Airlines are cracking down on emotional support animals on flights left and right as more passengers try to circumvent the rules. The news is full of stories of emotional support ducks, emotional support turkeys, and more outlandish critters that probably don't lend much support, emotional or otherwise.
But this one takes the cake. Popeye's, the beloved fried chicken fast food chain, is selling Emotional Support Chicken meals at the Philadelphia (PHL) airport. And of course, it's packaged in a chicken-like box.
The box itself reads: This chicken provides comfort and nourishment during stressful air travel. Unlike other chicken, it is marinated in real Louisiana spices for 12 hours and must be permitted to fly without restriction. Do not leave unattended, as Popeyes is not responsible for lost or stolen chicken.
The three-piece chicken tender combo sells for $8.49 at the Popeyes in PHL's Terminal C. These emotional support tenders are available for a limited time only after going on sale on Tuesday.
“We know holiday travel can be frustrating, and there's no better way to ease stress than with a box of delicious Popeyes fried chicken and a good laugh,” Hope Diaz, the company's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “The good news is that our emotional support chicken is permitted to fly without any restrictions.”
Popeyes is right: Getting fried chicken on a plane should be no problem – even if your neighbor may not love the smell.
The major U.S. airlines have all tightened restrictions to stop travelers from abusing the rules. Delta recently went a step farther, banning emotional support animals under four months old and from all flights longer than eight hours.
Bottom Line
I don't know about you, but Popeyes is exactly the kind of emotional support I need sometimes. Kudos to Popeyes for having some fun with this promotion.