Southwest changes

[disneyjanet]

I have flown with my 2 small dogs and most people didn't even notice including the flight attendants. I don't bring them with me to Disney and it costs me $65 a night to board them. If I'm flying to visit family its great and cheaper to bring them along. I will admit to not having much sympathy for those with pet allergies. I have pretty severe allergies myself (not to pets), asthma and I am extremely fragrance sensitive. For all those throwing fits over the new pet policy I will ask if you refrained from wearing perfume and only used unscented soap, bodywash, shampoo, hair products etc. before you fly to help with my issues. Surely my health is more important than having pretty hair is as valid an argument as the child vs. dog one. Do you also advocate banning pet owners from flying? The average lab owner probably has more dander on them then my chihuahua will shed during a flight.

10 - 15% of us suffer from pet allergies, with cat allergy twice as common as dog allergy according to http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/allergy.html. The US National Academy of Sciences estimates that 15 percent of the US population is hypersensitive to chemicals, including fragrances. So it appears that they are an equally common problem.

 

[jewjubean]

Perhaps you should have done some research BEFORE you booked AirTran

They have a CHEAPER pet policy then SW and allow MORE pets then SW!
From Airtran.com


Traveling with a Pet

We accept small, domesticated cats, dogs and birds that will fit in an approved carrier under the seat.

The pet kennel is limited to maximum dimensions of 8.5" high x 17" long x 12" wide.
The carrier must be leak proof and ventilated on at least two sides.
There is no weight restriction on pets.
The pet must remain in the carrier and under the seat for the duration of the flight.
Airfare for a pet is $69 one-way. Only six (6) pets are allowed per flight with a limit of one (1) pet per paying customer traveling on the same flight



Hmm... you are fine getting on them but not SW? You claim the pet policy is driving your decisions and you booked with an airline that has an even MORE lenient policy and had it in place when you booked!!!!

Well said!

 

[ILUVPOOH1]

FWIW- I asked MY asthmatic child (15) who by the way is allergic to dogs and cats (was dx'd with asthma at age 2 and is now on immunotherapy and has NEVER let asthma hold him back EVER) how he feels about this. I felt it was worthwhile to get his opinion and I feel at his age and maturity level he has a right to express an opinion on the subject. Know what he said? "Good for SW!!!!!" "About time pet owners get some respect!" Now these are his words and I am proud of him. We own 2 dogs, his choice and he lives with the allergies that comes with pet ownership and knows how to handle his symptoms.

For every one of you that screams that SW has "lost my buisness" there are more of us that say they have gained ours! Yes, I do believe, as a parent of a child with allergies and asthma, that it is MY responsibility to "work around" triggers. If that means driving instead of flying so be it! (I won't have to because I worked hard with my son's doctors and my son as a small child to battle through his medical issues to have him grow into a strong healthy teen, that meant not keeping him on the sidelines and letting asthma rule him, but letting him rule it)It is not society's responsibility to cater to every persons medical issues. If it were we would be living in a bubble. All of you can flame me to death, but this is still America, you are entitled to your opinions and I am entitled to mine.
(I also know that not every child is the same, and in no way am I saying that each child should be exposed to any allergens which may cause them harm. I also know and seriously understand that some people can be deathly allergic to things. I know that most parents do everything they can to keep their children safe. I also understand that most people put human rights above animal rights and that is fine. All in all it needs to be a personal choice whether or not to fly a carrier that allows pets or to drive or choose another carrier.)

 

[TDC Nala]

What happens if your flight has a service dog aboard? Those dogs have every right to be on a plane.

pinnie

Legally it is not the dog who has the right. It is the disabled person who must be accompanied by the service animal. In the case of service dog vs. dog allergies it looks like dueling disabilities. What happens in those cases? Does whoever booked first retain their right to have their disability accommodated?

 

[crashbb]

Legally it is not the dog who has the right. It is the disabled person who must be accompanied by the service animal. In the case of service dog vs. dog allergies it looks like dueling disabilities. What happens in those cases? Does whoever booked first retain their right to have their disability accommodated?

I found the following at Aviation Consumer Protection page (under Passengers with Disabilities, rules in effect as of 13 May 2009).

* If a passenger provides credible verbal assurances, or medical documentation, that he or she has an allergy to a particular sort of animal that rises to the level of a disability (e.g., produces shock or respiratory distress that could require emergency or significant medical treatment), and there is a service animal of that kind seated nearby, the carrier should try to place as much distance as possible between the service animal and the individual with the allergy. Depending on where the passengers are initially seated, this could involve moving both passengers. For example, if both are seated toward the center of the cabin, one could be moved to the front and the other to the back.

