You don’t know that. Maybe the dog was an epilepsy sensing dog, for example.
Give me a dog, even a yipping dog, any day on a plane over a screaming baby!
And what if it’s a small dog in a bag that I don’t see until the owner sits next to me on the plane? I suppose they will “accommodate” me by moving me from the seat that I chose well in advance online to some middle seat between two fat people.
In other words, traveling with a pet should be a special circumstance where the pet owner is the one inconvenienced (if anyone has to be) rather than an innocent bystander.
Roddy
There are dogs in the world. You can’t sue over them all.
Yep, that’s probably about how that would work out. I know it’s a flawed system. I get to apologize all the time for decisions my company makes.
Ditto.
The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (ACAA)
The first Federal legislation to directly address public access rights of people with disabilities who have service animals was the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (1). The act amended the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to provide that prohibitions of discrimination against handicapped people apply to air carriers. Regulations clarify that air carriers must permit “dogs and other service animals used by handicapped people to accompany the people on a flight” (16). As a result of these 1986 stipulations regarding air transport, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act does not reference air carriers in its Title II and III transportation requirements.
The ACAA regulations provide one of the most specific statements of Federal policy regarding accommodation of service animals. While efforts to implement other Federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, rely largely on technical assistance guidance, regulatory examples, and settlements to guarantee access and accommodation rights for disabled people who have service animals, the ACAA directly regulates these rights. The act requires air carriers to permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities on flights (14 CFR 382.55 (a)) (16).
(1) Carriers shall accept as evidence that an animal is a service animal identification cards, other written documentation, presence of harnesses or markings on harnesses, tags, or the credible verbal assurances of the qualified handicapped person using the animal.
(2) Carriers shall permit a service animal to accompany a qualified handicapped individual in any seat which the person sits, unless the animal obstructs an aisle or other area that must remain unobstructed in order to facilitate an emergency evacuation.
(3) In the event that special information concerning the transportation of animals outside the continental United States is either required to be or is provided by the carrier, the information shall be provided to all passengers traveling outside the continental United States with the carrier, including those traveling with service animals.
Service animals are also referenced in the act’s regulations regarding seat assignments and clarifies that in the case that the service animal cannot be accommodated at the seat location of his/her human companion, the carrier must offer the passenger the opportunity to move with the animal to another seat as an alternative to requiring the animal to travel with checked baggage (14 CFR 382.37(c)).
Jackmannii, at least on one point you can relax:
This publication provides guidance on the term “service animal” and the service animal provisions in the Department’s new regulations.
Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.
A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.
Generally, title II and title III entities must permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.
[snip]
Miniature Horses
In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department’s revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. (Miniature horses generally range in height from 24 inches to 34 inches measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.) Entities covered by the ADA must modify their policies to permit miniature horses where reasonable. The regulations set out four assessment factors to assist entities in determining whether miniature horses can be accommodated in their facility. The assessment factors are (1) whether the miniature horse is housebroken; (2) whether the miniature horse is under the owner’s control; (3) whether the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight; and (4) whether the miniature horse’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility.
All quite answered, so I’m just here for the anecdotal: I’ve traveled with my cat two times. Once going from CVG to LGA; the other, several years down the road, returning from LGA to CVG. I don’t remember the procedure the first time, but the second time I had to remove my cat from the carrier to go through the metal detector/backscatter device with her in my arms. (I wasn’t sure of procedure, and asked the TSA person about this; she was rather amused when I said I thought I’d have to put kitty through the x-ray machine.) Both times, I had kitty sedated, as she hates the everloving fuck out of the carrier and I wanted to inconvenience my fellow passengers as little as possible. I never considered taking her out of the carrier, as she was rather dopey–but if I’d thought it would’ve made her quieter, that she would’ve stayed in my lap and no one complained, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat, and doubt anyone would’ve said anything to me.
Adam Carolla has ranted about so-called ‘emotional service’ or ‘anti-anxiety’ dogs on planes often. Like others have said the airlines (and society in general) are so fucking afraid of upsetting anyone that they allow this bullshit. Carolla wanted Dr. Drew to write him a script for a ‘service pelican’ (which he’d name Gilligan) to take on the plane with him.
I have to say that I agree. Classic example of giving an inch & taking a mile. 100% of these so-called ‘emotional service’ animals are carried by women. To which I’d say, “Hey toots! If you’re so weak & emotionally fragile that you can’t handle life without having your dog everywhere, well tough-titty if you ever want to get on an airplane! Pop a handful of Valium or take the train…” 
I recently flew a young puppy in a soft sided carrier under my seat. She tolerated the trip a lot better than I did, slept all the way. My understanding was she could not be out of the carrier on board the plane, so I didn’t take her out. There were no restrictions on where she could be in the airport, and I walked her around on a leash while waiting for my flight.
On the airlines I checked out, typically one or at most two animals per flight are allowed in the cabin. They must be small enough to fit in a very specifically-sized carrier under your seat.
The abuse of service dog laws is finally being noticed, and there are discussions underway in the dog training community about how to check such abuse – it’s not all that simple, as there are various vest-issuing organizations as well as private trainers; there’s no governmental oversight. At the same time, more specialties are being developed for service dogs (detecting imminent seizures in epileptics, for example), and many functions are filled by small muttly dogs, not your typical lab and goldens. Also, unlike a guide dog for the blind, many of these dogs aren’t working 100% of the time you see them in public. So a dog with a service vest might just be going somewhere like any other dog. Doesn’t automatically make them fake.
However, as has been said, TSA will make you remove the pet from the carrier so that it doesn’t go through the X-ray machine. Here is their web page on this issue:
I fly a lot and over the last few years I have seen a marked increase in the number of people flying with trinket dogs (yes, that is a loaded term).
Every time I see one (the dog) they have the same expression on their face, “GOD I HAVE TO PEE! HELP ME!”
People shouldn’t treat pets as trinkets, carrying them everywhere they go.
Recently Air New Zealand got some flak for letting a couple of celebrities have their pet dogs in the cabin on a flight from LA to London. The airline explained they were service dogs, and also explained the requirements they had to meet. Call me cynical, but I find it hard to believe both these “celebrities” had the certificate from a qualified mental health professional the airline says is required.