Passengers with disabilities are treated poorly by airlines.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) fined American Airlines $50 million for its ill-treatment of passengers with disabilities. This week, a Canadian airline is facing backlash for removing a deaf woman and her service dog from a domestic flight.
Georgina Villeneuve was flying Porter Airlines from Toronto to Edmonton, Canada, last month when the incident occurred. Villeneuve lost most of her hearing due to a viral infection several years ago. She can read lips and depends on her service dog, Maggie, to alert her to sounds and help her with balance.
Maggie was seated by Villeneuve’s feet, which is allowed by the airline and the Canadian Transportation Agency. However, before takeoff, a flight attendant objected to Maggie’s position and ordered Villeneuve to put her dog under the seat in front of her.
Villeneuve told the CBC, “[The flight attendant] said to me … ‘It’s like this. That dog goes under the seat, or we’re turning the plane around… and we’re going to remove you from the flight.’”
According to Porter’s policy, “A service animal must remain in the floor space where [the passenger is] sitting and may not get in the way of an aisle or any area that needs to remain clear for emergencies.” If the service animal is too big to fit, the airline must provide additional space without any charges on domestic flights.
The Canadian Transportation Agency also specifies that a service animal should be offered sufficient floor space to lie comfortably at a passenger’s feet; otherwise, the airline must provide adjacent seating without additional charges.
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“Inadequate space and objects, such as baggage restraint bars and seat fasteners located under the seat in front of the passenger, can injure the service dog and hinder its ability to provide the disability-related assistance that the passenger needs. This can also mean that the passenger needs to either place their feet on top of their dog or position them on either side of their dog, which can cause significant discomfort to both.”
Putting Maggie under the seat would have been a violation of these policies.
However, the crew member didn’t relent. In fact, another passenger, who wasn’t part of the conversation, yelled at Villeneuve to push the dog under the seat because he wanted to avoid flight disruptions. Villeneuve tried to show the airline policy to the flight attendant, but the attendant contacted the pilot, who decided to remove the passenger and return the plane to the gate.
Ultimately, Villeneuve and Maggie were escorted off the plane. There, a manager told her that Porter had broken its own rules and she could either return to the same flight or take a later one. Disappointed with the airline and apprehensive about the angry passenger, she refused both offers and found her own way back home on a flight that cost her close to CAD $3,000 ($2,154).
Villeneuve said that she cried for a week after coming home because of what happened to her.
Porter initially refused to refund her for the expenses incurred; the airline offered a travel voucher, which Villeneuve declined. In June, she had another unpleasant experience with the airline when a crew member suggested Maggie wasn’t a service dog.
In an email to the CBC, the airline said that there was a miscommunication and the pilot wasn’t informed that it was a service animal. “This was an unfortunate case of human error that was exacerbated by a miscommunication between crewmembers, which led to the aircraft returning to the gate.”
Porter has apologized for the error, and the president of the airline has since spoken to Villeneuve. The airline compensated her for her tickets, the second flight ticket with another airline, and other expenses, and even promised to make a donation to the Canadian Hearing Society.
Related: American Airlines Faces Record Fine for Disability Complaints
Traveling With A Service Animal in the U.S.
Emotional support animals are no longer allowed on U.S. airlines, but service animals are permitted to accompany passengers with disabilities. The DOT mentions that they need to be seated in the space under the seat, and small animals can sit on a passenger’s lap.
American Airlines specifies, “[the] animal must be able to fit at your feet, under your seat or in your lap (lap animals must be smaller than a 2-year-old child).” If the animal is too large or heavy, passengers may need to book another flight with more open seats or purchase another ticket. Delta Air Lines has the same policy regarding service animals.
Airlines and the DOT also mention that service animals can’t be seated at emergency exits or aisles, and they can’t obstruct any paths. They also need to behave properly—no barking, biting, growling, or eating off trays.
Related: Flying With Pets Is Scarier Than Ever. Here’s What Travelers Are Doing About It