* It is unlikely that the mere presence of an animal in the same cabin would, by itself, even if located at a distance from an allergic passenger, produce a severe allergic reaction rising to the level of a disability. However, if there was strong evidence that this was the case, it could be necessary to rebook one of the passengers on another flight. Since one disability does not trump another, the carrier should consider a disability-neutral means of determining which passenger would have to be rebooked (e.g., which passenger made the earlier reservation). We emphasize that we expect any such situation to be extremely rare, and that carriers should not rebook a passenger absent strong evidence that the mere presence of an animal in the cabin, even in a location distant from the allergic passenger, would produce an allergic reaction rising to the level of a disability.

 

[Inkmahm]

A service animal is different. PERIOD
We have flown at least twice with a service dog. Once where the dog was working and once when a dog was in training. I have NO problem with 1 dog. The problem I have is when I can't get far enough away from them.

Animals DO NOT come before people. Even though some of our furry little friends come close, their welfare should not come before people. I will not be flying with SW again because of this. They will not only loose my business but the rest of my family as well. That is 20 less tickets to Disney they just lost (every YEAR). FULL paying fare tickets.

A drop in the bucket, but none the less...still a drop. Who knows maybe my drop will cause the bucket to overflow.

Where is SW going to "loose" your business to, exactly? I thought SW was the last (or one of the last) airlines to NOT allow critters onboard. Which airline will you fly now?

 

[crashbb]

I'm flying AT this trip. Not due to the pet policy, but due to the fact that they offered a much cheaper flight, and the fact I had a huge credit with them from last years cancelled trip.
If I can't fly then I'll drive. My money doesn't come easy. I work hard for it, therefore when I spend it, I want what I want. I don't want to have to worry that my daughter will have an asthma attack in the air, and that I will have to be almost comatose due to the benedryl I'll have to take. Even tho the pets will be kept under the seat, it's the dander that gets to me and my daughter. It is much worse for her than me. Example: my MIL babysat my SIL's little white fluffy dog 3 weeks ago. We were at her house YESTERDAY. I broke out in hives and my daughter had to use her inhaler twice. Even the bottom of my feet had hives. Not fun.
So, if I have to, I will drive. No biggie.

You know, it is rather difficult to take your rants seriously, when, in September, you said:

I glad I can say "never flying Airtran and moving to SW!" Because I will NEVER fly Airtran again.

 

[Inkmahm]

The average lab owner probably has more dander on them then my chihuahua will shed during a flight.

I have two cats and a dog at home. We don't take them on planes with us, but we joke that we do. That's because it doesn't matter WHAT we do but their cat hair/dog hair is always on us. I've just gotten used to it over the years. And the cats sit on me any chance that they get. The dog will, too, if you let her.

I'm betting that I do have more dander on me when I fly than your dog sheds during flight.

 

[seashoreCM]

Birds? AirTran accepts birds? No offense, but ewww. Can you imagine trying to catch a bird that accidentally got loose on a plane?

OT: Some time ago (more than 10 years) my sister brought a hamster on board and she took it out of the cage to play with and it got loose.

Eventually the F/A, after explanation, announced that "a guinea pig was loose" and the hamster was caught and returned.

How easy would it be to design an airplane fuselage with a small sturdy hole and cover plate at one of the rearmost seats (or maybe on both sides for two affected passengers). Someone with an animal would be reseated there and the hole opened causing a general flow of air away from other passengers. (See my other posts for the idea of increasing the fresh air intake to make up for the air exiting the hole.)

 

[goofy4tink]

I am allergic to animal dander...but I have a golden retriever as well as three cats. I have flown with animals in the plane..but not all that close to me. Not an issue.
I have also flown my ds's cat down to him when I flew to WDW. The cat had to come out of the carrier at security..that was interesting to say the least!! Other than that, the darn thing was kept in her carrier. I was told, by Delta, that they alert people there will be an animal on board. If someone is allergic, they are supposed to check before booking their flight to make sure there are no animals on it. If someone is allergic and I had wanted to book that flight, with the cat, I would not have been allowed to. It's basically whoever gets there first.
I booked a seat to the rear of the plane..that way the cat would bother as few people as possible. I kept checking to see what seats were being taken. Right up to the night before I flew, the seats all around me were empty. I was in the last row, so figured that if the row in front of me was empty as well as the seats next to me, no one would be bothered. WEll, the day of my flight I found that they had filled the seats in front of me, as well as the seat right next to me. Plenty of other seats were open.
When I got to the gate I asked if I could be moved. The gate agent asked if I had an issue being around other people...quite nastilly I might add. No, I told her. I was traveling with a cat and didn't want to impact anyone else so had booked my seat in an empty area. She did move me to a row with no one in it, and the seat over the cat was empty. But the other two seats in that row were taken. When I boarded, I did ask the couple in front of me if they had any cat issues. They did not.
I kept the flaps down on all the openings in that carrier with the exception of the one at my feet, in the end of the carrier. The cat meowed a few times when we took off and then a few times when we landed. Other than that, no noise at all.

But, I have traveled on flights where people felt the need to take their pets out of the carriers, while in the air. That drives me nuts!!! Not fair to the other passengers at all.

