Bizarre – and true. American Airlines has updated its emotional support animal policy, barring ferrets, goats, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, amphibians, insects, reptiles, rodents, spiders and snakes from its flights from July 1.
Also on the list are animals that are “unclean or has an odour”, any creature with “tusks, horns or hooves” (miniature horses trained as service animals are exempt) and non-household birds such as chooks or birds of prey.
What is an emotional support animal, you ask? The US Service Animal and Support Animal Registry defines them as an animal that provides comfort just by being with a person.
But after a 40 per cent jump in people bringing them on their flights between 2016 and 2017 – American says the animals don’t qualify unless they have been “trained to perform a specific job or task.”
That said, you can always fly with another more animal-friendly airline. Last year, a Saudi prince bought tickets for 80 of his pet falcons on Etihad after the airline said it had “simplified the process for carrying falcons in the main aircraft cabin.”
We have no words.
