, which are not allowed as checked luggage.
Both JetBlue and Southwest Airlines will accept cats and dogs as carry-ons only, for a $95 to $100 fee.
United allows cats, dogs, rabbits and household
birds in the cabin, in addition to carry-on luggage, for $125. Certain United
aircraft come equipped with special "PetSafe" compartments that are
pressurized like the passenger cabin, for transporting pets in cargo.
Alaska Airlines will transport pets as cargo or as a
carry-on for $100. Brachycephalic are not allowed for cargo travel.
Talk to your vet: Theisen recommends talking to a
veterinarian as soon as travel plans are made to get recommendations for a food
and water schedule. A veterinarian can tailor advice to specific breeds and
help make the experience low-stress, important for both pets and their owners.
"The vast majority of pets arrive safely and in good
health, but it's important that pet owners are aware of the risks,"
Theisen said. "The best thing you can do is just protect against risk and
take preventative measures."
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Delta Passengers Will No Longer Be Able to Transport Pets as Checked Baggage in a New Policy Effective March 1, 2016
Delta passengers will no longer be able to transport pets
as checked baggage in a new policy effective March 1, 2016, the airline
announced in a statement on its website. Customers may also ship pets for
travel within the United States as freight through Delta Cargo.
According to a New York Post analysis of U.S. Department of
Transportation data, Delta recorded the highest number of pet deaths between
May 2005 and September 2015. 74 pets died on Delta flights during that period,
accounting for approximately 25 percent of airline pet deaths in the U.S.
Additionally, 14 pets have gone missing. In 2011, Delta banned snub-nosed dogs
and cats from traveling in the cargo compartment after incidents involving
breeds with respiratory problems. After March 1, American Airlines will be the
only U.S.-based airline to allow pets to travel in the checked baggage
compartment.
Delta's new policy will have one exception: Members of the
military with active transfer orders will be allowed to transport a pet as
checked baggage.
Additionally, Delta will continue to accept service and
emotional support animals that comply with federal regulations, including
proper documentation.
Delta has said it will contact customers with bookings
after March 1 that are known to include pets as checked bags. Delta is also
advising customers that choose to ship pets via Delta Cargo that:
- A separate booking from their flight itinerary is required. Additional fees and charges may apply.
- A pet shipped domestically via Delta Cargo cannot be booked until 14 days prior to departure.
- Pets are not guaranteed to be shipped on a customer’s same flight or flight schedule.
- Shipping a pet requires dropping it off at a Delta Cargo location at least three hours before departure time at a location separate from passenger check-in.
- Picking up a pet will also occur at a Delta Cargo location.
- Delta Cargo will only accept international pet shipments from International Pet and Animal Transportation Association members. International customers should visit ipata.org to find an approved member to assist with their transportation requirements.
Delta has said that pets transported via Delta Cargo are
monitored closely by customer service teams during their travel. While at
airports, pets are handled in temperature-controlled holding areas and vans.
Also, Delta Cargo enlists professional kenneling services if overnight stays
are required.
Members of the military with active transfer orders will
still be allowed to transport a pet as checked baggage.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Airline Loses Passenger's Dog - Here's How to Protect Your Furry Friend
The airline losing your luggage is frustrating. The airline losing your pet can be devastating.
Sadly, that’s exactly what Frank Ramano is experiencing right now. Ramano says that Delta Airlines lost his dog on a flight from Los Angeles to Tampa on Oct. 31. More than a week later, his dog is still missing, and he is stuck in Tampa waiting for news.
To read more on this story, click here: Airline Loses Passenger's Dog - Here's How to Protect Your Furry Friend FOLLOW US!
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