On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation appear new rules that give airlines the option to no longer recognize emotional support animals. These rules went into effect on January 11, 2021. As a upshot, U.S. airlines are no longer accepting emotional back up animals on flights.

If you currently have an emotional support animate being, the ESA must meet the airline'due south requirements for normal pets, and a pet fee will exist assessed each manner. That ways that only smaller pets that can fit into a carrier can board the cabin. However, all psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are nevertheless welcome to board the cabin free of charge, even if they are larger in size.

Psychiatric service dogs are like emotional support animals trained to provide a task or service to an individual with a mental or emotional health disability. Here are a few examples of tasks that psychiatric service dogs provide to their handlers:

  • Licking or nose nudging handler for tactile stimulation
  • Providing deep pressure touch to at-home handler
  • Nudging handler during freezing behavior to rouse handler from a dissociative land or fear paralysis
  • Interrupting and redirecting handler from self-subversive actions
  • Grounding and reorienting handler during an feet assault
  • Waking up their handler for work or school
  • Reminding handler to have medication

It is possible to train an emotional back up animal to become a psychiatric service canis familiaris if you demand a inability-related task performed by a dog. The grooming tin can take some effort, and not all dogs are suited to being PSDs, merely for some people, the assistance from a PSD can exist well worth the delivery.

If you lot are interested in qualifying for a psychiatric service canis familiaris, a licensed therapist or another healthcare provider tin can evaluate whether y'all come across the criteria for owning a service canis familiaris nether the ADA and Air Carrier Access Act. If y'all qualify, they tin result a signed PSD alphabetic character to plant you lot accept a qualifying status.

If you demand a Psychiatric Service Canis familiaris Letter, nosotros would be happy to connect with you with a licensed healthcare provider specializing in assistance animals.

PSD Letter
Become your Psychiatric Service Dog Letter

Please follow this guide for helpful information on how to fly with a psychiatric service domestic dog.

For airline specific information on flight with a psychiatric service dog or pet, click on the links below:

  • Delta
  • American Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines
  • JetBlue
  • United Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Spirit Airlines

IMPORTANT Notice: The information below pertains to emotional back up animals and is no longer accurate. ESAs are no longer accepted on U.Due south. flights. This information is retained simply for archival purposes. Please consult with your airline for the latest on their assistance animate being policies.

American Airlines

American Airlines acknowledges the needs of an individual who requires an emotional back up animal or psychiatric service animal. The company requires supporting documents to facilitate the asking, such every bit an ESA travel letter of the alphabet issued within the year of travel.

The documentation must come from a licensed mental wellness professional or a medical md, with the following details as per the American Airlines site.

  • That you have a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • That you need the emotional back up or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at your destination
  • That the individual providing the cess is a licensed mental wellness professional or medical medico
  • The date and type of the mental health professional or medical physician's license and the state or other jurisdiction where it was issued

The documentation should be given to the airline at least 48 hours before the scheduled flying or else the emotional support creature would accept to be checked into a kennel in the compartment during the flight.

Flying with an ESA on American Airlines

  1. But one ESA or psychiatric service animal per rider.
  2. The emotional support fauna must be clean and well behaved.
  3. American Airlines only accepts the following emotional support animals:
    • Emotional Support Dogs
    • Emotional Support Cats
    • Miniature Horses
  4. ESA must be fit at your feet, nether the seat, or on your lap.
  5. If you choose to put the animal in a kennel, it must fit under the seat in front of you.
  6. ESA'south cannot sit in the go out rows, block aisles, consume from tray tables, or occupy a seat.

American Airlines Emotional Support Animate being Forms

American Airlines - Emotional Support Animal Form - Download Here - ESADoctors.com

You lot must consummate and submit iii boosted forms when traveling with your ESA on American Airlines. You can download the American Airlines ESA forms hither.

  1. Medical / Mental Wellness Professional person Form
  2. Veterinary Health Form, or vaccination record with current rabies vaccination information
  3. Confirmation of Animal Behavior Form

How to submit your ESA Forms

You must submit your American Airlines ESA forms along with your ESA alphabetic character at to the lowest degree 48 hours before your departure.

  1. Yous can submit your American Airlines ESA forms by electronic mail directed to sac@aa.com
  2. You can submit your forms via fax: 817-967-4715

Forms for flights over viii hours

If your flight is over 8 hours, American Airlines requires an additional grade chosen the Animal Sanitation Form for your ESA. Yous tin download the Animate being Sanitation Course hither.

