No more emotional-support cats?
A major airlines group has asked the federal Department of Transportation to tighten its rules on emotional-support animals and limit the type of animals allowed on flights to service dogs only.
Airlines for America, an airline industry and lobbying association, represents nine major airlines, including Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest.
The group presented a lengthy report to the Department of Transportation earlier this month, outlining its hopes for stricter emotional-support animal policies.
The report said "our member airlines have experienced a disturbing growth in the number of passengers with questionable claims of disability seeking to travel with animals that they suggest are necessary to provide 'emotional support,' but which are not trained as service animals (or even trained at all to behave in public settings like aircraft or airports)."
Airlines for America wants emotional-support animals limited to dogs, arguing that the Department of Transportation should change its policies regarding service animals to align with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which limits service animals to trained dogs, the report said.
Last week, Delta updated its emotional-support animal policy, limiting the rule to one animal per customer and banning "pit bull type dogs." American Airlines last month banned emotional support hedgehogs, ferrets and goats.