Air Travel and the Emotional Support Animal Craze

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: CriticalStinker

Well, that's not entirely accurate.

It is true the TSA won't stop you at passenger screening. However, it is a federal offense to consume alcohol onboard a commercial aircraft unless said alcohol was served to you by the airline operator's "certificate holder" (i.e. the airline).

I mean.... I don't stand up before I drink it.... If I drank it on a plane.

Greetings again,

Any airline CEO's, board of directors, senior executives, or even middle management read this website?
If so, you might want to take note that it is possible to ban "emotional support animals."

Talk to the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Royal Caribbean Bans Emotional Support Animals from Their Cruise Ships

The cruise line posted the following message informing travel agents of this new change in policy: “Effective immediately, emotional support animals may not sail onboard our ships, as they are not recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ...
... This change does not affect service animals. Service dogs are permitted to accompany the person with a disability in all public areas, including dining venues on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Frankly, the whole idea that anyone really needs to fly to travel is a bit bizarre to me.

Okay. I need to be in California for work next week, maybe I'll drive from New Jersey. Hur-dur.

a reply to: dfnj2015

1st...dang DFN, how many have you had?

But I agree, one of my ex family in law used this excuse all the time. Took their little dog with them as 'emotional support'. Then would laugh about abusing the system and how stupid people are to allow it.

Sometimes I would dream I was watching national lampoons vacation when I looked at that dog.

a reply to: Adonsa

I work in the engineering side of the aviation/airline business, and trust me, they know!!

Their attention is focused elsewhere. They are laser beam focused on how they can wedge the absolute maximum number of butts in more seats and still get away with nickle and diming every last cent out of your wallet! If they thought for one second they could sell another seat by letting people carry a rotting skunk for a therapy animal on the plane, they'd do it!! In fact, they'd knock each other over to be the first ones to do it!

They're just setting the stage for their next little trick...from their bottomless bag full of dirty tricks.

You want Customer Service??? HA!! SUCK it!!

The next thing they're going to do is.....(drum roll please)....charge for carry-on's! In fact, some are already doing it. Take Delta for example; they charge one rate for a seat where you have to agree to only having a carry-on which fits under the seat, and a significantly higher fare for access to the overhead bin. They're just easing people into it now so they get used to it. Once they rip the Gorilla tape off of everyone's nuts, they'll come right out and tell you up front there's a carry on-fee. Oh, and emotional support animals?? Well, they'll still be allowed, but at a (higher) fee. Then all these emotional support animals will disappear at airports...just like people's luggage did. Why do you think the airlines are screaming for cargo now?? When was the last time you got weight restricted?? All that missing luggage is no longer in the hold. Fuel economy? HA! They don't care about that, they want your money! Money, money, money...it's all about getting every last cent out of your wallet.

I can't wait until they start selling tickets by the pound! That's gonna' be awesome! They'll put a retainer on your card when you book, and you AND your baggage AND your support hyena will all jump on the scale at the ticket counter.

"MMmmkay, Mr. Orange, your total weight comes to 268 pounds...so at $2/lb, that will be $536 going on your card for your flight to Des Moines today."

HA, then they'll turn up the heat in the ticket counter area to about 99 degrees and give away free water, hoping you'll drink about a gallon and gain 8 more measly pounds before you weigh! Hey, it's $16 more bucks!

And right after that...guess what your next "present" will be???? LOLOLOL...standing flights. You think I'm kidding, but they're already designing the 'seats'!! They look like roller coaster seats where you're not really sitting, but more standing, propped up by a board they call a seat behind you. They're going to figure out a way to get 850 people on a 737 if it kills 'em! They'll get all of southern California on an A380.

And I imagine if they thought they could get away with wadding people up and selling them an overhead bin to be jammed into...they'd do that too!

Want a seat belt? That'll be $25 bucks!

The oxygen mask may drop from the ceiling, but if you want the hose to connect it, well, that'll be $35 bucks.

Oh, and in the unlikely event of a water landing, the life vests, well, they're really expensive; you don't wanna' know how much they are!

The toilet is free (if you can fit in there), but flushing costs $5 bucks.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
You want Customer Service??? HA!! SUCK it!!

