Alerts Sign-up
Airline passengers have long faced a choice when traveling with pets: pay a pet-in-cabin fee for small dogs or cats, which includes placing the pet underneath the seat in front and counting it as a full-sized carry-on bag, or pretend to have an emotional support animal. The latter option is free, allows passengers to bring their carry-on bag, and does not require the animal to stay in a bag underneath the seat.
Before the pandemic, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) collaborated with airlines on new regulations aimed at curbing the practice of bringing non-service animals onto flights. These regulations ostensibly limit passengers to real service animals. In practice, however, travelers need only fill out paperwork in advance claiming they have a service animal.
This requirement has reduced some abuse since individuals who brought unconventional animals like turkeys onto planes are less likely to complete such paperwork. Nonetheless, there remains a disconnect.
