At the airport
- If your animal needs to relieve itself, please ask an airport or airline professional for the location of the nearest service animal relief areas.
Onboard the aircraft
- Your animal must be permitted to accompany you in the space under the seat in front of you.
- Certain small animals may be permitted to sit on your lap, if it can be done so safely.
- Your animal cannot block a space that must remain unobstructed for safety reasons (ex. an aisle or access to an emergency exit).
- An airline is not required to upgrade you to a different class of service to accommodate your animal.
- Airlines cannot refuse to allow your animal onboard because it makes other passengers or flight crew uncomfortable.
- Your animal must behave properly. An animal that engages in disruptive behavior (ex. barking or snarling, running around, and/or jumping onto other passengers, etc. without being provoked) will not be accepted as a service animal.
- For a flight that is scheduled for eight hours or longer, airlines may require documentation stating that your animal will not need to relieve itself, or can do so in a sanitary way.
Traveling outside of the United States?
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re planning to fly outside of the United States with your service animal.
- Foreign airlines operating to and from the United States are only required to accept dogs.
- U.S. airlines traveling to foreign countries are subject to the requirements of that foreign country regarding acceptance of service animals; not all countries permit service animals from other foreign countries.
- Check to ensure whether your destination country permits your animal and any other requirements to enter and exit legally.
Encounter A Problem?
- If you believe your rights under the Air Carrier Access Act are being or have been violated, ask to speak with a Complaints Resolution Official (CRO). A CRO is the airline’s expert on disability accommodation issues. Airlines are required to make one available to you, at no cost, in person at the airport or by telephone during the times they are operating.