An American Airlines first class passenger headed to Houston found themselves stuck on the tarmac for an hour in a hot plane, boxed into their bulkhead seat by a large “service dog” named Bear. He was over 100 pounds, and didn’t stay at his owner’s feet.
Now, the man had paid to upgrade rather than purchasing first class outright. He mentions that because some people feel that entitles him to a lesser experience. But the dog occupied his entire foot space, while the handler’s own leg space was clear. He’s 6’7″ and says it remained this way the entire flight. That wouldn’t have been acceptable even in coach!
The owner did apologize once – but did nothing about it – and the passenger didn’t challenge further, afraid of the repercussions of calling out someone’s disability claim. Who wants to get cancelled over that?
Am I the mean guy? This is not my dog.
byu/DallasBroncos inamericanairlines
Online commenters are skeptical that this was a properly trained service dog which would have remained quiet, unobtrusive, and at their handler’s feet. And if a dog is going to extend outside of their owner’s seating area, they have to buy a second seat (not for the dog to sit in, but to expand their foot area).
- 14 CFR Part 382 allows airlines to require a service dog to fit on the handler’s lap or wholly within their foot space. Dogs must not block aisles or encroach on the areas of other passengers. If the animal is too large or heavy to be accommodated safely, the carrier can re-seat the passenger, offer a different flight, or decline transportation. They can treat emotional support animals as pets rather than service animals.
- Passengers with service animals are entitled to bulkhead when needed, but the same footprint rule applies. The dog must still remain in the handler’s space and not obstruct egress or other passenger space.
American Airlines policy says that if an animal is too large to be safely accommodated, options include rebooking, moving seats if available, or the customer buying an extra seat so the animal still occupies the handler’s footprint. Encroaching on another passenger’s space is not permitted.
Airlines lobbied for these rules because planes as Noah’s Ark, which two of each animal onboard, had gotten out of hand. And yet they’re rarely strictly enforced. Last year I was on a Delta flight that was delayed hours, returning to the gate when an unauthorized ‘service dog’ was found onboard – but the passenger was allowed to fly with it anyway. Delta has even booted a first class passenger to accommodate a plus-sized woman with her emotional support dog and four carry-on bags, and allowed a so-called service animal to eat off a restaurant table inside their New York JFK Delta One business class lounge.
Here are 5 simple ways to spot a fake service animal: They’re being fed treats, and not just meals; their owner speaks to them in baby talk; the animals rest on pillows; there are two animals per passenger; and the animal is part of a photo shoot in the aircraft window.
Service animals aren’t ‘pets for someone with emotional challenges’ they are trained working animals.
Thank you, Gary, for taking my earlier recommendation, in the ‘fat people on planes’ post, that we were overdue for a ‘dogs on planes’ update… next, let’s do some mildly spicy ‘race’ stuff, like usual. And for those that want a new credit card, why not use a VFTW link!
“Service animals aren’t ‘pets for someone with emotional challenges’ they are trained working animals.” This is entirely correct. I know visually impaired people who use a dog to facilitate their mobility. They usually wear a harness reading “service dog.” It is also self-evident. As a disabled person myself, I strongly object to people calling their pets a service dog. It makes life harder for the rest of us.
1. I’d rather be wedged in by a big dog than a big person.
2. The abuse of service animal status is selfish and does a disservice to people who actually need a service animal.
3. If you are so anxious you cannot leave the house without your service animal you should probably be on meds.
4. In a related story, a Walmart in Pennsyltucky had to ban a service alligator from their store.
Here’s how to spot a fake service animal: their owner is not blind. Nobody else needs a service animal. Nobody. Everyone else is a liar taking advantage of the system selfishly for their own benefit.
@Mantis — A bit of an oversimplification, but… you are, after all, Dr. Mantis Toboggan.
@Mantis, that’s not true. Blindness isn’t the only disability that requires a service animal. People with unpredictable seizures comes to mind. The dog detects the emission of certain markers that precede the actual seizure, and alerts the owner so they can take action (medication, help, etc.). I’m sure there are other uses that I can’t think of now. Maybe someone else can clue me in.
@Mikey
Awwwktuallyyy
Yeah once again thanks for the exception proving the rule. So 99.9% non sight impaired are fake service animals, but there might be 1 in a 1000 that are prone to seizures that might be legit (but in reality there are much better detection technology than dogs available). So we should just accept the 999 without question? Idiotic.
“Service” dogs are being used for people that never grew up and stopped maturing at age 7. And just like your six year old wants to take along kitty on your family vacation these people as adults in fact do.
Always remember that Jon Lovitz was forced to sit at the American Girl Doll store for the SNL50th show to make room for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s service dog. Celebs – they’re just like us!
