United Airlines is tightening rules on animals which can be brought into the cabin starting Monday. One new restriction is regarding the length of flights.

The airline said emotional support animals won’t be allowed on flights longer than eight hours.

“We have seen increases in onboard incidents on longer flights involving these animals, many of which are unaccustomed to spending an extended amount of time in the cabin of an aircraft,” the company said in a blog post.

Kittens and puppies under four months old will not be allowed on any flight regardless of whether they are emotional support animals, service animals, or pets. The airline said animals under four months typically don’t have the required vaccinations.

Only dogs and cats will be allowed as emotional support animals. Service animals will be limited to dogs, cats, and miniature horses.

The airline said reservations made before January 3, which is when the change was announced, will be honored.

If you’re flying soon, you’ll face a new policy on at least one airline when it comes to emotional support animals on flights.

United Airlines has announced that the support animals will not be allowed on flights longer than eight hours.

The airline says it’s seeing more on-board animal-related incidents.

They believe this is because they are not accustomed to spending so much time on an airplane.

The new policy also prohibits kittens or puppies less than four-months-old because they typically haven’t had all of the necessary vaccinations.

The new changes in policies go into effect Monday.

——
Send a News Tip to Action News
Learn More About 6abc Apps

By saying that only the president can and should take the necessary steps, the pilots seem to recognize that, whatever the merits (or demerits) of a wall, it isn’t worth risking airline safety for what some believe is a symbol of power, rather than an effective security measure.

Benjamin and his family were looking at more than $5,000 in airline tickets to bring him back to Michigan for the first time in a year, and then a return flight to Germany in January before his leave expired.
(iStock)

United Airlines on Monday quickly reversed itself in what could have been another embarrassing public relations gaffe for the carrier.

United will reimburse U.S. Army soldier Pfc. Benjamin Jimenez for the money he spent to get home to Michigan from Germany after his original flight was cancelled on Saturday, Dec. 22, and will also pay for his return flight to Frankfurt, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Benjamin and his family were looking at more than $5,000 in airline tickets to bring him back to Michigan for the first time in a year, and then a return flight to Germany in January before his leave expired.

Instead, United is picking up the tab.

“I’m happy,” Benjamin’s aunt, Sarah Mundt of Monroe, Mich., told the Free Press.

The issue started on Saturday. Benjamin had spent $1,116 in November on a round-trip flight to come home to Michigan for Christmas. But he found out that the flights were canceled by United codeshare partner Lufthansa, and was told by United that the best they could do was have him purchase another flight – at a cost of $2,300 one way – and dispute the charge with his credit card company.

The Free Press published a story on the ordeal on Sunday and it immediately became a viral sensation, prompting callers and well-wishers who wanted to donate to Benjamin and his family.

“I made it very clear, I don’t want anything for free,” Mundt told the newspaper. “I understand this is a business, you guys have to make money. I don’t mind paying the original fare that he originally bought … but we want the $2,500 back, and we need a way for him to get back to Germany.”

United, stung in the past by public relations gaffes and insensitive and/or ill-timed responses, jumped in quickly after the initial story appeared.

The airline said it would send Benjamin and his family a check to cover the $2,300 the soldier spent on his ticket to Michigan after his original flight was canceled. And, United will fly him back to Frankfurt next month, free of charge.

This story was originally published by TravelPulse.

‘+
‘

‘+__tnt.truncateStr(oAsset.title.replace(/(]+))/ig,””),iTextTrun,’…’)+’

‘+
‘

‘+__tnt.truncateStr(oAsset.summary.replace(/(]+))/ig,””),iTextTrun,’…’)+’

‘+
‘

Everyone loves a bargain – but maybe not at the expense of comfort. When you’re crammed into a middle seat between a sneezer and a snorer, you start to reconsider if the ultra-savings was worth it.

United Airlines, while not considered a low-cost carrier, could be a solid option for flyers looking for comfort and easy ways to save money with travel rewards. This legacy carrier’s frequent-flyer program has a lot to offer, and with 4,600 daily departures to 357 airports in 48 countries, United and the Star Alliance take you where you want to be.

Here are four things the United Airlines MileagePlus program gets right.

1. Earn miles with a credit card

With generous sign-up bonuses and at least 1 miles per $1 spent on eligible United purchases, restaurants, hotel nights and more, miles add up quickly.

And if you book with the United℠ Explorer Card, get perks such as one free checked bag, get 25% back on in-flight purchases, priority boarding privileges and up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit.

2. Booking flexibility and ease

In general, you can earn MileagePlus miles on flights with Star Alliance partners and redeem your miles for flights on Star Alliance airlines. If you have Gold elite status or above your partner flight benefits include an extra baggage allowance and access to the airport clubs around the globe.

