Southwest Airlines has belatedly joined its peers in banning emotional support animals from the cabin.
Like other airlines, the Dallas based carrier will still allow trained service animals but will no longer allow emotional support pets starting from 1 March 2021.
Southwest is the last of the big six airlines to revise their rules after the Transportation Department amended its animal policy.
The DOT revised the Air Carrier Access Act to narrow the definition of what a service animal is.
It now makes it clear that untrained emotional support animals don’t qualify.
Emotional support animals – from squirrels to pigs and miniature horses – have caused disturbances on flights while many owners have been accused of gaming the system.
There is evidence of passengers being able to purchase bogus documents attesting to an animal’s status as an emotional support pet.
This is done to avoid hefty pet carriage charges.
The airline’s new rule doesn’t affect its existing pet carriage program which has to be paid for.
Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor
