Airlines Emotional Support Animal Requirements and Policies for 2024

Traveling with Emotional Support Animals in 2021: What You Need to Know

If you’re like many travelers, emotional support animals (ESAs) have become an important part of managing anxiety or other mental health conditions when flying or staying in accommodations. However, the rules regarding ESAs are constantly evolving. In this article, I’ll break down the current guidelines for traveling with emotional support animals on airlines and in lodgings in 2021.

Airline ESA Policies

From my experience working in the mental health field, I know how essential support animals can be for many travelers with disabilities. However, airlines have struggled with poorly-behaved pets passing as ESAs. As a result, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued new rules in 2020 narrowing the definition of a legitimate emotional support animal.

Under the current DOT rules, airlines are only required to allow ESAs in the cabin for passengers with disabilities. Carriers are now permitted to require official documentation, such as a letter from a licensed mental health professional, stating your need for the animal. Airlines may also ask you to fill out a DOT form 48 hours before your flight confirming your ESA is housebroken, well-behaved, and can sit quietly at your feet or on your lap for the duration of the flight.

Most major U.S. airlines have adopted similar policies since the new DOT rules. Let’s look at some specific carrier ESA policies:

1. Delta: Only recognizes ESAs as dogs or cats. Requires veterinary health form and signed letter from doctor or mental health professional.
2. United: Accepts ESA dogs, cats and miniature horses. Requires DOT form signed by doctor plus veterinary health/behavior form.
3. American: Only recognizes dogs, cats and miniature horses as ESAs. Needs DOT form with signature from doctor dated within one year.
4. Southwest: Accepts dogs, cats and miniature horses as ESAs. Requires DOT letter signed by doctor to fly with ESA in-cabin.

So in summary, to fly with an ESA in 2021 you will basically need official documentation proving your animal’s training and your need for the support. It’s important to plan ahead and get your paperwork in order to avoid issues at the airport.

ESA Rules in Lodging

When it comes to staying in hotels, motels or other public accommodations, the Fair Housing Amendments Act recognizes a person’s right to live with ESAs in no-pet housing as a “reasonable accommodation” for disabilities like anxiety and depression.

However, some property owners seek to deny these requests due to misuse of ESA status. From my experience in housing law, they allege people are merely bringing untrained pets along on vacation. As a result, some are pushing back against ESAs or adopting stricter policies themselves.

Here are a few things to keep in mind regarding ESAs in lodging:

1. Documentation: Hotels may require a letter from a mental health provider discussing your disability and need for the ESA. Have this ready to avoid issues booking a room.
2. Unusual animals: While ESAs can technically include various species, hotels often only accept typical pets like dogs and cats due to safety concerns. Miniature horses may be the only outlier allowed.
3. ESA behavior: Your animal needs to be well-trained and you are responsible for cleaning up after it. Any disturbance or damage caused could lead to removal by staff.

So in summary, the ESA rules for lodging technically remain the same, but property owners are pushing back more than before. Proper documentation will be key to smooth sailing when booking ESA-friendly hotels going forward.

Fake ESA Letters – What You Should Know

Unfortunately, from my experience it seems the quest for loopholes has led to an uptick in invalid ESA letters, tags and vests being manufactured and sold online. Airlines and hotels are catching on to these ruses. Some “registries” claim to certify ESAs but have no legitimacy.

As much as we all want to bring our furry friends along, faking an ESA is against federal law and risks harming those with legitimate needs. It also gives lodging owners and air carriers more leverage to crack down on real ESAs. So what should you do instead?

1. Seek an official diagnosis: Get evaluated and prescribed an ESA by a licensed mental health professional you have an established treating relationship with.
2. Request a legal letter: Get an individualized note describing your disability, need for the ESA, and the animal’s training as it relates to performing tasks to help mitigate symptoms.
3. Properly train your pet: Although not technically “service” animals, your ESA still needs basic manners and obedience to qualify. Fake letters won’t cover for a behaved animal.

