American Airlines also tightening rules on emotional support animals, it explains on its podcast

By Catharine Hamm

May 22, 2018 6 AM PT

American Airlines has joined United and Delta in tightening restrictions on emotional support animals in the cabin.

Its new rules were issued earlier this month and discussed on the airline’s “Tell Me Why” podcast.

The changes ban, among other animals, goats, insects, reptiles, snakes, spiders and sugar gliders, which are tiny marsupials that are considered exotic pets.

Airlines have been besieged with complaints from passengers about pretend emotional support animals, or ESAs, whose owners either don’t want to pay to fly the animal in the cabin or don’t want their pet in the belly of the plane.

Flying with a support animal will require more paperwork that will need to be submitted earlier in the travel process. The behavior of the animals also will be scrutinized.

The changes do not affect service animals, which differ from ESAs in the amount of training the animals and the owner have received. Service animals also perform what American termed “life functions for individuals with disabilities,” including “visual impairments, deafness, seizures and mobility impairments.”

American’s podcast, available through iTunes, is part of the airline’s internal communications process. But now passengers can listen to these ‘casts and hear more about the reasoning behind airline decisions.

The May 13 installment features American’s Suzanne Boda, senior vice president, Los Angeles, who says that no changes are being made to rules concerning service animals.

“These are extremely well-trained dogs that know how to behave,” she said.

But, she said, “We’ve had some incidents [on American aircraft], and we want to make sure the safety of everyone, including service animals, is protected.”

Also on the podcast is Albert Rizzi of My Blind Spot Inc. whose website describes its mission this way: “To inspire accessibility for people of all abilities.” He has been working with American on these and other changes.

“This is not going to change the policy for people who are dependent on …trained, well-behaved service animals,” said Rizzi, who lost his sight are a result of illness.

The new rules go into effect July 1.

[email protected]

@latimestravel