Page 7 - aruba-today-20180120

A7
U.S. NEWS Saturday 20 January 2018

Airline Report:
Good dog, bad dog ... Delta wants to know before you board

DALLAS (AP) — Delta Air John Laughter, the airline's
Lines will soon require own- senior vice president of
ers of service and support safety and security, said
animals to provide more there are insufficient rules in
information before their place to screen animals for
animal can fly in the pas- health and behavior issues.
senger cabin, including an Last June, a 70-pound dog
assurance that it's trained flying as a support animal
to behave itself. bit another passenger sev-
The airline says complaints eral times in the face on a
about animals biting or uri- Delta plane in Atlanta. The
nating or defecating on victim was hospitalized.
planes have nearly dou- Delta is seeking a balance
bled since 2016. "that supports those cus-
Starting March 1, Delta will tomers with a legitimate
require owners to show need for these animals"
proof of their animal's while maintaining safety,
health or vaccinations at Laughter said.
least 48 hours before a Sara Nelson, president
flight. Owners of psychiat- of the largest flight at-
ric service animals and of tendants' union, praised
those used for emotional Delta's decision. She said
support will need to sign a passengers abuse the sys- In this April 1, 2017 photo, a service dog strolls through the isle inside a United Airlines plane at
statement vouching that tem to bring untrained ani- Newark Liberty International Airport while taking part in a training exercise, in Newark, N.J. Delta
their animal can behave. mals on board, and if it isn't Air Lines says for safety reasons it will require owners of service and support animals to provide
But owners will be on the stopped it could lead to more information before their animal can fly in the passenger cabin, including an assurance that
honor system — they won't a crackdown that will hurt it's trained to behave itself.
have to show, for example, veterans and the disabled (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
that their dog graduated "who legitimately need to have to be evacuated in cific training to help blind or ports about 700 service
from obedience school. travel with these animals." 90 seconds in an emer- disabled passengers; and and support animals every
The new requirements Eric Goldmann, a sales rep- gency. If animals get in the so-called emotional-sup- day, nearly 250,000 per
don't apply to pets, for resentative in Atlanta for way, people will panic." port animals, which require year. More than two-thirds
which owners pay an ex- a health care company, Although exact figures no training at all. Both fly for are emotional-support ani-
tra fee. Delta, American posts pictures on Twitter aren't available, airline em- free and are not required to mals. That does not include
and United all charge of support animals that he ployees say dogs and cats be caged during the flight. animals for which owners
$125 each way for small thinks should have stayed are the most common ani- The emotional-support pay a fee to keep in a car-
pets in the cabin. Pets that home. He says owners are mals on planes, but there group has been growing rier under their seat during
don't fit under a seat must abusing the system and have been sightings of pigs, rapidly, and it is the target flights.
fly in the cargo hold, also creating safety hazards. snakes and turkeys too. of most of the new Delta The boom in animal travel
for a price. Delta's policy "These dogs are every- Delta's new rules are aimed procedures. Delta, the has prompted airports to
change arrives with the where, they're out in the at two categories: service second-biggest U.S. airline add places where pets can
number of animals in the aisles," he said. "Planes animals, which receive spe- by revenue, said it trans- relieve themselves.q
cabin increasing.
A rift has grown between
disabled people who rely California:
on trained service animals, Storm brings needed snow to Sierra Nevada
usually dogs, and passen-
gers with support or com-
fort animals, with many in TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — A heavy snow was forecast other 3 inches (7.6 centi- and runs down into reser-
the first group suspecting winter storm swept into through afternoon, when meters) were expected, he voirs. The snowpack was
that those in the latter are Northern California on Fri- the storm was expected to said. "We have been a bit well below normal when
just trying to avoid paying day and dumped nearly a shift course to the central behind for what's normal the state's first measure-
$125. However, owners of foot of much-needed snow portion of the state, said precipitation for the Sierra ment of the year was made
comfort animals, includ- in higher elevations of the National Weather Service for this time. This will helps early this month. The aver-
ing veterans suffering from Sierra Nevada. forecaster Craig Shoemak- out," Shoemaker said. age rainfall is 20 inches (50
post-traumatic stress syn- More snow was expected er. The Sierra Nevada snow- centimeters) by this time of
drome, often say that they in the region before the sys- Donner Pass received 9 pack becomes a signifi- year but the Sierra has re-
wouldn't be able to travel tem moved out. inches (23 centimeters) of cant portion of California's ceived 17.8 inches (45 cen-
without their companion. Moderate to occasionally snow overnight and an- water supply when it melts timeters) so far, he said.q