Until recently, this website said the opposite. It told visitors that airlines “must consider” accommodation requests, that an ESA letter protected you from pet fees, and it named three airlines as still accepting emotional support animals. All of that was wrong, and some of it had been wrong since 2021. We've corrected it. If you bought a letter from us expecting airline access, please contact us.
What the 2021 rule did
In December 2020 the DOT issued its Traveling by Air with Service Animals final rule, effective January 11, 2021. It narrowed the ACAA definition of “service animal” to a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The Department's reasoning was direct: providing emotional support, comfort or companionship does not constitute work or a task. The rule permits, but does not require, airlines to accept ESAs. In practice, essentially all major U.S. carriers stopped.
DOT publishes the final rule.
ESAs no longer service animals under the ACAA.
U.S. airlines including Alaska, Southwest and Hawaiian end ESA acceptance.
ESAs travel as pets, under each carrier's pet policy.
Flying with your animal today
As a pet
Most airlines allow small dogs and cats in the cabin in an approved carrier under the seat, for a fee. Size and route restrictions vary, and cabin pet spaces are usually capped per flight; book early.
As a trained service dog
If a dog is individually trained to perform disability-related tasks, ACAA protections apply. Airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form; there is no fee for a qualifying service animal.
Psychiatric service dogs
Treated the same as other service dogs under the current rule — a meaningful change from the pre-2021 regime. This requires genuine task training, not documentation.
What no document changes
No letter, certificate, registration, vest or ID card creates a right to fly with an untrained animal. Anything sold as an “ESA travel certificate” is worthless for air travel.
Your options
Don't misrepresent a pet as a service animal: it's unlawful in many states, the DOT forms require attesting to training, and airlines can deny boarding. If your need is genuine, the honest routes are:
Travel with your animal as a pet, well
Small animal, right carrier, spot reserved early, direct flights where possible. Done right it's routine.
The psychiatric service dog conversation
If your disability genuinely needs trained task support in transit, the PSD path exists — training, not paperwork.
Focus your letter where it works: housing
This is where the document has real evidentiary weight, though federal enforcement narrowed in May 2026 and state law now matters most.
Common questions
Current as of August 24, 2026.
Do any airlines still accept emotional support animals?
No U.S. carrier is required to, and the major U.S. airlines ended ESA acceptance during 2021. A small number of foreign carriers maintain their own policies on some routes. Because these change, verify directly with the airline before booking; do not rely on a third-party list, including ours.
Will an ESA letter get me out of pet fees on a flight?
No. Airlines may charge standard pet fees for an emotional support animal, and they generally do.
What about Southwest, Alaska or Hawaiian?
All three ended emotional support animal acceptance in 2021. Any page telling you otherwise, including older versions of this site, is out of date.
Is a psychiatric service dog treated differently?
Yes. Under the current rule, psychiatric service dogs are treated like other service dogs, provided the dog is individually trained to perform disability-related tasks. Airlines may require DOT attestation forms.
Does my ESA letter still do anything at all?
Yes — in housing. It is the clinical evidence supporting a reasonable accommodation request. That role continues, though HUD narrowed federal enforcement in May 2026 and your state's law is now the more important factor.
Where an ESA letter actually helps
Air travel isn't it. But housing still is, and what your letter is worth now depends a great deal on your state.