Emotional Support animal on Flights

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Crossed my mind today, every day 1000's of passengers join 100s of cruise ships on multi-day itineraries and none of them allow pets or "emotional support animals" to travel with the owners, yet all those passengers seem to travel Ok without any reports of major trauma or breakdowns.

AFAIK only one cruise line (Cunard - only 3 ships) allows a limited number/quantity of a limited set of breeds of animals on-board (other than registered service animals) and they must remain in the ship staff supervised kennel area for the duration of the trip with limited visitation by the owner. Owners pay around USD800-1,000 for the service.
 
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Crossed my mind today, every day 1000's of passengers join 100s of cruise ships on multi-day itineraries and none of them allow pets or "emotional support animals" to travel with the owners, yet all those passengers seem to travel Ok without any reports of major trauma or breakdowns.

A cruise is a holiday, and completely avoidable... and don't usually the same finality or mass casualties if something goes wrong.

Most of us at some stage in life will need to fly... for example visiting a sick family member, to attend a funeral, or possibly medical treatment. Flying can be traumatic for some. Not everyone with an emotional support animal is scamming the system, or bogus.
 
A cruise is a holiday, and completely avoidable...

but if you want to max out the heart-bleeding cause, what about all those people who suffer (insert- whatever crisis) who need a cruise to be able to renew and heal their soul? Should they be denied having their pet rat come with them?? A cruise may be simply a "cruise" to some, but to others it is a healing thing. But you deny them that??
 
but if you want to max out the heart-bleeding cause, what about all those people who suffer (insert- whatever crisis) who need a cruise to be able to renew and heal their soul? Should they be denied having their pet rat come with them?? A cruise may be simply a "cruise" to some, but to others it is a healing thing. But you deny them that??

For sure, there are some that are scamming the system. But the solution should be to weed out the scammers, not to punish those that genuinely need an ESA?
 
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I agree with others here. It really astonishes me that so many people these days, particular those that are my age, find a way to have "mental health issues", PTSD, and be offended by at least 1 or 2 things you say in the process of regular conversation. All these support acts have only just started popping up recently. I'm fine with service animals being onboard because they are medically vital to their owners (or at least somewhat). The "emotional support" squirrel you want to bring on a packed 5 hour flight (which isn't used to being in a loud and claustrophobic environment, isn't toilet trained, and has a habit of escaping its cage) due to severe anxiety and depression that engulfed you after you and your boyfriend of 2 weeks separated doesn't fly in my books. Either grow up or don't get on a plane. Sorry if anyone can't handle what I've just said because no one seems to want to hear the truth now :/

If you knew anyone with PTSD or Clinical depression you wouldn't be so dismissive. Tell them to "Grow up"? Yes, that'll help..... I hope noone close to you ever suffers from any mental health issues... but then again..you could just tell them to "grow up". Right?

MEL_traveller has the answer... give the legit sufferers appropriate documentation - after meeting suitable requirements regarding attestation from mental health professionals and so on... and weed out the chancers. Haven't some of the US based airlines taken some small steps in recent times to tighten things up a little?
 
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. and don't usually the same finality

Of course there are statistics and statistics (and they never lie ;)🤭).

Allegedly media reports risks of dying from:

..drowning 1:1086
..cycling 1:4050
..car crash 1:102
..plane crash 1:205,552

..cruise ship 1:100,000
 
If you knew anyone with PTSD or Clinical depression you wouldn't be so dismissive. Tell them to "Grow up"? Yes, that'll help..... I hope noone close to you ever suffers from any mental health issues... but then again..you could just tell them to "grow up". Right?

MEL_traveller has the answer... give the legit sufferers appropriate documentation - after meeting suitable requirements regarding attestation from mental health professionals and so on... and weed out the chancers. Haven't some of the US based airlines taken some small steps in recent times to tighten things up a little?

My statement was in no way directed at those with legitimate diagnosed issues. If you have a certificate, it's fine by me. Its the ones (again my age in particular it seems) who are just throwing labels on themselves to get extra attention, freebies and just game the system in general where they can that I don't like and that do indeed need to grow up. I know people who claim they have depression and anxiety simply because their boyfriend broke up with them, and after spending most of the past week with a pile of ex-ADF vets helping with the bushfire cleanup it is even more clear that these guys are the ones, if anybody, who would have seen stuff during their service that would give them depression and anxiety, and yet they don't say a word about it. They just keep pushing forward with the task at hand and make the best out of what they have. The ones I know who are complaining about actually have a really easy life, and the parts that aren't the best are entirely their fault because they made some silly decisions.
 
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Well it has happened.
"The US Department of Transportation rule announced Wednesday states that "carriers are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets."
Air carriers are also permitted to limit service animals to dogs."
 
I saw it too and thought finally! They had to do it to lessen the ambiguity

Having flown extensively in the US and also known people who used the gaping loopholes to do whatever they want with their pets I’m very glad this stupid practice is being reeled back in.

It is a start at least. Wait for the screeching of the ‘my human rights’ brigade from the US though!
 
Many are quick to praise the regulations, but did it actually impact anyone here on AFF?

In the old days we would have seen an emotional support peacock and had a tale to tell at our next dinner party.
 
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