Woman denied emotional support peacock on United flight
Birds of a feather may flock together, but United Airlines recently shot down one traveler’s request to bring her emotional support peacock on a flight departing Newark Liberty International Airport.
Live and Let Fly reported earlier this week that even though the unidentified woman claimed that she had a second ticket for the peacock, the airline denied her request.
A spokesperson for United further tells Fox News that the traveler(s) with the peacock were told they would not be able to bring it on board.
"This animal did not meet guidelines for a number of reasons, including its weight and size. We explained this to the customers on three separate occasions before they arrived at the airport," said United in a statement.
Photos of the unusual scene were shared to Facebook by travel talk show The Jet Set , sparking online commenters to both condemn and champion United’s decision.
“Unbelievable, this has to stop now!!” one user wrote.
“I'll take the majestic peacock over the 5+ dogs that have attacked my coworkers just this past holiday season,” another supposed airline staffer fired back.
The news comes on heels of Delta’s controversial crackdown of emotional support and service animals. On Jan. 19, the airline announced forthcoming restrictions in hopes of curbing an abuse of policy and an 84 percent increase in ill animal behavior such as urinating, defecating, biting and attacks on flights.
Effective March 1, Delta’s new rules require those flying with emotional support or psychiatric service animals to submit a veterinarian health form and immunization record to Delta with 48-hours’ notice, Fox News reports. A doctor’s note, signed veterinarian health form, and proof of animal training will additionally now have to be presented before boarding.
Further, as of March, Delta will not allow exotic emotional support animals including ferrets, insects, spiders, goats or animals with tusks or hooves to fly.United has recently confirmed to Fox News that they are reevaluating their current support animal policies.
"United is dedicated to providing convenient and comfortable service to all of our customers. We know that some customers require an emotional support animal to assist them through their journey. In order to ensure we provide the best service to everyone onboard our flights, consistent with government rules we currently require these customers to provide documentation from a medical professional and at least 48 hours advance notice," they said via email.
"In our effort to better balance protecting our employees and customers while accommodating passengers with disabilities, we are reviewing our existing policy and plan to share more soon."
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Lol normally I'm fairly sympathetic to the plights of others, but this is ridiculous.
Emotional support? I guess it's to be expected with the proliferation of "Safe Spaces". Such frailty is such an unbelievable joke - what is the world coming to? I absolutely agree with trained guide dogs to be permitted to accompany their blind users everywhere - buses, restaurants, butcher stores, movie theatres, etc. but THIS? A laughing stock.
If they bought an extra seat they should have just invited a Friend. Or are Emotional Support Animals for people who don't have Friends. I'll tell you if you bring a Peacock to my house I won't be inviting you back. I don't think you can house train a Peacock.
As I've said I don't agree with the Peacock but there are many people more attached to their animals than other humans, you even see examples of it here on NT
I must admit that I am a bit guilty of that. I like spending time with my dogs than with most people. They are more loyal and trustworthy and they love me regardless of anything else. They are very non-judgemental. Much better than people.
Nothing wrong with that. As long as one of them is not a peacock that you need to take on a plane for emotional support we're all good, lol.
Well I have doubts about my Cat's loyalty, he'll jump up on any strangers lap and if they had treats and I don't forget about it. Plus I can't trust him, I can't leave anything out that he might see as a toy. He'll knock it onto the floor and if it rolls or can be whacked around it could end up anywhere. As far as being non-judgmental I pretty sure he's always judging me, I know that look I'm just glad he can't talk because I think he'd be a Nag.
No ferrets?!?!?
Obviously, whoever sets policy at Delta doesn't know jack shit about ferrets. They're easy to travel with and very quiet. They are also cuddly and don't usually bite. I've had ferrets and I loved them.
Not arguing that they're not quiet and cuddly (aside from being funny) but they do smell and cannot be trained to not poo as needed
Mine were descented and I bathed them every week, so they didn't smell. I guess you're right about the pooping thing
We had a pet skunk when I was a young girl. My Father got him from a fellow police officer at work who raised them. We named him Pepe. He had his scent bag removed so there was no smell, and played with our two Siamese cats like one of them. He also used the cat box. He loved cat food and bananas. He also loved to ride in the car, and that made for some very interesting rides, as he liked to sit on my Mother's shoulder and look out the window as we rode along.
My ferrets loved bananas and used a litter box. They were a lot of fun. We bought a 4 foot lenght of PVC pipe and they loved playing in it. Unfortunately, they don't live much past the age of 6 years and it's usually kidney disease or skin cancer that gets them
If you have to have a peacock before you can travel, you need to stay home.
I like how the new profanity filter makes it so that on the front page the article title is "Woman Denied Emotional Support Pea On United Flight", regardless of one's profanity filter settings. That seems appropriate for this particular case.
I looked at it because I thought she had wanted to have a vegetable. I was expecting something like the story of "The Princess and the Pea"
LOL!!! That does seem a bit odd for someone to need a pea for support. However, there is a lady here in the apt complex where I live that will not leave the apt without her fake Red Rose in hand.
I first thought someone had misspelled "pee". It would be cruel indeed to deny a person a much-needed emotional support pee even if the seat belt light is on.
Lol I noticed that as well, weird that it deletes even part of word if detects profanity. Too bad as I was about to post an article about the bird or shuttlecock used in badminton:P
You mean I can't bring my Support Giraffe with me on the plane? Outrageous!
Only 8-year olds who still think flying is "neat" are not stressed out on an airplane. There's nothing special about these people with their "support" pets. Leave your livestock at home. Have a Support Bourbon, like the rest of us.
Lol I don't get stressed on planes (or anywhere else), but then again I've been told (repeatedly) I'm a little odd.
I didn't used to be bothered by flying. Then I learned how to fly, so I was aware of all the ways something can go wrong. I've also come to learn how fallible people are - even people who are supposed to be competent and paying attention.
Plus, even if you aren't afraid of flying, the process of air travel itself - from internet ticketing to more intense and often arbitrary security to increasingly uncomfortable airplanes - is enough to stress anyone out.
I'm not stressed out by they flying aircraft...I'm stressed out by the stuff in the fuselage...namely passengers.
I don't like people and cramming me inside a tin can with a bunch of them makes me reach for my Clonepin
Who the Hell doesn't N Joy a good ole old fashioned
High ColonicPin whence Jammed in with a bunch of creepy ass strangers now and then
GIRL
U ain't LIving, Unless yoU living On Da EDGE
oh, an anti anxiety pillow Same FCKN Thing
Wow that's very cool, my mom learned to fly as well when I was young. She had to quit due to the cost though
Lol I've been in the military for 33 years now, annoying hurry up and wait overly bureaucratic personally invasive crap doesn't even faze me anymore
I don’t even like flying with other people’s annoying children so I certainly don’t want to fly with their pets. If some people need to fly with pets and the airline wants to accommodate it, then set up a special Noah’s Ark flight where they can all fly together.