 

[sherabby]

Another great here too! I have a severe cat allergy. Might have to shoot an email to Southwest. I'm not to keen on spending my 2 hr flight itching and scratching with my throat swelling turning into epi-pen use!

 

[NotUrsula]

Another great here too! I have a severe cat allergy. Might have to shoot an email to Southwest. I'm not to keen on spending my 2 hr flight itching and scratching with my throat swelling turning into epi-pen use!

You'll have to shoot a snail mail. SWA doesn't take complaints via email.

You can post a comment on the blog if you like, though.

 

[sherabby]

Get over it, people. SW has decided that a person with a dog, in a dog carrier, that will fit under the seat in front of them, gets to fly. Don't like it, take another airline. Those of us who fly with our dogs now get another option. So do you. I'm loving it!

What I have a tough time getting over is the fact that my lungs collapse after 2 hours of uncontrollable sneezing and throat swelling just from being in a room that contains a cat. Don't even have to touch that cat....3 minutes in that room and it starts. I do carry and epi-pen for that purpose but to get to an ER from an air plane might be a challenge.

 

[sherabby]

You'll have to shoot a snail mail. SWA doesn't take complaints via email.

You can post a comment on the blog if you like, though.

I did send one anyway. I'll let you know if I get a response.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Get over it, people. SW has decided that a person with a dog, in a dog carrier, that will fit under the seat in front of them, gets to fly. Don't like it, take another airline. Those of us who fly with our dogs now get another option. So do you. I'm loving it!

Reading this again...
Southwest is free to make any changes it chooses. Got that. Until this change, passengers who fly with pets could easily choose any other major airline, while passengers who can't, or don't wish to, fly in an airplane cabin with animals, had ONE choice.

Now, the allergic passenger has NO major airline options. "Get over it" really wasn't called for.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Reading this again...
Southwest is free to make any changes it chooses. Got that. Until this change, passengers who fly with pets could easily choose any other major airline, while passengers who can't, or don't wish to, fly in an airplane cabin with animals, had ONE choice.

Now, the allergic passenger has NO major airline options. "Get over it" really wasn't called for.

Actually, potential airline passengers who are so allergic to pets that they are disabled by this condition really never had any other option before Southwest's policy changed. Service animals were always allowed on flights.

In addiiton, the most recent rules under Part 382, Passengers with Disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act, also make it clear that emotional support animals must also be carried by each domestic airline and that, like trained service animals, they need not be confined to a carrier.

These service and emotional support animals can include the obvious dogs and cats, but also pot-bellied pigs, minature horses and monkeys. Most of us are probably happy that the new rules provide that airlines need not allow any of the following as emotional support animals: snakes, other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders.

As noted in the prior post, for most passengers, a conflict with the animal will need to be resolved by one or the other passnger moving to a different seat location. If a passenger is so disabled that the existence of pet dander anywhere on the plane would likely result in a life threatening reaction that could not be controlled while airborne, that passenger should think about taking another form of transportation. Pet dander is almost certainly present on the closing of at least one passnger on every flight even if no pet is present.

In truth, those with severe disabling allergies must be prepared for the possibility that animals will be in the cabin, but this is really no change from the present circumstances. -- Suzanne

 

[MarkinNM]

Ummm...

Much ado about nothing LOL!

I have traveled for YEARS both with the current high fees and the days when there were no fees.

Honestly, there are NOT that many dogs/cats on the planes. Never have been. And the ones that are on there aren't barking. (Really I can't recall hearing a dog bark much)

I did get to meet Patty the Peguin on a SW flight from San Antonio to Indy once. He "walked" down the aisle so we could take pictures of him. COOL!

IMHO, if you are going to Disney don't panic. Most folks still wont' bring them since Disney hotels won't allow them and others often charge a hefty fee!

Agreed!!!!


OMG.....................


Sooooo much hoopla about nothing here people!!!

So what if grandma wants to take fido to Pittsburgh!!!!

I have logged many air miles and the sight of dogs and cats are rare! The one I did remember seeing I did not know it was there until the lady took it out from under her seat upon leaving the plane. As far as barking, please, I remember more little Johnny screaming at the top of his lungs for hours and kicking my seat for at least 1.5 hours, or a little girl whose mom thought it was cool to feed her chocolate bar after bar then give her pepperoni pizza on the plane and guess what, it didn’t settle well in her stomach and out it all came!!!! We had to smell that all the way from Portland OR to Alb NM, little over 2 hours !!!!
As far as allergies I have plenty and I have 2 inside dogs and I am fine. Also what’s to say that car rental you picked up didn’t have Fido inside running all over the inside and laying on the seats before you got it!! Or the pretty bedspread in Hotel X didn’t have Fefe laying all over it before you rented the room , guess what you were ok, right……..

So take it easy, and if your still all bent don’t fly SW as it will leave more room for me!!!!