Delta Air Lines Tightens Rules for Service and Support Animals<br />Delta Air Lines said on Friday that it was tightening its rules for transporting service and support animals in an effort to reduce misbehavior by dogs and other creatures<br />that air carriers are required by law to allow on board.<br />The number of service and support animals, which federal regulations say must fly at no cost<br />and uncaged, with some exceptions, has surged 150 percent on Delta planes since 2015.<br />Eric Lipp, the executive director of Open Doors Organization, a nonprofit group<br />that supports disabled travelers and tourists, described Delta’s new policy is “unfortunate” and “extreme.”<br />“People have abused the privilege and ruined the image of service animals,” Mr. Lipp said.<br />Customers, the airline said in announcing the move, had “attempted to fly with comfort<br />turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and more.”<br />But the surge has brought more instances of conflict among passengers, some of whom have complained about allergies<br />and other disturbances, as well abuses of the policy, with some travelers trying to avoid the costs of flying with regular pets.