I’m sure that dog smelled a lot better than the last 400 Lbs. woman jammed next to me a few weeks ago. We need a financial collapse to make these obese people starve for at least a few weeks, especially the women. My God how can these women get so fat and yet think they’re “cute”?
I feel sorry for the dog. The owner is just not that likable and the dog chose to be someone more likable.
I love dogs but causing inconvenience to other passengers is just plane/plain wrong. ( note I would never bring my hairy 100 lb Samoyed on a flight. He takes a pet transport if necessary)
@Gary – here is my question in these situations – isn’t this a safety issue ? Bags or other items aren’t allowed to block egress from a row for safety reasons .
that fat-ass chick should be charged for 10 seats.
The airline should refund the fare for anyone in such a situation where their space is taken up by another passenger. min 50%. The case in the article deserves 100%.
@Mantis, I didn’t say the system isn’t being abused. It is. I’m just calling out your assertion that only because you don’t see a blind person, it isn’t a service dog. That is patently false. Just because you don’t have the condition doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Here’s a brief overview of what service dogs are used for, from the interwebs: Medical Alerting: Alerting a person to an oncoming seizure, or to dangerous changes in blood sugar for individuals with diabetes. Psychiatric Support: Reminding individuals with mental health conditions to take their prescribed medications, or helping to calm someone during an anxiety attack or PTSD episode (we still like veterans and thank them for their service, right?). Allergy Detection: Alerting their handler to the presence of specific allergens, such as peanuts or gluten. Other Tasks: Opening doors, turning on lights, and other tasks that a person with a physical disability might find difficult. Mobility Support: Pulling a wheelchair, assisting with balance and stability, and retrieving dropped objects. Sensory Assistance: Guiding people who are blind or have low vision, and alerting people who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds or the approach of others. And if it’s 1 out of a 1000 people they still need assistance and are entitled to travel with dignity like everyone else. That’s not being idiotic. It’s being compassionate. This doesn’t include the people who just want to travel with their pets and not pay a cabin fee, which this dog seems to fall under.
@Maxie Dean, no, because a dog is not a bag and it gets to evacuate with everyone else in an emergency. No different than an infant child.
I would say it’s surprising that “”Service Dog”” farce isn’t one of the woke targets of this administration, but this particular type of fraud, much like congressional inside trading, is wholly bipartisan. Heck, the wonderful Matthew Klint reported on none other than Republican Congresscritter Dan Crenshaw faking a Service dog some time ago.
https://liveandletsfly.com/crenshaw-united-airlines/
Given that he pitched the whiniest fit when SNL gently ribbed him, it doesn’t surprise me that he’s also a woke “”Service Dog”” Snowflake.
Glad to see some sanity here with Gary, Mantis and G. Romney.
I would 100% be okay with being squished by a dog than a person. I’d turn him into a lap dog and order him snacks.
Ok, fine, but the end of this as to how to spot a pet as opposed to service animal strikes me as rather discriminatory. Who says those with service animals cannot also take a picture or two to remember the journey by? Or god forbid would provide them with a pillow or bed? Don’t be so quick to judge the book by the cover! THis is not much different than making accusations of people not being disabled using disabled parking places. Some people have invisible disabilities or may be caring for someone who has an issue. Heck I even had words when asking for a disabled placard from my mom’s MD at the time. Quick to assume I was trying to work the system and totally ignorant of what I proceeded to explain: My mom had some dementia…and while I might leave her at a door in bad weather while I ran to get the car, it was a worry…that she might wander away…so I wanted the placard to be able to park closer to the door and not be farther away…or to make her walk shorter especially in bad or icy weather. Better that the airlines be required to create a specific seat or two on the aircraft that does allow for people of size or those with animals…
To reiterate what some have said, I’d rather have the dog next to me than a fat woman (or for that matter any woman). At least the dog is a bit ashamed when it farts.
I hate these people. Forget religious freedom. I want common sense freedom to challenge these emotional infants. Grow the hell up. Life sucks. Having an Emotional Support Animal means you belong in an adult daycare.
@Alexander Castleberry — “…good, good …let the hate flow through you!”
I don’t understand why we cannot have service dogs wear a QR code that would confirm that it is a legit service dog? Wouldn’t people who need a service dog all agree or am I missing something?
How is this not a liability issue? Report this to American Airlines insurance carrier. Gary, do you know who this is? Include this insurance company in an update, please. Dogs interfere with ability to exit the plane in an emergency. What about the much greater number of people who have PTSD from a dog mauling or dog bite than who have a disability besides blindness requiring a dog? Seizure disorders are treated with medications not dogs.
@1990
It’s become apparent that you indeed must be Gary’s handler in his exercise of pet peeves….or, is something even darker percolating … Let’s all take another viewing of The Manchurian Candidate.
