Airline Requirements

French Bee, TAP Air Portugal, Air Canada, Delta, Lufthansa, and United Airlines are just a few of the many examples. Unsurprisingly, they each have their own rules, requirements, and regulations that include limitations on things like the type of breed, size, and age of the dog. For instance, when traveling with a puppy, some airlines require them to be at least eight weeks old. In the meantime, other airlines require puppies to be at least 12 weeks old. In contrast, United Airlines has no weight or breed limitations; they do require that pets be in a hard or soft carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. However, service animals can ride in the cabin without a carrier. In these cases, they are required to have their own seat.

In almost every example of an airline that permits pets to ride in the cabin, emotional support animals are excluded from service animals. They are allowed to travel only as pets. Therefore, they will only be allowed to ride in the cabin, in their own seat, if they provide some form of medical service, more than to help reduce anxiety. Yet, general pets and emotional support animals are allowed to ride in the cabin if they meet the requirements.

Emotional Support isn’t Comparable to Service

Emotional support pets offers their owners with a much-needed outlet for their anxiety, which is incredibly common, with around 25 million adults admitting to having Aerophobia. However, one thing sets emotional support animals apart from service animals. Service animals provide their owners with a “service,” usually relating to a medical condition. Additionally, when they cannot prevent a medical mishap, they’re trained to remain focused on and unwaveringly devoted to their human, making sure that help is on the way. In most cases, pets that are trained as service animals ride for free.

Though some understand the circumstances of this, it’s not surprising that some would feel as though it’s simply an excuse for pets to fly free. In 2019, a disgruntled passenger disclosed to USA TODAY that recently he’d been on a flight that posed some issues for him, namely possible safety concerns. “I love dogs and understand some people have special needs,” he further explained. “But after watching it, I’m not sure what support it provided the owner. It looked more like a free trip for the dog.”

Although everyone may not share this sentiment, there are some who would argue that perhaps consideration for passengers who might have allergies or a fear of pets also deserves to be accommodated. Sadly, there is no way to make everyone pleased. However, when traveling with pets, there are some important things you should consider that will ultimately make the travel experience more enjoyable for everyone.