For an emotional support animal to accompany you on the flights during travel, it is a requirement by ESA to register that dog first before carrying him around legally. The Americans Disability Act provides the rights to the owners of emotional support animals who feel difficulty in their day to day activities due to physical or psychological disability; but before flying with your ESA, it’s important to know every airline’s policy before booking travel.
Travelling or flying with ESA Requirements
There are lots of airlines in America who have different rules regarding allowing emotional support animals to accompany a traveler. Let us take an overview of the policies of ESA regarding carrying the emotional support dog. Some places like Hawaii or Alaska needs you to quarantine the service animals upon arrival at the airport, the foreign governments have their own rules and laws regarding the arrival of animals, and you have to follow them. Different airlines have different rules in different regions of United States; some aircrafts have small cabins or space to accommodate the service animals, in that case, the handlers should make them sit on their lap easily.
Another important thing to remember is the documentation which must be shown to the authorities before the flight; at least before 48 hours of flight, the documents that state the address and jurisdiction of the health professional (the license number is also recommended) who approved of the patient’s use of an ESA. These documents provide proof that that traveler has an apparent physical or mental disability and they are under treatment of a medical doctor or health professional. ESA is required to accommodate the need for a service animal to travel with him or her.
Read the Airline Rules
Some airlines do not provide much information or clear state their rules on their official websites regarding flying with ESA requirements. In that case, it is the duty and responsibility of the handler to read and understand the Airline Pet Policies of a particular airline. Many specials of animals are dangerous during flights including the abnormally behaving dogs; they are not supposed to be allowed during the flight to save the lives of other passengers. But some airlines do not mention it on the website and handlers assume that the information on the website is complete.
The travelers must check with the airline officials in person before deciding to travel with their service animals. That way they can be better able to understand their policies and respect other passenger’s feelings. In some airlines, there is no charge applicable for ESA (emotional support animal) to travel with the handler; they can sit on the floor and move freely on the cabin if possible.
Delta Airline company is strict in this matter; they do not allow the company or ESA on their planes no matter what the documentation states. They strictly disallow the company of hedgehogs, insects, ferrets, snakes, rodents and sugar gliders. Birds that are dangerous (non-household) are also not allowed by the Delta Airlines during travel.
