Alaska Airlines Announces New Rules for Emotional Support Animals
Alaska Airlines Announces New Rules for Emotional Support Animals
On Thursday, Alaska Airlines announced new rules regarding people flying with emotional support animals on Alaska Airlines flights. The new rules are scheduled to take effect for tickets purchased on or after May 1, 2018. The change in policy does not impact traditional service animals, but only focuses on those used for emotional support.
The new requirements will require passengers flying with an emotional support animal to provide complete documentation 48 hours before departure. The forms must be with the passenger for the entirety of the travel.
The new rules are highlighted below and can be found on the Alaska Airlines website:
Emotional support / psychiatric service animals assist those with emotional, psychiatric, cognitive or psychological disabilities.
You may travel with an emotional/psychiatric support animal in the cabin if you are a qualified individual with a disability and certain documentation requirements are met.
You must provide Alaska Airlines the following completed documentation at least 48 hours before departure, and keep the completed forms with you for the entire journey.
- Animal health advisory form
- Guest should have a certified copy of the animal’s health certificate from their veterinarian for their entire journey. Refer to Alaska’s pet policy for requirements for a health certificate.
- Mental health form
- Animal behavior form
You can find the necessary forms by following this link to the Alaska Airlines website. Alaska Airlines says about 150 emotional support animals fly on their flights every day.
The new rules come after airlines have been examining policies related to emotional support animals after numerous stories of abuse of the service allowing emotional support animals on board flights.
