United Bans Emotional Support Animals, Joining Alaska, American, Delta

United announced on Friday that it will no longer accept bookings for emotional support animals, beginning on January 11th. The airline further clarified that it emotional support animals will not be allowed in the cabin from March 1st, regardless of when the ticket was booked.

This follows similar announcements from Alaska, American Airlines and Delta, in the wake of new regulations announced by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in December.

The DOT issued new rules and definitions for service animals, after receiving over 15,000 comments following incidents involving emotional support animals, both in the air and in the terminal. The rules define a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability and no longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal.

United will also require customers with service animals to complete DOT authorized forms prior to travel confirming their service animal’s health, training and certification. This will take effect February 1st.

Photo Courtesy United

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