Planning Our First Flight
This coming Thursday, Glindy and I
will be taking our first flight together as a service dog team. I'm
really hoping it goes smoothly, but am worrying about all the usual
things.
First of all, while Glindy already fits the legal definition of a
service animal as defined in the ADA, she and I are still learning
together; she continues to wear her "In Training" patch on her vest
so that people will be more understanding when either of us makes a
mistake. However, I worry a bit that the airlines might choose to
make a fuss about this distinction.
While SDITs are given equal access under Nevada and California
state laws, the Air Carrier Access Act does not define either
service animal or service animal in training. It does
define disability, but the status of the animal is essentially left
up to the "credible...assurances of the...individual with a
disability" and--presumably--the willingness of various airline
employees to find it credible.
Once that hurdle is jumped, the next obstacle is squeezing Glindy
into regular or bulkhead seating in coach if I can't manage a First
Class upgrade. Not having done this before, I'm not sure how we'll
manage it, although people obviously do this all the time.
Next, the trip is going to be about three to four hours long from
house to hotel. The air time is actually only 94 minutes, but the
whole process of taking taxis, going through security, and handling
baggage pads it out quite a bit. Since Glindy is still iffy on her
on-command elimination, I worry that she will be uncomfortable or
have an accident if she chooses not to go right before we leave the
house. While Glindy has certainly demonstrated her ability to go an
entire day without a potty break, new and stressful situations are
often a different story.
And lastly, speaking of potty breaks, I have not yet figured out
how to handle airplane lavatories with a service dog in tow. I
can't leave Glindy unattended while I use the restroom, but the
lavatories are too small to bring her in with me. It's probably
unreasonable to expect a flight attendant to hold the leash for me,
but I suppose it can't hurt anything to ask if the situation
arises.
The bottom line is that this is a new experience for both Glindy
and me, and we'll have to improvise a lot. I'm sure it will all
work out, and that we'll have a wonderful time in Los
Angeles.
Here's hoping!