HOUSTON – A woman with a dog certified as an emotional support animal has called for an exception to a policy that requires animals of the like be registered to fly at least 48 hours before the departure date.
Jessica Blackwell ultimately made her United Airlines flight to Houston on March 29, with her dog, Auryn, a certified emotional support animal.
Blackwell said she had to jump through several hurdles before being able to do so, however, nearly missing her flight.
Blackwell's trip to Houston was due to an emergency flight. Jeff, her husband, is a cancer patient at M.D. Anderson. Jessica said Jeff fell ill while on a business trip to San Jose. The couple feared his cancer had returned.
They booked flights to Houston. Jessica would fly from Los Angeles with Auryn.
"When I showed up at the gate, I had all my forms in hand. That's when the United employee told me that only one of the forms was in the system and they wouldn't take the two other forms I had in my hand, one from a vet, the other from a trainer," Jessica said.
That's because of a United Airlines policy, which requires passengers traveling with an emotional support animal give the airline at least 48 hours notice to process paperwork for the animal.
Jessica said she did not have 48 hours because of the sudden emergency, which is why she said she brought Auryn's paperwork.
Still, per policy, Jessica said she had to purchase a pet ticket for the dog.
She did, but once she returned to the flight, Auryn's carrier bag couldn't fit under seats in first class.
"The seat was a pod," Blackwell said. "So, I'm not sure why that was sold to me," she said.
A talk with a flight attendant then moved to a ticketing agent.
"She kept saying that my dog was not in the system. It didn't matter that I had them in hand. I tried to hand them to her, she refused to take them," Jessica said.
Jessica ultimately got off the flight, then returned to coach. At least she could fly, Blackwell thought. But as she took her seat, with Auryn stowed in her carrier bag underneath, "A stewardess approaches me, a different one, and said, 'ma'am is your dog an ESA?'" Blackwell said.
"Yes, I brought the paperwork and I'm immediately cut off. The gate agent had followed me to this new seat and she said your dog is not an ESA," Jessica said, recounting the interaction.
Jessica said the ordeal left her shaken and embarrassed, but she couldn't really turn to Auryn for help, as she was stowed under her seat.
It's not the policy in its entirety that's the issue, Jessica said. Rather, it's how she says she was treated.
Even larger, she asked couldn't there be an exception for customers taking emergency trips, flying with emotional support animals?
"If someone needs to get on a flight last minute, if they have an emergency flight, and they require an ESA that they would trust a doctor's advice more than they would trust their own employees," Jessica said.
A spokesman for United Airlines said the air carrier is investigating Jessica's claims.
"We understand the support emotional support animals provide our customers, however our policies require that documentation be received at least 48 hours prior to travel for verification purposes. When the required notice cannot be provided we try our best to accommodate the customer and their pet. We are currently in contact with the customer to resolve this matter," the airline said in a statement to KPRC2.