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Air Carrier Access Act Technical Assistance Manual (2005)

Note: This document was originally published in 2005, so all references to 14 CFR part 382 herein are hyperlinked to the version that was current at the time of publication (14 CFR Part 382 with amendments issued through July 2003). Click here to view additional versions of this regulation and other publications related to air transportation.

QUESTION: I fly with my service animal and normally ask for a bulkhead seat, as it provides a little bit more room for my service dog. On a recent flight, the carrier would not allow me to sit in the bulkhead row with my service animal because the bulkhead row was also an emergency exit row. Was the carrier correct in asking me to take a seat other than a bulkhead seat in the emergency exit row?

ANSWER: Yes. The carrier was within its rights to refuse to permit you to sit in the bulkhead seat with your service animal, because the service animal may have blocked access to the emergency exit. Carriers must comply with all applicable FAA safety rules, even when attempting to accommodate the needs of passengers with disabilities. In such instances, the carrier should permit you and your service animal to move to another seat within the cabin that is not located in an emergency exit row that best accommodates your needs. [Sec. 382.37]

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