Airline Travel with Guide Dogs
Adequate access to air travel has long been a source of
frustration for people with disabilities and for their families. However, there
are a number of laws, both on the state and federal level, that are aimed at
rectifying this problem.
One of the most important laws in this area is the federal
Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which was originally enacted in 1986. The ACAA
basically states that an air carrier may not discriminate against a passenger on
the grounds that the passenger has a “physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
To implement the ACAA, the U.S. Department of Transportation
has developed a number of regulations that all domestic air carriers and
airports are required to follow. These regulations are designed to eliminate
many of the discriminatory practices that air passengers with disabilities have
faced in the past. Several of these regulations deal specifically with service
animals, and it may be helpful to highlight a couple.
Make room for guide dogs
One fundamental ACAA regulation requires that service
animals be permitted to travel on aircraft with their disabled companions,
stating that “carriers shall permit dogs and other service animals used by
handicapped persons to accompany the persons on a flight.” Similarly, another
regulation says that air carriers must permit a service animal to accompany a
disabled passenger “in any seat in which that person sits,” unless the
animal obstructs an aisle or other area that needs to remain unobstructed.
If the animal cannot be accommodated at the passenger's
seat, the air carrier may require that the animal travel with checked baggage.
However, the passenger must first be offered the opportunity to move to another
seat location where the animal can be accommodated, if such a location exists on
the aircraft.
Under the ACAA regulations, a passenger with a disability is
not required to give an airline advance notice of his or her intent to travel,
subject to a few exceptions. Therefore, you and your spouse could simply book
your travel plans the way anyone else would, without notifying the airline in
advance. Even so, Surveying the airline beforehand would be a good idea not only
because it would give the airline a better opportunity to address your needs but
also because it would enable you to obtain advance information about the
aircraft's facilities and services.
The ACAA regulations are complex and have many nuances.
There are also other state and federal laws that may have some bearing on this
issue. If you are interested in obtaining specific information or advice
regarding the ACAA or other state or federal laws in this area, or information
regarding how these laws may apply to your particular situation, you should
Survey a local attorney. You can also find a very useful publication entitled
New Horizons: Information for the Air Traveler With a Disability at the
Department of Transportation's Web site: www.dot.gov/airconsumer/horizons.htm
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