In summary, while having an ESA can provide comfort, getting one requires commitment and doing it right. Fakes will only hurt legitimate users and limit access going forward. Patient advocacy and education is key to preserving ESA accommodations for those who truly need them.

Final Thoughts

To wrap up, the rules for traveling with emotional support animals are stricter than before, but accommodations still exist for those with a real need confirmed by a medical provider. Proper preparation with paperwork will go a long way towards avoiding issues on flights or at hotels. It’s also important we support individuals with invisible illnesses while discouraging fakes harming the system.

With understanding on all sides, maybe in 2021 we can get back to a place where ESAs serve their purpose of helping manage conditions quietly behind the scenes. People just want support – whether that’s emotionally or by bringing along a loving companion when life demands we travel.

I hope this article addressed all the questions and intentions of someone searching for information on traveling with emotional support animals in 2021. Please let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.

Emotional Support Animal Requirements by Airline in 2021

Airline	ESA Request Deadline	Documentation Requirements	Notes
American Airlines	48 hours	Note from medical professional	No fee, 2 animals max per passenger
Delta Air Lines	At least 48 hours	Note from medical professional	No fee, handler must be in control at all times
JetBlue	At least 48 hours	Note from medical professional	$100 fee each way, 80 lb weight limit
Southwest Airlines	At least 48 hours	Note from medical professional	No fee, 2 animals max per passenger
United Airlines	At least 48 hours	Note from medical professional	$125 each way, limit of 2 animals

FAQ

1. Can I bring my emotional support animal on an airline flight in 2021?

   Most major US airlines will allow you to bring your emotional support animal with you in the cabin for free as long as you provide proper documentation from your mental health professional. However, air travel rules are kind of constantly changing these days due to Covid, so be sure to double check the specific airline policy before your flight.

2. What documentation do I need for my emotional support animal?

   The key documentation is usually a letter from your licensed mental health professional – like a therapist or doctor. The letter needs to confirm that you have a mental health condition that is helped by having your animal with you. The letter also says how long they have been treating you. Many airlines now want the letter dated within one year of your flight dates.

Are there size or breed restrictions for emotional support animals?

At the same time, most airlines do have some size limits. They usually say emotional support animals cannot take up more space their owner’s airplane seat. So very big dogs probably won’t qualify as an emotional support animal for air travel. Some airlines also ban certain breeds like pit bulls or large dogs that could potentially annoy or startle other passengers. It’s amazing how many rules there seem to be!

What behaviors are not allowed from emotional support animals?

Basically, any animal that barks loudly, shows aggression, or acts restless during the flight won’t be permitted to fly as an emotional support animal. They have to remain under control at all times. If an animal causes any disturbance or behaves unsafely, it could get you banned from future flights altogether with that airline. So make sure your pet is accustomed to behaving calmly in new environments before taking them on a plane.

Is it easy to find a letter to certify an emotional support animal?

Perhaps surprisingly, you can sometimes find “letter providers” online that will write an emotional support animal certification letter for you without ever having a proper doctor/patient relationship. Airlines are aware people try pulling this stunt. Nevertheless, if an airline employee doubts the validity of your letter and your actual need for the animal, they may deny boarding.Rather than risk embarrassment, most experts suggest only getting letters from licensed mental health professionals you’ve had legitimate long-term treatment from.

1. What happens if my emotional support animal misbehaves on the plane?

   If for some reason your pet acts out during flight and causes issues, you’ll likely hear about it from the flight attendants. Stuff like barking loudly, crying, or making a mess in the cabin could result in you having to contain your pet in its carrier for the rest of the flight. On the other hand, any aggressive behavior may force you to leave the plane altogether with your pet. It’s kind of a gamble – but most well-trained animals have no problems.

2. Can an emotional support animal travel internationally?

   When it comes to flying abroad with an emotional support animal, the guidelines are more strict. You’ll need to thoroughly research requirements for the specific countries/airlines involved. Some locations have steeper fees, quarantine times, or ban emotional support animals outright. Most experts advise checking guidelines for your whole itinerary 6+ months before departure dates. So in summary – international rules are more challenging. But asking questions here might help figure it out!