Southwest Airlines announced last Tuesday that it would soon be enforcing new restrictions on customers traveling with emotional support animals. Beginning September 17, only one dog or cat, either in a carrier or on a leash, will be allowed per customer on Southwest flights.
“Our updates are based on a careful review of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent enforcement guidance and feedback we received from our Customers, Employees, and several advocacy groups and animal-related organizations,” the Dallas-based airline said on its community discussion forum, southwestaircommunity.com.
As defined under Southwest Airlines policy, an emotional support animal provides “support for an individual with a mental health-related disability and is not trained to perform a specific task(s) or work.” Emotional support animals are different from trained service animals. A service animal works or performs tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical and/or mental disability.
Customers who wish to fly on Southwest flights with an emotional support animal must present the airline with a “current letter” from their doctor or medical health professional on the day of their departure, according the announcement. Additionally, all emotional support and service animals are still required to be trained to behave in public. Should any animal display any disruptive behavior, they can be denied boarding.
While this recent change makes Southwest the only airline that limits emotional support animals to just dogs and cats, it is not the first major carrier to adjust its emotional support animal rules. Companies such as Delta, United, American and JetBlue announced their own restrictions earlier this year following a string of emotional support animal incidents.
Royal Caribbean also made some adjustments, announcing that emotional support animals “may not sail onboard Royal Caribbean International ships,” effective immediately.
By: Maytinee Kramer
