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American Airlines Service Dog Info for Flying If you're planning a trip and looking for American airlines service dog information, you've come to the right place. In this article we're going to answer some common questions. In addition, you'll be able to learn everything you need to know to have a smooth flight. Let's jump right into it. How do Service Dogs Fly on Airlines? Service dogs may accompany their human on airlines, including American Airlines. Service dogs usually sit quietly at their human's feet area. They are not to occupy a seat or block the aisles. Advanced notice and paperwork is usually required. According to American airlines, service dogs that are fully trained can fly in the cabin of the airplane at no charge. This is as long as they meet the requirements listed here. American Airlines Service Dog Info for Flying How do Service Dogs Fly on Airlines?American Airlines Definition of Service AnimalService Animals in TrainingEmotional Support AnimalsAmerican Airlines Service Dog Advanced Notice Required American Airlines Service Dog Air Travel Transportation FormAmerican Airlines DOT Form Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Traveling on Additional AirlinesAmerican Airlines Service Dog Flights Longer Than 8 HoursYour American Airlines Service Dog IDAmerican Airlines Service Dog Requirements American Airlines Service Dogs Are Not Permitted To...Extra Large or Heavy Service Animals American Airlines Service Dog Behavior Destinations with Special Requirements and Restrictions Hawaii Service Animal Restrictions London, England (LHR) To fly to LHR:Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI) All Other United Kingdom Destinations Ireland India Animal Quarantine & Certification ServiceJapan Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) Hong Kong (HKG) Georgetown, Guyana (GEO) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD)American Airlines Service Dog Contact American Airlines Carry-on Pet ChargeAmerican Airlines Wheelchair AssistanceIssues - American Airlines Disability TeamTraveling With Pets American AirlinesWhich destinations allow travel with pets? American Airlines Definition of Service Animal The American airlines service dog definition is a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability. This includes physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, and other mental disability. Just a few examples of qualified disabilities are: Visual impairments Deafness Seizures Mobility impairments Post-traumatic stress disorder Photo @sarge.in.service Service Animals in Training American Airlines service dogs must be completely trained. Service animals in training are not accepted as service animals, but they can still fly as a pet. Service Animal in Training Bishop Emotional Support Animals Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and companion animals are not service dogs, so they may not travel in the cabin with you. However, they can still travel as pets. All requirements for pets and the applicable pet fees will apply to these situations. Read more on our blog: Service Dog vs Emotional Support Dog Photo @celestialbordercollies American Airlines Service Dog Advanced Notice Required In order to be able to travel with your service animal on American Airlines, you will need to do a little bit of preparation work in terms of paperwork. What's required is the Service Animal Air Transportation Form. You must submit this Department of Transportation form at least 48 hours before your flight. Submit it to the Special Assistance Desk. This document states that your service animal is in good health, and has the appropriate amount of training, and good behaviour to be able to fly. If you bought your ticket within 48 hours before your flight, you can complete the form at the airport if you need to. Try to leave yourself lots of time. Photo @service.doodle.piper American Airlines Service Dog Air Travel Transportation Form American Airlines DOT Form DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form This form is compatible with the latest version of JAWS and NVDA screen readers. You can complete and sign it on a desktop or mobile device. It uses Adobe Acrobat Reader. Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Photo @working.collie.remmi Traveling on Additional Airlines If your trip American Airlines service dog trip includes a flight on another airline or airlines, you'll need to do a bit more work. Before your flight, you will have to contact that airline, too, and complete all required forms for traveling with your service dog. Photo @snow_leopard_81 American Airlines Service Dog Flights Longer Than 8 Hours If your flight is going to be more than 8 hours, then you'll need to submit a bit of additional paperwork. The Department of Transportation requires a Service Animal Relief Attestation Sanitation Form. This basically states that your dog won't need a bathroom break. Or, that your dog can manage a bathroom break in a way that will be sanitary, and won't create a health issue. You can complete this DOT (Department of Transportation) American Airlines service dog form with the latest version of JAWS and NVDA screen readers. It may be completed and signed on your desktop or mobile device. And you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader. Submit the form here on American Airlines website. You need to submit this form 48 hours before your flight. Also, keep the form with you during your trip in case it is needed. Photo @eri_servicedog Your American Airlines Service Dog ID Once you have submitted the necessary paperwork, American Airlines will email you with your Service Animal ID. This is also known as SVAN ID. The good thing about your American Airlines service dog ID (SVAN ID) is that you can use it for future trips with the same animal. You'll be approved and won't need to fill out paperwork each and every time. However, this SVAN ID is only valid for one year, or when your animal's vaccination expires... Whichever comes first. But, it will certainly be nice to have a little less inconvenience if you do a lot of air travel throughout one year. Service Dog "Balu" American Airlines Service Dog Requirements Your service dog must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times Service dogs that are under 4 months of age may not travel as a service animal; this makes sense Your service dog needs to be clean Your service dog must be well-behaved Your service dog must be able to fit at your feet, under your seat, or in your lap Lap animals must be smaller than a 2-year old child The final approval for travel won't happen until you arrive at the airport. Staff must be able to determine that your service dog will safely be able to fit at your feet If your service animal is in a kennel, it must fit under the seat in front of you with your service dog in it You are limited to no more than 2 service animals Service Dog Balu American Airlines Service Dogs Are Not Permitted To... Be seated in an exit row Protrude into or block aisles Occupy a seat Eat from tray tables Photo @snow_leopard_81 Extra Large or Heavy Service Animals If your service dog is too large or too heavy to be safely accommodated, there