EMOTIONAL support
animals (ESAs) provide
companionship and
emotional support for people
diagnosed with a psychological,
emotional or psychiatric
disorder. Agents on Travelinfo’s
OpenJaw Facebook group
recently asked whether these
animals should be allowed in
the passenger cabin.
A number of airlines have
started allowing ESAs on
board. American airlines allow
ESAs in the cabin free of
charge due to US Department
of Transportation mandates.
However, Roy Solomons, chief
commercial officer of BidAir
Cargo, says while decisions
on animals being allowed
in the cabin are made on a
case-by-case basis, airlines try
to minimise it for safety and
hygiene reasons.
Kirby Gordon, head of sales
and distribution at FlySafair,
says the airline doesn’t allow
ESAs. He says because the
animals don’t need the training
that service animals do, they
may get frightened or restless.
Lufthansa allows ESAs (dogs)
free of charge only on non-stop
flights to/from the US. The
passenger may be seated in a
bulkhead or any other seat but
not in an emergency exit row.
The dog may be placed in the
foot space of the passenger’s
seat.
Turkish Airlines also allows
ESAs free of charge on flights
Between Istanbul and the
US. Dogs must fit in the
passenger’s foot space, not on
a seat. Passengers who travel
with these animals must have
a valid ID card for the dog and
documents required by the
country they are visiting.
For both LH and TK, in
connecting flights, the dog
must be booked and paid
for as a pet in cabin (PETC)
or an animal in hold (AVIH)
and, depending on the size of
the dog, the passenger must
provide a container for the
inbound/onward flight and
the dog will be transferred to
either a PETC crate and
remain in the cabin or an
AVIH crate and transferred
to the hold.
SAA allows ESAs only on
flights to or from the US. It
allows dogs, cats or other
animals that will be approved
on a case-by-case basis during
reservation.
Agents in the OpenJaw
Facebook group had generally
not been asked about ESAs by
their clients. Mandy Maggen,
owner of Tella Travel, said
she believes it is a fairly new
phenomenon for South African
travellers.
