American Airlines is facing criticism after a first class passenger says he was physically pinned in his bulkhead seat by a large “service dog” throughout his entire flight.

American Airlines Passenger Says 100-Pound Service Dog Blocked Foot Space For Whole Flight

The incident reportedly occurred after the plane was delayed on the tarmac, flying out of Houston. The passenger, approximately 6′7″ tall, says he paid for an upgrade to first class. But once onboard, that upgrade didn’t amount to much: a large service dog named Bear (he claims the dog was over 100 pounds) spent the entire flight occupying the passenger’s footwell space. The handler apologized once, but did nothing to move the dog, or adjust seating. The passenger says he didn’t push back further out of concern over challenging a claimed disability.

American Airlines’ service animal policy states fully-trained service animals may fly in the cabin at no extra charge, so long as they comply with requirements (e.g. they remain in handler’s space).

If an animal is too large to comply, options include:

• Reseating the handler
• Offer a different flight
• Requiring an extra seat to cover the animal’s footprint.

(The rules also allow airlines to treat emotional support animals differently, classifying them more like pets unless the owner claims they are psychiatric service animals)

> Read More: There’s A New Loophole To Allow Emotional Support Animals On Planes…

I deeply sympathize with the tall passenger’s discomfort. A service dog that cannot remain fully in its handler’s foot space for the duration of a flight does not meet the standard of proper training. American’s own policy is clear: the animal must fit within the handler’s space or else alternative arrangements should be made. What frustrates me is how inconsistently this rule is enforced. Airlines too often look the other way, failing to vet so-called service animals and allowing situations like this to occur. That’s not fair to the paying passenger whose space has been compromised, and it undermines the credibility of true service animals.

However, the man had also should have spoken up…while he should not have had to (because the handler should have been polite and the flight attendant should have noticed the problem), he was the last line of defense to safeguard his own space, and the fact that he failed to speak up makes me far less sorry for him…potentailly offending someone seems a far better altneraitve to me than having a 100-pound dog “pinning” your legs against yoour seat.

CONCLUSION

This case again raises questions about how “service dog” rules are enforced in premium cabins. If a passenger pays for first class, part of what is being sold is space…personal space, legroom, freedom from obstruction. American’s policies technically allow for recourse when a service animal oversteps its legal footprint, but enforcement seems spotty. As always, travelers are caught between sensitivity to disability rights and speaking up in their own self-defense. Getting this right will require consistent standards, training, and courage from airlines…and from passengers to speak up when space is infringed.

Image: @DallasBroncos/reddit // Hat Tip: View From The Wing