DOT Releases Updated Service Animal Regulations for Air Travel

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Candy B. Harrington

In an ongoing effort to keep up with changing times, the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently released their updated rules for air travel with service animals. This rule replaces the previous one (http://barrierfreetravels.com/2019/10/dot-updates-acaa-service-animal-regulations/ ). which was released in October 2018.

While the previous rule increased the documentation required to fly with an emotional support animal, this update classifies emotional support animals as pets. The rule is expected to take effect in early 2021, 30 days after it’s published in the Federal Register. Here are the highlights of the new guidelines. Continue reading →

Proposed Regulation on Accessible Lavatories on Narrow Body Aircraft Open for Public Comment

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Candy B. Harrington

On December 11, 2019 the Department of Transportation (DOT) opened public comments for a proposed amendment to the Air Carrier Access Act, that would require accessible lavatories and on-board wheelchairs on single aisle aircraft that have 125 or more seats. Currently accessible lavatories are only required on wide body jets. Continue reading →

DOT Updates ACAA Service Animal Regulations

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

In August 8, 2019 the Department of Transportation issued a “Final Statement of Enforcement Policies Regarding Service Animals on Flights”. This document, which clarifies some points in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in regards to service animals and emotional support animals, is the result of a public process which began in May 2018. This process was initiated after the DOT received a number of airline complaints about passengers who were skirting the rules and evading pet carrier fees by falsely claiming that their pets were needed for emotional support. Over 4,500 public comments were received after the Preliminary Rule was posted. Continue reading →

Another Ryanair Fail

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

Although Ryanair claims that they have an onboard wheelchair on all their flights, apparently there wasn’t one available when Daniel Rooney needed to use it on his flight from Birmingham to Portugal earlier this summer. Continue reading →

IATA Passes Accessible Air Travel Resolution

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

Early last month the The International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved an accessible air travel resolution at their 75^th Annual General Meeting in Seoul, South Korea. The resolution calls upon governments to follow IATA’s core principles for accommodating disabled passengers, and hopes to bring the travel sector together with regulators in order to provide consistent air travel access regulations throughout the world. Continue reading →

Air Travel Consumer Report on Wheelchair Mishandlings Released

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

The figures for reported wheelchair mishandling by US airlines are in for the second month, and I have to say I’m unimpressed. Continue reading →

Jetstar in Hot Water Again

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

Ian Smith had an unfortunate end to his Fiji cruise last month, when Jetstar refused to let him travel back to his home in New South Wales from Melbourne. And although Smith is a wheelchair-user, that wasn’t the reason for the denied boarding.

Continue reading →

Hong Kong Airlines Denies Passage to Solo Wheelchair Passenger

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Candy B. Harrington

Early this month Hong Kong Airlines denied passage to a wheelchair-user who was traveling alone. Twenty-two year old Shen Chengqing was scheduled to travel from Hong Kong to Tianjin, but airport staff refused to check her in when they discovered she was traveling solo. According to Chengqing, she notified the reservation agent that she used a wheelchair when she bought her ticket.

So what happened? Continue reading →

Clean Up in Aisle 5!

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Candy B. Harrington

The day started out as a typical travel day for Matthew Meehan. That is until he boarded his Delta flight from Atlanta to Miami on November 1, 2018. As he settled into his seat he noticed an unpleasant odor, but it wasn’t until he reached underneath it to retrieve his errant charger that he discovered the source. Continue reading →

Rocky Makes the No-Fly List

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Candy B. Harrington

Just when you thought it was safe to board an airplane, another wild and wacky emotional support animal story surfaces. And this time, it’s not a pig, a turkey or a peacock, but instead a squirrel.