Allegiant Pet Policy: Emotional Support Animals and Airline Travel | ESARA
Allegiant Air supports passengers and their Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and welcomes them aboard their airline. Owners and their ESA pets must comply with the airline’s policies to fly on Allegiant Air. Emotional support animals who comply will not have to pay pet fees.
To keep your pet in cabin and make your scheduled departure, follow each aspect of the Allegiant airline pet policy.
Allegiant Air ESA Travel Policies
What Type of Animals Are Allowed?
Unlike a service dog, an emotional support animal can be any animal, from hamsters to miniature horses. While most pets will be a dog or a cat, owners should contact their airlines’ customer care with questions about bringing unconventional pets on a flight.
Emotional Support Animals vs. Service Animals
An emotional support animal provides companionship and comfort for its emotionally distressed owner. A trained service dog, or service animal, helps those with physical and cognitive disabilities.
A service dog must undergo specialized training to perform manual tasks that its owner cannot. For this reason, trained service animals have protections under federal law to be allowed on all airlines. However, most airlines that allow trained service animals do not allow ESAs because they do not see the latter as “necessary” companions to their owners.
ESA Letter
To be considered an ESA, handlers must have the proper documentation. This documentation is typically in the form of a letter from a mental health professional. The letter must be dated no more than one year before the travel date and must be provided to Allegiant Air at least 48 hours prior to scheduled departure.
The letter must state:
The medical professional’s medical license number, state, and date of issue;
That you are under this professional’s care;
That you have a psychiatric impairment;
Your ESA is essential for either the flight itself or activities at your destination due to the impairment.
Keep hard copies of this document while you travel. You don’t want to have to scramble through your email and photos for ESA letter proof less than 45 minutes prior or even 1 hour prior to your flight.
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Destination Warnings
Before booking your flight, please look at any rules and regulations for ESAs and animals at your destination. When you fly as a passenger on airlines like Allegiant Air, you must remain up to date on the airline information and your destination’s policies.
While most of the United States has uniform rules, there are slight variations among airports and states. If your travel takes you to foreign destinations, note that not all countries recognize ESAs and may have significant health and/or quarantine requirements.
You may also be subject to animal import rules when returning to the United States. Be sure to check before booking!
ESA Reservations
To add your ESA to your airline reservation, you may call to book with a customer service agent. Qualifying passengers with some form of psychiatric disability will not have to pay fees.
To add your ESA to your passenger reservation online, log in to your flight reservation and select the “Travel with Pets” option below the passenger name input section. You may not be able to choose a seat in exit rows or a seat in the rows before or after an exit row.
Call: 1(702) 505-8888
Emotional Support Animal Behavior Requirements
Obedience Training
A tip for traveling with pets in the cabin: animals must be able to demonstrate obedience. The animals Allegiant commonly boards, such as cats and dogs, are easy to train. Dogs in particular. For this reason, a dog may be leashed rather than caged.
However, a pet such as a rodent or bird must be caged when taken in the cabin on flights. On flights of over two hours, you must demonstrate that the dog or other ESA will not be a bother to other passengers in the cabin.
Basic Commands
Dogs should understand basic commands like heel, come, sit, stay, and leave it. This requirement is both for your ESA’s safety and everyone else on your flights.
You shouldn’t wait until 48 hours (or 45 minutes) before your Allegiant flight to ensure your pet understands basic commands.
Keep to Themselves
While a service dog will have the training to keep to itself while “working,” ESAs have no training requirement for certification. That means it’s up to you to get your ESA to the service dog gold standard of obedience for your Allegiant flight.
ESAs should not interfere with safe passage through the airplane’s aisle, nor should your ESA interfere with any passengers seated near you. Everyone wants their foot space — don’t let your pet settle down where feet should be!
Potty Control
ESAs that relieve themselves outside designated areas may be removed from the plane or the airport. Crates must also be leak proof, and all pets must be well potty trained.
Your pet may bring out your soft-sided nature, but remember, Allegiant has no tolerance for unpermitted potty breaks while in flight.
ESA Stowage Policies
If you crate your ESA, you must place them in an airline-approved carrier under the seat in front of you. During takeoffs and landings, safely stowe the carrier.
When deciding whether to use a carrier to transport your ESA, consider your ESA’s behavior and personality. If your ESA gets anxious around other people or in new situations, it should not travel unless safely crated. Crating ensures the safety and security of fellow passengers and your ESA itself.
Carrier Size
If you use a carrier, note that the carrier should be large enough for the ESA to stand up and turn around inside, and it must also be limited to no larger than 9″ H x 16″ W x 19″ D.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can emotional support dogs fly free on Allegiant Air?
If you can demonstrate some form of psychiatric impairment, then yes, your ESA can fly free on Allegiant air. Your pet is important to you, so they’re important to Allegiant too.
Do I have to stow my ESA in a cage?
To get past the ticket counter or gate counter with your pet, they must either be leashed or in a pet carrier. Only one ESA per pet carrier is allowed. Any more pets per carrier will not be allowed on most airlines.
What documentation do I need?
Do you need a responsibility form, health certificate, or veterinary health form? Answer: none of the above. Dogs and cats and whatever other emotional support animal you have must only have an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional.
Airport Pet Relief Areas
Once at the airport, it is vital to know the available animal accommodations. Airports may have designated “pet relief areas” where you can take your ESA to relieve itself. While these areas are not under Allegiant’s direct control, the helpful Allegiant Air staff can direct you to the nearest pet relief area.
Find a U.S. Airport Pet Relief Center
These are the basic guidelines. Be sure to contact an Allegiant representative if you have further concerns or questions.
Allegiant Air Contact Information
Call: 1(702) 505-8888