Traveling with Your Psychiatric Service Dog
Flying with a Service Dog
Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in the United States, a service animal is defined as a dog, regardless of breed, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified person with a disability, including physical, sensory, intellectual or other mental disabilities. This law allows you to bring your service animal into the cabin of the aircraft without incurring extra fees.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals must be specially trained to assist individuals in managing their disabilities and reducing the challenges associated with their conditions. The ADA protects these animals, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access and are not subjected to discrimination.
Linking Your Service Animal to Your Airline Reservation
Each airline has its own process for associating your service animal with your reservation. Paws on Planes provides assistance with completing these forms and ensures you correctly link them to your reservation. This facilitates a smooth check-in process, allowing airline representatives to view all necessary service dog information.
Booking Your Flight:
Selecting your seat on the plane is critical:
- Larger service dogs should sit in the bulkhead window seat to provide more floor space at your feet.
- Bulkhead seats are located in the first row of either first class or economy.
- Your dog should sit in the floor space in front of your seat and must not occupy the aisle or interfere with adjacent passengers. Service dogs cannot occupy an empty seat and must remain on the floor.
- However, you can purchase an additional ticket to have more floor space for your service dog.
- You are allowed to have your dog on your lap if the dog is small enough and this does not impede safety regulations.
You cannot sit in an exit row with a service dog. - Using a pet carrier is optional but must meet the airline’s size requirements. If using a kennel, it must fit under the seat in front of you, meaning the bulkhead seat is not available for kennel use.
Bulkhead seats are available when you book your ticket in advance. If you are unable to secure one during your initial booking, ask an airline agent at the airport. If available, they may help move you to two open seats next to each other. While not guaranteed, it's worth asking.
Airline-Specific Travel Guides:
Traveling with a Psychiatric Service Dog is made effortless with our comprehensive, airline-specific guides for major carriers such as United, Delta, American, Southwest, and Alaska. Each guide is meticulously crafted to provide detailed information on restrictions, guidelines, and procedures.
From understanding pet policies to navigating check-in processes and in-flight accommodations, our guides ensure you are fully prepared for a smooth, stress-free journey. These resources are designed to complement our personalized call consultations, offering clarity and confidence when traveling with your service dog.
How I Assist with Your First Trip:
Reservation Assistance:
We will personally guide you through the process of linking your service dog to your reservation online. Ensuring you properly fill out and link the required DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form with your reservation. We will also discuss optimal seating options for you and your service animal. Recommending a bulkhead seat for larger dogs to ensure extra legroom.
Airport-Specific Training:
We’ll review training tips specific to airports and prepare your service dog for first-time travel. We will also provide information on airport pet relief areas and review training tips for first-time air travel. Traveling by air with your service dog for the first time can be daunting, especially since you cannot replicate an air travel experience in training. While it’s hard to fully anticipate how your service animal might react in a busy terminal or on a plane, our tips can help ease the experience.
Service Dog Travel Kit:
We’ll assemble a travel kit with all necessary supplies for a comfortable and well-prepared journey. We highly recommend having a designated service dog harness or vest when traveling. Though not required by the ADA, using a service dog harness or vest can help distinguish your service dog from regular pets and streamline the travel experience.