are a few options: You may need to rebook on a flight that has more open seats You might have to buy a ticket for the animal so that you will have more space You may need to have your service dog transport as a checked pet Photo @luna_exploregon American Airlines Service Dog Behavior Your service dog must behave properly in public areas. They may be excluded in the cabin of the airplane if they display any form of disruptive behavior. This is especially true if the behavior can’t be corrected or controlled. Some examples of this behavior are: Growling Biting or trying to bite Jumping on or lunging at people If your service dog shows any of this behavior during your journey, and you don't correct or control it, your animal will be considered a pet. Then, all requirements and applicable fees will apply. Destinations with Special Requirements and Restrictions Certain places have special restrictions about service animals. Let's go through them now. Hawaii Service Animal Restrictions Trained service dogs can travel in the cabin to and from all Hawaiian islands All other animals must first go through Honolulu. This is for acceptance by Hawaiian quarantine officials Your service animal must meet American Airlines' travel requirements and Hawaii's quarantine restrictions and documentation requirements You need to provide applicable documentation for both at check-in London, England (LHR) Any dog traveling to LHR needs approval from the Heathrow Animal Reception Center (HARC) It's best to contact them as soon as possible, at least 7 days before your flight The HARC charges a fee (£366) for any animals that don't meet the criteria for assistance animals British Airways doesn’t accept emotional support animals on any of its flights To fly to LHR: Notify the HARC via email If approved, a letter will be sent Print the letter and provide it at check-in Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI) To fly with your service dog, you'll need to email Scotland’s animal travel agency at least 48 hours before your flight You'll need to carry an ID card or valid certificate from the organization that trained or supplied the animal Email Scotland’s animal travel agency All Other United Kingdom Destinations Your service dog will need pre-approval letters from the Animal Reception Center in your destination city You will need to travel with this letter, as well as any required health documentation Get pre-approval letter Ireland Your service dogs can travel in the cabin to and from Ireland All service dogs must be fully compliant with the rules for entering Ireland You will need to notify the Irish Authorities in advance. You must make arrangements for a mandatory veterinary compliance check upon arrival Advance notice and veterinary compliance check India Service dogs can travel in the cabin to and from India All dogs must be fully compliant with the rules for entering India You’ll need to notify the Indian Authorities to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) at least 7 days ahead of travel Animal Quarantine & Certification Service Department of Animal Husbandry & DairyingMinistry of Agriculture & Farmers WelfareGovernment of IndiaKapashera, New Delhi- 110097 Tel.: +91-11-25063272, Fax: +91-11-25060647, E-mail: aqcsnr-dadf@nic.in Animal Quarantine & Certification Services Opens another site in a new window that may not meet accessibility guidelines Japan Service dogs can travel in the cabin You will need to contact the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days before your arrival Animal Quarantine Service Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) Only dogs can be accepted as service animals Emotional support animals of any kind are not accepted Requirements for service animals Hong Kong (HKG) Only dogs can be accepted as service animals Emotional support animals are not accepted You’ll need to contact the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department at least 10 days before your arrival to complete all requirements Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Georgetown, Guyana (GEO) Service and emotional support animals require an animal import permit from the Guyana Ministry of Agriculture You must travel with and provide the import permit at check-in Importation of Animals to Guyana St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD) Only dogs can be accepted as service animals Emotional support animals of any kind cannot be accepted You’ll need to complete the St Vincent and the Grenadines Animal Import Permit Application and submit it to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries You must travel with and present the import permit and a valid health certificate at check-in for your service dog St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Agriculture American Airlines Service Dog Contact To contact American Airlines regarding flying with your service animal, you have a few options: Via their online form To make special arrangements, call: 800-237-7976 For hearing or speech-impaired assistance: 800-735-2988 Contact their usual reservation system for all other questions American Airlines Carry-on Pet Charge How much is the pet charge for carry-on? If you'll be carrying-on your pet with American Airlines, the basic fee is $125 per kennel. This includes within and between: U.S. Canada Mexico Central America The Caribbean This fee is for flights without any planned stopovers. If your trip will include a voluntary stopover, or a connection longer than 4 hours, then additional fees may apply for each connection segment. Pet fees are non-refundable and apply per kennel, one way. American Airlines Wheelchair Assistance Wheelchair service with American Airlines is available if you need it. They can help you: To and from your gate Between gates, if you will be making a connecting flights Through Customs To the baggage claim area It's best to request wheelchair assistance in advance. You can do this by selecting 'Add special assistance' when you're booking or managing your trip online. You can also let a staff member at the airport know on the day of travel that you need wheelchair assistance. Request special assistance To make special arrangements, call 800-237-7976 For hearing or speech-impaired assistance, call 800-735-2988 Contact Reservations for all other questions Issues - American Airlines Disability Team If you had a special assistance issue on a previous trip, you can call 800-892-3624 Traveling With Pets American Airlines Pets can travel as a carry-on with American Airlines, depending on breed and size. Or, they can be transported through American Airlines Cargo. Carry-on pets are limited to dogs as well as cats that meet the size, age and destination requirements. American Airlines only accept checked pets at the ticket counter for active-duty U.S. Military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. Fees and restrictions may apply. Which destinations allow travel with pets? You can travel on American Airlines with a pet on most flights up to 12 hours or flights to / from select locations: Within the 48 contiguous United States The U.S. and Canada - special restrictions may apply Alaska Mexico - special restrictions may apply Puerto Rico St. Croix St. Thomas