Allegiant classifies its passengers traveling with their animals as either one of two very distinct groups, and determining which one you fall under before booking your flight will keep you from having an unnecessarily confusing discussion once you reach the boarding gate. Federal laws dictate that trained service dogs travel on the plane as passengers free of charge. All other animals, including emotional support animals, travel on board as pets and incur fees and other restrictions.
Flying a Service Dog on Allegiant
In accordance with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), Allegiant treats service dogs as it should. Service dogs – those that have been trained to do a particular task for a disabled individual – fly in the passenger cabin without cost; remain in the handler’s personal space rather than on a carrier; and do not require an additional pet fee.
The service animal pathway is only applicable to service dogs that are fully trained to perform a particular task. The pathway is not valid for pets, emotional support animals (ESAs), comfort animals, companion animals, or dogs that have yet to finish their service dog training. The sole determining factor in this case will be the training for tasks: a service dog will be performing a certain task in response to the disability, whereas an ESA will be providing comfort by simply being around.
What Counts as a Service Dog for Air Travel?
As per current DOT regulations, a service animal for air travel purposes is a dog specifically trained to perform some tasks or do work for individuals with disabilities, which include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, and other types of mental disabilities. It should be noted that the current federal air travel regulations only recognize dogs as service animals; other types of animals do not get the same right of access to the cabin area of the aircraft as per ACAA.
However, task training alone is not everything. In addition to it, a real service dog needs to behave in a really safe manner in the airport and on board the aircraft without aggression, disruption, or any kind of illness. Even though the dog is a service animal with confirmation, it may pose certain risks while boarding in case of aggressive behavior, disruptive actions, and illness. Thus, the handler will always be responsible for the dog’s health and behavior.
The DOT Forms Allegiant Requires for a Service Dog
Traveling by air with a service animal requires more federal forms than traveling with the service animal in a public place does, and that, without exaggeration, is one of the most complicated aspects of the whole procedure for first-time travelers.
It is the U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form that includes information about the health of the dog, its training, and behavior in case of an individual attestation. Allegiant asks to fill in this form at least 48 hours before the departure time, using the Open Doors Organization Service Animal Forms Portal website.
For flights of eight or more hours in length, a second form – the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form – needs to be completed, as it addresses whether the dog can hold itself without relieving during the whole flight or do it safely.
Should your reservation be made after the 48 hours from departure, you’ll need to take immediate action to begin the paperwork process and give yourself additional time at the airport. Allegiant has advised you to keep a hard copy of the filled-out DOT form on hand during your travel because gate agents could ask you to produce it at the airport. This will make it easier for you to know what the paperwork will do and will not do for you: it will facilitate your airline’s process of verification, but it will not replace the dog’s training.
Psychiatric Service Dogs on Allegiant
A psychiatric service dog is one trained to do tasks related to the handler’s psychiatric disability, such as stopping a panic attack, grounding a person experiencing a dissociation event, awakening a person having night terrors, fetching medication in an emergency, etc.
With Allegiant, a psychiatric service dog travels on the exact same ACAA route as any other service dog does. The handler needs to fill out the same DOT forms, have control over the dog at all times during the trip, and follow Allegiant’s standard service animal requirements; there is no additional, specific route for a psychiatric service dog.
A letter from a licensed mental health professional about the psychiatric disability of the handler can be useful in a person’s case and provide evidence of the disability and the need for the assistance of the dog. It should be known, however, that the letter does not substitute the DOT forms required by Allegiant, and neither does it make an untrained companion dog into a legitimate service dog. Free cabin access under the ACAA regulations results only from the training of the dog to do specific tasks and filling out of the DOT forms.
How to Book and Provide Advance Notice
The typical steps involved in taking your service animal on an Allegiant flight would be the following: booking your flight with Allegiant and then getting the service animal paperwork in order via the current DOT procedure outlined earlier. Since Allegiant requests the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form at least 48 hours before travel, this task should definitely be completed well ahead of time, especially if you are obtaining a relief attestation form for your extended flight leg.
