Collaborative Airlines will no longer accept emotional-support kittens and puppies under four months of age and will ban emotional-support animals starkly on long flights as it tries to crack down on soiled cabins and biting incidents that have harmed commuters and crew.
The Chicago-based airline joins rival Delta Air Lines in tightening its rules. Delta took the lead in interdicting young puppies and kittens last month.
Airlines have been tightening restrictions after a surge in emotional-support monsters on flights. Passengers in recent years have brought animals other than dogs and cats — including a turkey, a pig and a dive — on board as emotional-support animals. United last year denied boarding to a passenger traveling with a peacock as an emotional-support coarse.
Support and service animals fly free of charge and without a carrier under the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act. But passengers and party members have complained about animal allergies, dirtied cabins and aggression from the animals.
United is also limiting emotional-support gross to dogs and cats, which will be banned on flights longer than eight hours.
“We have seen increases in on-board incidents on longer flights involving these animals, many of which are unaccustomed to spending an extended amount of control in the cabin of an aircraft,” United said in a statement.
Additionally, only dogs, cats and miniature horses will be let on board as service animals.
The changes take effect on Jan. 7, but United said it would honor reservations formed by Jan. 3 with the old rules.