[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Jimworcs wrote...

I do not think airlines should allow animals in the cabin, period.

Jim, as you may know, Federal law prohibits an airline from barring someone with a bona fide service animal. As was discussed in a thread some months ago, since some people abuse the service animal regulations in an effort to avoid paying fees for carrying a pet aboard, there appears to be a debate about what constitutes a service animal for the purpose of "emotional support."

If a gate agent allows a customer to carry a pet aboard, and all rules are observed (fees paid, pet is not removed from carrier, no noxious odors) then the pet should stay aboard, notwithstanding any noise it may make. As Jim indicated, some pets DO make noise. If an airline can't accept this then carry-on pets should be totally banned.

To the airline people on here: Do gate agents, and/or cabin crew, consider the issue of emergency evacuation when seating a customer with a service animal? Also, I wonder how well a blind customer, with a service dog, would have fared in that US Airways ditching in the Hudson River?