I love animals, however, I am allergic to dogs and cats. But never mention that to airline personnel. They will remove you from the flight (not reseat either you or the animal) as you pose a potential mid flight medical emergency which could disrupt the travel of the other passengers. Funny, they don’t serve peanuts on planes anymore…
You can go online and “register” your pup as a “service dog”. Any dog, and I think the fee is about $100 and you even get a collar that says “Service Dog”.
Love the shot of the plus-sized passenger with a dog and FOUR carry-ons.
“a dog is not a bag and it gets to evacuate with everyone else in an emergency. No different than an infant child.” Yes, and both make evacuation more dangerous for everyone else. So do those incapable of walking. So, yes, I’ll accept a higher risk to have your kid or grandparent on the plane, but I do not want my safety impaired for your pet. Heck, since your service dog can go into storage, do that. We’ll be safer and more comfortable.
All these dog haters in the replies. Focusing on the wrong issue.
I do not feel sorry for a 6’7″ grown man who is “afraid of repercussions.” All he needed to do was look the owner dead in the eyes and say, “I paid for this seat and for this legroom, and you need to keep your service animal in front of your own seat.” In the extremely rare event that did not solve the problem (dude, you are SIX SEVEN) you ring for the flight attendant.
I once had a seat next to the aisle on a transatlantic and some guy got up from his seat and put his ass in my face to talk to the lady across the aisle from me. I waited a more than polite amount of time before saying, “Could you wrap up your conversation, I really didn’t pay for an aisle seat to have your ass in my face.” There were no further problems.
@This comes to mind, unfortunately, airlines and the FAA disagree with you, so you’re going to have to make other travel arrangements. Also, I don’t have a pet, nor did I travel with one when he was alive and was 120 pounds. Because I would not impose that on anyone else. If that’s your philosophy in life that’s fine. You do you. But just do me a favor, for the historical record’s accuracy. Don’t bother getting up during sports games to clap and say “thank you for your service” to the veterans who do need service dogs to manage their PTSD.
So many people immediately jump from 0 to 60 on the rage-o-meter without pausing to consider that the person traveling with a dog might be dealing with:
– a family member suddenly falling ill or passing away
– a personal or family crisis
– navigating air travel with a service animal for the first time
– feeling overwhelmed by their own disability or condition
– simply being stressed and unaware of how they appear to others
The other day a woman sat next to me on a transcon domestic, took over the center armrest and proceeded to engage me in conversation for the whole flight, despite my quiet signals that I needed space. I was having a rough day, but I decided to just listen. After landing, she leaned over, thanked me, and quietly explained that she rarely flies and was traveling to settle her mother’s estate after her sudden death.
It was a small moment, but it reminded me that our little annoyances are often nothing in the grand scheme of life. Sometimes showing a bit of patience and grace can mean the world to someone who truly needs it.
Meh. Don’t scapegoat the poor dog. This is a human problem not a dog problem. He should have asserted himself and raised the issue with the owner and/or cabin crew rather than accepting it and complaining later.
I’m a medically retired combat veteran with a P.T.S.D. and a T.B.I. I’m blessed to be with my 2nd Shetland Sheepdog assistant animal. My first dog passed away after 11 years of service. I’ve flown over a dozen times with my dogs, including one trip from CONUS to Hawaii and back. I’ve had people challenge me on the legitimacy of my dogs on sight. My dogs were both vetted by my home state’s Department of Animal Control and issued an ‘Assistance Dog Tag’ with that dogs individual registration number. The tag has a 24 hour 800 number directly to Animal Control. Anyone that needs to verify my dogs legitimacy can call, and give the tag #. Animal Control will verify the dog, his description, and his tasks. Many times, airline crew are understandably dubious. After observing my dogs; bearing, and demeanor, within a matter of minutes, I’m often complimented on how well trained my dogs are.
To the reddit dude – stop whining, stretch your legs when you get there and be a man.
To the rest of you – get over yourselves. You a perfect little angel who’s never inconvenienced another soul? Write a book so we can learn from you. And stop whining.
Let’s take it full circle.
Allow any and all dogs on the plane. Buy them a seat or don’t.
Eventually the media will be flooded with “dogs on planes” controversy until finally the mandate is handed down from the grand poobah “NO MORE DOGS ON PLANES, PERIOD.”
Then when some pipsqueak pops up and suggests we need an exception for service dogs for the blind the public will roar back “NO!!”
That’s how you get things done.
I’m pleased to read the opinions of @WileyDog, @WearyWatchdog, and newcomer @Happy Doggie, as they obviously are experts in the field…
Have we considered shouting “LEAVE IT!” a few times?
@Gary — My activation phrase is “air passenger rights legislation” … *Queen of Diamonds*