American Airlines Pet Policy – Emotional Support Animal

Fully-trained service animals and emotional support / psychiatric service animals may fly in the cabin at no charge if they meet the requirements.

Requirements For Your Emotional Support Animal

• 1 emotional support / psychiatric service animal per person
• Animal must be a cat or dog (trained miniature horse may be permitted as a service animal); 4 months or older
• Animal must be clean and well-behaved
• Animals 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)
• If the animal is in a kennel, it must fit under the seat in front of you with the animal in it

Emotional support / psychiatric service animals cannot:

• Be seated in an exit row
• Protrude into or block aisles
• Occupy a seat
• Eat from tray tables

If your animal doesn’t fit within the allowed spaces, you may need to:

• Rebook on a flight with more open seats
• Buy a ticket for the animal
• Transport the animal as a checked pet

Animal behavior

Emotional support / psychiatric service animals must be trained to behave properly in public and they won’t be permitted in the cabin if they display any form of disruptive behavior that can’t be successfully corrected or controlled, including but not limited to:

• Growling
• Biting or attempting to bite
• Jumping on or lunging at people

Emotional support / psychiatric service animals must be in your control at all times by leash and / or harness.

If this behavior is observed at any point during your journey and isn’t corrected or controlled, the animal will be considered a pet and all requirements and applicable fees will apply.

Animal Restrictions Emotional Support / Psychiatric Service Animal

Emotional support / psychiatric service animals assist individuals with emotional, psychiatric or cognitive disabilities. Specific training isn’t required for animals to meet this classification.

Only cats and dogs are accepted as emotional support animals. Advanced notice and approval is required to bring an emotional support / psychiatric service animal with you in the cabin.

Trained service animals

Trained service animals have been specifically trained to perform life functions for individuals with disabilities, including but not limited to:

• Visual impairments
• Deafness
• Seizures
• Mobility impairments

Dogs and cats are accepted as service animals; miniature horses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We encourage advanced notice for service animals, but it isn’t required

As the requirements for transporting each type of animal differ, our employees are trained to ask certain questions to determine the classification applicable to your animal.

Advance notice Required

To travel with an emotional support / psychiatric service animal in the cabin, you must submit all required forms to the Special Assistance Desk at least 48 hours before your flight. We’ll notify you upon document approval.

If you don’t complete or meet all the requirements, your animal may be able to fly as a pet. All applicable fees apply.

Forms required for travel Emotional support / Psychiatric Service Animals

You must complete, submit and receive approval of all 3 forms before your animal will be allowed to fly:

• Medical / Mental Health Professional Form
• Veterinary Health Form, or vaccination record with current rabies vaccination information
• Confirmation of Animal Behavior Form

Instructions For Flight

Read and complete all 3 forms
Submit all 3 forms together at least 48 hours before your flight
Keep documents with you during your trip

Email Special Assistance 

Fax forms to: 817-967-4715

All service and support animals

If you have a flight over 8 hours in your itinerary, the Animal Sanitation Form is also required stating your animal won’t need to relieve itself or can do so in a way that doesn’t create a health or sanitation issue.