Hawaiian Airlines ESA Travel Policies | ESARA
Hawaiian Airlines welcomes passengers and their Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) aboard their aircraft. All passengers with ESAs must comply with Hawaiian Airlines as well as federal rules and restrictions. For ESAs that qualify, and with the proper documentation, they will not be subject to the pet fee.
Hawaiian Airlines ESA Travel Policies
The first thing you need to comply with Hawaiian Airlines’ regulations is an ESA letter. You must have one dated no more than 1 year prior to travel and supplied to Hawaiian Airlines no less than 48 hours prior to travel. This letter must be typed on official letterhead from your mental health professional or medical doctor and must state the following:
- The medical or mental health professional’s medical license number, state, and date of issue
- You are under this professional’s care
- You have a mental health related disability (in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM IV))
- Your ESA is required for either the flight itself or activities at your destination, due to said mental health related disability
Keep a copy with you, in case any questions arise at the airport. We recommend keeping this travel letter up to date at all times to comply with regulations, should you ever require last minute travel.
Additional documentation may be necessary under certain conditions, such as long flights or flights to certain destinations. If your flight is 8 hours or more in duration, you will be required to provide additional documentation to assure Hawaiian Airlines that your ESA will not relieve itself in an inappropriate place or manner due to the longer length of the flight. Although Hawaii is a domestic destination, it has special rules to protect its rabies-free status. Please contact the state of Hawaii prior to travel to ensure all requirements for vaccinations and possible quarantine can be met. Regardless of the destination, ESA handlers should be sure to check all requirements prior to purchasing a ticket.
ESA Animal Restrictions
When planning your travel with your ESA, you must be aware of specific animal restrictions on Hawaiian Airlines. The following animals are not allowed on board the aircraft for any reason: peacocks, ferrets, rodents (e.g., guinea pigs, mice, rats, etc.), spiders, mosquitoes, reptiles (e.g., snakes, turtles, etc.) or live fish. If your ESA is an unusual species that does not appear on that list, please contact Hawaiian Airlines prior to purchasing your ticket to determine any additional policy in place that could affect you.
ESA Stowage Policies
When choosing your seating, consider your ESA. ESAs are not permitted on seats at any time. They may be in a carrier beneath the seat in front of you, or in the area near your feet, in your seat’s footprint. If your ESA is large and does not fit there comfortably and safely, they will do their best to accommodate you. You can also purchase 2 adjacent seats if you anticipate this may be a problem. Note that ESAs must not obstruct aisles and cannot be seated in an exit row.
Although it is not a requirement that your ESA is crated, it is an option. When deciding whether to use a carrier to transport your ESA, consider your ESA’s behavior and personality. ESAs that are overly fearful or shy in new situations or around other people should not travel unless safely crated, both for the safety and security of fellow passengers and your ESA itself. If you want them to be crated, they must be in an airline approved carrier under the seat in front of you.
ESA Behavior and Boarding
On the day of travel, you must check-in no less than 1 hour before the normal check-in time for that flight. Hawaiian Airlines will not hesitate to remove an animal from a flight (or prevent it from boarding) if that animal poses a threat to employees, other passengers, or property.
Specifically, they do not allow the following behaviors:
- Running freely around an aircraft or airport
- Growling repeatedly at other people
- Biting or jumping on people (other than on the handler and only as trained for a health alert)
- Urinating or defecating in undesignated areas like the gate, the airport, or the cabin
If your ESA causes any damages, you will be financially liable. Additionally, if an employee considers your ESA to be a direct threat to the health and safety of others, or if your ESA causes a severe disruption not easily mitigated without a flight delay, your ESA will also be removed.
Your ESA should always be well-behaved when in public, and your ESA should always be leashed or in a carrier. You may consider basic obedience training before traveling to give you extra assurance that your ESA will always be under your command. Your ESA should understand basic commands like heel, come, sit, stay, and leave it. This is both for your ESA’s safety and everyone else around you. Never leave your ESA unattended.
Passenger Courtesy
Remember that not everyone may be familiar or comfortable around animals. Other passengers may be drawn to your animal. Although seeing an animal at the airport may be fun distraction for passengers, remember that your ESA’s comfort and safety are of the utmost importance and you are under no obligation to let anyone else touch or pet your ESA! ESA vests can help as some people recognize that animals should not be petted by strangers when they are “on the job”.
Airport Pet Relief Areas
When planning your travel with your ESA, you must be aware of specific animal restrictions on Hawaiian Airlines. The following animals are not allowed on board the aircraft for any reason: peacocks, ferrets, rodents (e.g., guinea pigs, mice, rats, etc.), spiders, mosquitoes, reptiles (e.g., snakes, turtles, etc.) or live fish. If your ESA is an unusual species that does not appear on that list, please contact Hawaiian Airlines prior to purchasing your ticket to determine any additional policy in place that could affect you.
Find a U.S. Airport Pet Relief Center
These are the basic guidelines. Be sure to contact Hawaiian Airlines if you have further concerns or questions.