» Learn more: How to get started with frequent flyer programs

And if you are booking an international trip, United’s Excursionist Perk — a free one-way award with certain multi-city itineraries — can add savings to a trip. Members who book an itinerary with three or more one-way awards will be eligible to receive one of those one-way awards for free if it meets specified conditions.

MileagePlus elite members can also save on fees for tickets booked within 21 days of departure. Fees are reduced or waived for MileagePlus elite members.

3. A comfortable in-flight experience

Flights with United Private Screening offer films and TV shows you watch on your own device via the United app.

Wi-Fi is available on most planes, with United promising more coverage and better service to come.

4. Use miles on non-travel expenses

MileagePlus Exclusives offer members the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind adventures, including VIP access to Broadway shows, sporting events and foodie events with Michelin starred chefs.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2019, including those best for:

• Airline miles and a large bonus: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• No annual fee: The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
• Flat-rate rewards with no annual fee: The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
• Premium travel rewards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Business travelers: The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice:
The United Airlines MileagePlus rewards program: The complete guide
United replaces first-class intercontinental flights with Polaris seating
Go ahead, use your travel rewards for regular expenses

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Independence High School football coach Tyler Schilhabel, who was paralyzed following an ATV accident eight an a half years ago said he was looking forward to stepping off the football field to spend quality time with his new wife on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic last week, until his travel plans took a different turn, “We flew with United Airlines, we flew from LAX and had a connecting flight to Chicago to the Dominican Republic. When we flew to Chicago the first time we were seven rows back and I require an aisle chair to get me on and off the plane because my regular chair is too wide to fit on the airplane,” Schilhabel said.

However, Schilhabel said he was denied timely access to an aisle chair when he landed in Chicago from LAX and if it wasn’t for the flight attendant who helped him, he wouldn’t have made his connecting flight to the Dominican Republic, “What had actually ended up happening was one of the flight attendants who knew that I was in a rush and the aisle chair wasn’t there, he actually picked me up lifted me and put me into my normal chair so that I could make my connecting flight.”

Upon landing in the Dominican Republic, Schilhabel said the airline also failed to provide a safe deplaning option for him, and his wife was also injured as they tried to exit the plane, “We landed in the Dominican Republic and they didn’t have an aisle chair ready so we waited there for about 20 minutes and they brought an aisle chair but they did not have a ramp, or a jet way, or an elevator to get me off the plane. All they had was a flight of stairs so the aisle chair was no use so I had to scoot on my bottom all the way to the front of the plane and when we realized there wasn’t a ramp or anything else my wife and I just decided no it’s not safe we don’t trust them to carry me down the flight of stairs so we just hopped down, she grabbed my legs and I hopped down step by step on my bottom. When we got to the very bottom she actually slipped and hurt her wrist.”

On the way back from the Dominican Republic to Chicago, Schilhabel said the airline provided the aisle chair but then problems resurfaced when he once again tried to deplane, “We waited about 25 minutes for everyone to get off the plane once again and then I waited for an additional 20 to 25 minutes for an aisle chair to get there and it never arrived. We had a connecting flight, we still had to get through customs so I scooted on my bottom all 31 rows to the front of the plane, got on my chair, got through customs, we were able to make our connecting flight.” Schilhable also added that getting off the plane was humiliating.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation depending on the type of disability related need, passengers may be required to ask for specific accommodations 24 hours in advanced or check in one hour before standard check in time for the flight. Schilhable said ever since his accident he knows the drill very well and planned ahead as usual.

“When I make all of my reservations for my flights I put on the notes that I require an aisle chair and a ramp slash elevator at all arrivals and destinations and I make it a point to get there even earlier before anybody else so that I can talk to whoever is at the front desk to let them know once again,” Schilhabel said.

Schilhabel said after United Airlines saw his social media post on his Facebook about what happened during his travel the company reached out to him 24 hours ago to apologize. He said United Airlines offered $2,000 worth of vouchers and an additional refund but he declined their gesture, “It’s not necessarily about the money or getting anything in return, it’s just the fact that people have been treated like this on multiple occasions not just myself and it seems like they haven’t done anything to fix it.”

23ABC News reached out to United Airlines and after they initially sent us a link to how to request a wheel chair online they later responded with a statement saying quote:

“We are concerned to learn of our customer’s unacceptable experience. We have reached out to our customer to deeply apologize and we are working with our team to understand what occurred and fix it.”-United Airlines

Shilhabel said United Airlines also asked him to take down his Facebook post but he told them no. As of now Schilhabel has not spoken with any attorneys.

Your emotional support animal in training may not get to fly business class anymore.

Or any other class, for that matter.

United Airlines

UAL, +3.35%

 is changing its policies regarding emotional-support animals, banning animals under the age of four months from the cabin, “to further ensure the well-being of our employees and customers while accommodating passengers with disabilities,” the company said in a blog post on Thursday.