U.S. airlines no longer take emotional support animals. However, if you have a psychiatric service canis familiaris, yous tin can still wing in the cabin without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If y'all need a PSD alphabetic character from a licensed healthcare professional, you tin can get started today at the link beneath.

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines recommends an early notification about traveling with animals when booking reservations and you tin can already request for a seat assignment while doing and then.  The animal, nonetheless, will be required to stay on the floor beside the individual's seat. As stated in the company's site, "No animals are allowed to occupy seats that are designed for passengers." If y'all would like to speak with a Delta employee you can call 404-209-3434.

The airline expects the emotional support brute to be well-behaved and will need documentation from the individual before travel. Specifically, the letter must take the following, per thevisitor site:

  • Championship, license number and jurisdiction (country/country it was issued), telephone number, and signature of mental health professional.
  • The passenger has a mental health related disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Transmission – 4th Edition.
  • That the passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service fauna as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger'southward destination.
  • That the person listed in the alphabetic character is under the care of the assessing physician or mental health professional.

Delta Airlines can consider a digital letter (ESADoctors.com provides this to clients) saved on a device, as long as this has the information above.

Flying with an ESA on Delta Airlines

  1. One emotional support animal per passenger.
  2. ESA must fit in the "footprint" of the passenger's seat.
  3. Creature must sit down on the flooring or on the passengers lap.
  4. Animal cannot sit down in the exit rows, block aisles, eat off of tray tables, or sit in a seat.

Delta Emotional Support Animal Forms

Delta requires that yousubmit 3 additional ESA forms when traveling with your ESA on Delta Airlines. Yous tin can download the Delta ESA forms here.

  1. Veterinarian Wellness Course
  2. Medical / Mental Wellness Professional Form
  3. Confirmation of Beast Training Class

How to submit your ESA Forms

You must submit your Delta Airlines ESA forms forth with your ESA letter of the alphabet at least 48 hours before your departure. A digital copy of your ESA letter of the alphabet is acceptable.

  1. Y'all can submit your forms via the Delta My Trips portal here.
  2. For assistance with the course, you tin can call the accessibility assistance line at 404-209-3434.

U.S. airlines no longer accept emotional support animals. Withal, if you have a psychiatric service canis familiaris, you can nevertheless fly in the cabin without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If you need a PSD letter from a licensed healthcare professional person, y'all can get started today at the link below.

JetBlue Airlines

As with other airlines, JetBlue's requirements for ESA travel is a documentation that has the following, per the visitorwebsite:

  • The client has a mental wellness-related disability.
  • The animal accompanying the customer is necessary to the customer'south mental health.
  • The number and type of brute(s)
  • The individual providing the assessment of the customer is a licensed mental wellness professional person or physician and the client is under his or her professional care.
  • The mental health professional's or dr.'s license number OR the type of license, the issue date and the country or other jurisdiction in which it was issued

The letter must also not be over i year old from date of travel and it must accompany the JetBlue ESA Forms  found hither.

You must submit your completed forms 48 hours prior to departure hither.

Flying with an ESA on JetBlue

  1. Add your ESA to your reservation past calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) or when making booking your ticket online.
  2. Y'all must notify JetBlue no afterwards than 48 hours prior to your divergence.
  3. JetBlue only accepts the post-obit animals as emotional back up animals:
    • Emotional Support Dogs
    • Emotional Support Cats
    • Miniature Horses
  4. Emotional back up animals must remain on the floor or if it fits; on the passengers lap.
  5. Your brute must exist clean and well behaved.
  6. Animals are not allowed on the seats, ever.

JetBlue Emotional Support Animal Forms

JetBlue requires you to complete and submit 3 additional forms when flight with your emotional support animal on JetBlue Airlines. You can download the JetBlue ESA course here.

  1. Medical/Mental Health Professional Form
  2. Veterinary Health Class
  3. Customer Confirmation of Animal Behavior

If you lot are traveling internationally with your ESA come across here.

How to submit your ESA Forms

You must submit your JetBlue Airlines ESA forms along with your ESA alphabetic character at least 48 hours earlier your departure.

  1. You can submit your JetBlue forms here .
  2. For help with your forms or questions nearly a Special Service Request, contact JetBlue at i-800-JETBLUE (538-2583).