You know how it goes from experience, you gotta have status. They kiss my as on United for the travel spend I give them.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Yeah, but I'm an advocate for the common man on this subject.

I get the same, but the airline get's paid handsomely for it! It's the only way I'll agree to travel.

Most don't have that luxury.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Yeah, but I'm an advocate for the common man on this subject.

The common man has no flying etiquette and should ride in the cargo hold with the bananas and lobsters.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Yeah, but I'm an advocate for the common man on this subject.

The common man has no flying etiquette and should ride in the cargo hold with the bananas and lobsters.

LOL!! The common man??? Ever run into a 30 year veteran FA on a UA ride over to Asia????? You could be the CEO of the friggin' airline and that ol' battle axe is gonna' make absolutely certain you KNOW she's "there for your safety ONLY...and NOT to just get you another scotch!!!" Mention the word "Stewardess" within 5 nautical miles of her...and out come the CHAINSAWS!!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Ever run into a 30 year veteran FA on a UA ride over to Asia?????!

I just turn on my sociopathic charm and melt them like butter. Scotch = refilled.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You must be good, cuz it took her 27 of those 30 years to get the seniority to bid that route...and she's gonna' make sure every single person on that plane knows it!

You know the one, ankles like an oak tree and a face that looks like she was a hood ornament on the Concorde for a couple decades! Drinks sterno and eats razor blades in the crew lounge.

P.S. - That's why I quit flying UA over to Asia. Singapore was WAY better!! WAY, WAY, better!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Yeah, but I'm an advocate for the common man on this subject.

The common man has no flying etiquette and should ride in the cargo hold with the bananas and lobsters.

and the screaming, crying children!!!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
You must be good...

I'm in sales so I can sell it hard.

originally posted by: olaru12
and the screaming, crying children!!!

I pity the lobsters and bananas, the kids should be strapped to the wings.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Ex put 22 years in at UA, so I got to see it from a whole other creepy and morbidly deranged angle!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Ground up and used for bio-fuel.

Back to the OP, I don't find support animals nearly as annoying as new moms with a frigging stroller that looks like an F-650 with duals front and rear, and bull bars sticking out 2 feet from all sides! It's the one with the big red arrow 6 feet overhead pointing down at the kid saying..."LOOK!! ... THIS IS MY KID!!"...and has a flashing high intensity strobe light which causes epileptic seizures for 50 yards in every direction!!

And they expect the seas to part for them no matter where they go! Those are the people who drive me nuts!

I've actually gone out on the internet to see if I could possibly find a BIGGER one, just so I could make copies of it and carry them around so when I run into one of these gals (or more accurately...get ran over by), I can pull out my "Super Stroller Battle Wagon XL9000 Ultra-Deluxe" model and tell them their stroller isn't big enough!

ETA - And of course they have the Tactical Car Seat from International Strategic Defense Systems Amalgamated, the ones with the hydrazine ejection seat option, strapped off to their armored Humvee gunship of a stroller.

originally posted by: eletheia

originally posted by: icanteven

I see nothing wrong with this. There are going to be the occasional issues, however. As someone who deals with anxiety, I support those things that help people feel more at ease -- within reason, of course. And a dog or cat riding quietly with its owner on a plane is definitely within reason.

I have an autistic grandson who is unable to rationalise his anxiety issues

who is terrified of dogs. So why should you who can rationalise your anxiety

be humoured at the expense of him?

And as for myself anyone who brought on a snake would see me dive through

the nearest window.

Perhaps you could sedate him?

I don't think I would like to be in the same cabin as a snake, either.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Frankly, the whole idea that anyone really needs to fly to travel is a bit bizarre to me.

Okay. I need to be in California for work next week, maybe I'll drive from New Jersey. Hur-dur.

Some people here are crazy enough to take a vacation from California to New York....driving.
Loved the highway ever since growing up watching route 66 and Then came Bronson

originally posted by: manuelram16
Some people here are crazy enough to take a vacation from California to New York....driving.

I totally get that, I like sightseeing and driving around the US gives you a much better appreciation for what we have to offer.