“This is just another move in a long line of moves to restrict pets on air crafts,” Christopher Elliott, founder of consumer advocacy organization Elliott.org, said. “Animals could go the way of peanuts on planes at some point in the future — ideally airlines do not want to have any animals in the cabin.”

‘Animals could go the way of peanuts on planes at some point in the future.’

The new policy will go into effect on Jan. 7 and comes weeks after Delta Air Lines

DAL, +4.78%

 made a similar change. “Animals under the age of four months typically have not received the necessary vaccinations that help ensure the safety of our employees and customers,” United said. The airline did not respond to request for additional comment.

United will also limit animals allowed on flights, banning all emotional- support animals that are not dogs and cats. Service animals, which unlike emotional support animals are trained to assist a qualified person with a disability, are still accepted on flights as long as they are a dog, cat, or miniature horse, the new policy said.

This comes after United turned away one passenger in January 2018 for attempting to board with her “emotional support peacock,” for whom she had purchased a ticket.

“When people think of pets as children, they will do anything to fly with them.”

The number of animals in the cabin has been on the rise in recent months, despite the fact that Delta

DAL, +4.78%

 , American

AAL, +6.59%

  and United

UAL, +3.35%

  Airlines have tightened paperwork requirements on emotional support animals. Most service animals, which are trained to assist a qualified person with a disability, are still accepted on flights

Delta said it had six biting incidents in a period of two months in early 2018 and the number of “animal incidents” on planes, ranging from urination to barking and biting, has increased 84% since 2016, Delta chief operating officer Gil West told The Wall Street Journal in August.

The airline carries an average of 700 emotional-support animals per day on flights, up from 450 a day in 2016, West said.

Delta banned pit bull dogs from flights in July 2018 after a dog scratched a flight attendant, and United Airlines banned dozens of breeds of dogs from flights in May 2018, including Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, all kinds of Pugs and Boxers, Shih-Tzus, Mastiffs, American Bully, Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Pekingese. Many of these breeds have been found to suffer respiratory problems on flights.

Elliott said the rise in animal passengers reflects a larger shift in how people view their pets — one airlines are struggling to combat.

“The role pets play in society has really shifted in the past couple years,” he said. “When people think of pets as children, they will do anything to fly with them. But pets should really stay at home.”

Get a daily roundup of the top reads in personal finance delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch’s free Personal Finance Daily newsletter. Sign up here.

Kari Paul is a personal finance reporter based in New York. You can follow her on Twitter @kari_paul.

We Want to
Hear from You

Join the conversation

Comment

Would you eat airplane food… at home? United Airlines is selling a COOKBOOK with 40 recipes for dishes they serve at 30,000 feet

• United Airlines is selling the Polaris Cookbook online
• It includes 40 recipes inspired by the airline’s business and first class dining 
• The airline collaborated with the Trotter Project, a nonprofit that offers culinary arts education programs

By

Carly Stern For Dailymail.com

Published:
15:13 EST, 1 January 2019

|
Updated:
09:16 EST, 2 January 2019

Airline food is rarely thought of as haute cuisine — in fact, its bad reputation is the inspiration for some of the most cliche jokes ever.

So it’s come as a surprise to quite a few foodies and frequent fliers that United Airlines would put out its very own cookbook.

Now available for $29.99 from the airline’s online shop, the United Polaris Cookbook promises to include ‘a collection of mouthwatering recipes inspired by the United Polaris onboard dining experience.’

According to the LA Times, the book was a joint effort with recipes designed by United’s executive chefs, as well as chefs from the Trotter Project, a nonprofit that provides educational programs in culinary arts and the restaurant industry.  

‘The United Polaris cookbook was created by United chefs in partnership with chefs from The Trotter Project,’ a United representative told Food Wine. 

• 
  Passenger strips NAKED and walks up and down the aisles on…

  
  Passenger satisfaction with flying falls amid frustration…

• 
  Ryanair tops the table for disruptive passengers as one in…

If your New Year’s resolution is to eat more stroopwafels, those wafer sandwich cookies with a gooey center, United Airlines has you covered.

In a tweet last week, the Chicago-based airline announced plans to add the cookie back to its snack menu this month. Its tweet received almost 2,200 likes and was retweeted about 200 times.

It was just six months ago that the airline removed the Dutch sweet from its cabin service, to the aghast of social media users who were not at all happy with news of a replacement, a maple-flavored wafer. In the Netherlands, stroopwafels are traditionally served atop a steaming cup of coffee or tea, which softens the caramel-y goodness sandwiched in between the two wafers.

United’s decision to return stroopwafels to the snack rotation has been met with cheers from many travelers on Twitter, along with suggestions to also add Garrett’s popcorn to the mix.