U.S. airlines no longer accept emotional support animals. Notwithstanding, if you lot accept a psychiatric service domestic dog, yous can still fly in the cabin without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If you demand a PSD letter of the alphabet from a licensed healthcare professional, you can go started today at the link below.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines allow for travel of emotional back up animals inside the cabin, except for destinations to Jamaica. The company likewise needs a travel letter of the alphabet from a licensed mental wellness doctor with the post-obit details, equally stated on the Southwest Airlines documentation guidelines:

  • The rider has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM 4)
  • The rider needs the emotional back up or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activeness at the passenger'due south destination
  • The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional person, and the passenger is under his or her professional person care
  • The date and type of the mental health professional's or medical doctor's license and the state or other jurisdiction in which information technology was issued.

Flying with an ESA on Southwest

  1. The ESA must be an emotional support dog or true cat.
  2. I emotional support beast per passenger.
  3. Creature must either be in a kennel or on leash at all times.
  4. Brute must be clean and well behaved.
  5. ESA cannot cake the aisles or sit in the emergency exit rows.

Southwest Emotional Back up Beast Forms

Equally of August 2019, Southwest does not require boosted forms for flying with an emotional support dog or cat. Only an ESA letter of the alphabet dated inside ane year from a licensed mental health professional person is required at this fourth dimension.

U.S. airlines no longer accept emotional support animals. However, if y'all accept a psychiatric service dog, you tin can withal fly in the cabin without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If you need a PSD letter of the alphabet from a licensed healthcare professional, you can go started today at the link below.

United Airlines

Flying with an Emotional Support Animal on United Airlines requires documentation similar to other companies. Even so, the airline has some rules as to where the brute should be within the aircraft'due south cabin. Specifically, "an animal should sit at the customer's feet without protruding into the aisles to comply with safety regulations. Customers may elect to utilize an canonical in-cabin kennel for smaller animals. Leave row seating is prohibited," equally per the website.

United Airlines requires that the travel documents and other organisation must exist provided at to the lowest degree 48-hours before the flying.

Flying with an ESA on United Airlines

  1. Emotional support creature must be seated in the flooring space beneath the seat.
  2. Animal must not extend into the aisles.
  3. Animal must be well behaved and follow their owner's directions.

United Airlines Emotional Support Animal Forms

United Airlines - Emotional Support Animal Form - Download Here - ESADoctors.com

United Airlines requires an ESA letter of the alphabet andiii additional forms when traveling with your ESA on American Airlines. You tin download the United Airlines ESA forms here.

  1. Medical / Mental Health Professional Class
  2. Passenger Confirmation of Liability and Emotional Support/Psychiatric Service Brute Beliefs Form
  3. Veterinarian Health Course

How to submit your ESA Forms to United Airlines

You must submit your iii United Airlines ESA forms along with your ESA letter at least 48 hours before your departure.

  1. Y'all cansubmit your United forms hither .
  2. If y'all take questions about your United ESA forms y'all may contact the United Accessibility Desk at 1-800-228-2744.

U.S. airlines no longer accept emotional support animals. However, if you lot have a psychiatric service canis familiaris, you tin still fly in the cabin without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If you lot need a PSD letter from a licensed healthcare professional, you can get started today at the link below.

Alaska Air

Alaska Airline's ESA policy for travelers with emotional back up animals is standard and equally with the residuum, the ESA letter should exist issued not more than a year before traveling. It must likewise exist written by a licensed medical professional, equally posted onAlaska Airline'southward site.

The documentation must ascertain that:

  • That the guest has a mental health-related disability; and
  • That having the fauna back-trail the guest is necessary for the invitee'southward mental health, treatment, or to assistance the guest (with his or her disability); and
  • That the individual providing the cess of the guest is a licensed mental health professional; and
  • That the guest is under the professional care of the private providing the documentation.

Alaska Airlines Emotional Support Brute Forms

Alaska Airlines requires an ESA alphabetic character and3 additional forms when traveling with your ESA on American Airlines. You can download the Alaska Airlines ESA forms hither.

  1. Beast Health Advisory Course
  2. Guest Confirmation of Liability and ESA Behavior Form
  3. Mental Health Professional person Form

How to submit your ESA Forms to Alaska Airlines

  1. All completed and signed documents tin be emailed to support.animal@alaskaair.com
  2. You may fax the completed Alaska forms to 206-392-2804.

U.Due south. airlines no longer take emotional support animals. Still, if you have a psychiatric service dog, you tin can still fly in the motel without fees and exempt from pet restrictions. If you need a PSD letter from a licensed healthcare professional, you can go started today at the link beneath.

Disclaimer: Our content is intended to exist used and must be used for informational purposes just. Policies can modify and companies tin can alter their rules and regulations. It is very important to do your own assay and enquiry before booking any flights.