At the airport, Allegiant requires all the passengers who have a service animal to report to the gate 30 minutes before their scheduled departure – a little extra time compared to regular boarding procedures, which should give you sufficient time to check your paperwork and ensure that your dog is ready to board. On the plane, a service dog should be confined to the floor space of its owner or other designated area to ensure that all the aisles and emergency exit passages are unobstructed; a service dog should never take a seat or occupy a passenger’s space.
Emotional Support Animals on Allegiant: Treated as Pets
It is here where people usually get surprised, especially passengers who used to fly with their ESA on Allegiant before the update in 2021. Emotional support animals have the same treatment as pets from Allegiant Air. After the updated Department of Transportation’s final ruling in 2021, all airlines, including Allegiant Air, stopped considering ESAs as service animals. So, what it means is that ESA is treated just like other traveling pets and thus has to pay the regular fee for it, has to be transported in a pet carrier, and follow the same cabin policies as any other pet.
And while the ESA is not considered a service animal anymore according to the ruling in 2021, its legal status in terms of housing accommodations still remains in place – an ESA letter will provide you with the necessary accommodation according to the Fair Housing Act. And the fact that there is no special access anymore for ESAs in terms of flights does not affect their legal status in terms of housing accommodation in any way, because they are two completely different legal aspects.
It can be easily concluded that for passengers traveling with Allegiant, everything becomes quite straightforward: a trained service dog falls into the category of a service animal, and an emotional support animal is treated as a pet.
Why ESAs Lost In-Cabin Service Animal Status
Before the 2021 regulation change, a broad category of individuals utilized ESA documentation to gain access to in-cabin airline flights for free. The Department of Transportation was gradually moving towards using the task-training definition, limited to air transportation, where only those dogs that were individually trained to perform certain tasks for persons with disabilities could be called service animals. This was done to align the regulations for air transport with the way service animals are defined and treated by the ADA.
According to the new criteria, comfort or emotional support from the animal, provided solely because of its presence, does not constitute a task-training requirement for the animal. A dog individually trained to recognize and interrupt a psychiatric episode would still qualify as a psychiatric service dog in such a case. However, a companion animal providing generalized comfort to the owner would be considered an ESA rather than a service animal.
Flying an ESA as a Pet on Allegiant
A pet that provides emotional support to passengers flying with Allegiant is subjected to the same conditions and requirements that apply to all in-cabin pets. This is because the animal has to travel in an authorized carrier throughout the journey, be kept completely enclosed in the carrier as opposed to being partly out and not handled outside the carrier, and is also charged according to the prevailing pet fee.
Allegiant only accepts domesticated dogs and domesticated cats as in-cabin pets on its eligible flights. It is important to confirm your destination before you book, since not all destinations have flights accepting in-cabin pets, especially international destinations and some U.S. destinations. The pet has to be kept completely within its carrier at the airport terminal and during the whole journey.
Allegiant Pet Travel Basics
The live policy page of Allegiant is still the best resource for accurate and current day-of-travel information, considering the pet fees and specifications can change from time to time. Here is the summary of the basic specifications as per the latest confirmation available.
Pet Fees and Carrier Size
At present, Allegiant charges a non-refundable pet fee of $50 per segment, per carrier, for those pets traveling in the cabin, which is considered one of the lower pet fees among the other leading airlines in the US market. Each passenger can bring one pet carrier on the flight, and Allegiant allows passengers to bring up to two pets in one carrier, if possible. As per Allegiant’s official policy page, soft-sided carriers cannot exceed 18 inches long x 12 inches wide x 11 inches high in size, while hard-sided carriers cannot exceed 17 inches long x 11 inches wide x 10.5 inches high in size. Some third-party resources provide somewhat different sizes for the same. Therefore, it will be the safest thing to refer to Allegiant’s official live policy page for such information. The pet carrier itself will be counted as one of your two cabin items allowed by Allegiant.
Which Animals and Breeds Does Allegiant Accept?
Allegiant Airlines allows only dogs and cats that are considered small and classified as pets in-cabin and require a minimum age of eight weeks old. Apart from these criteria, a pet should be non-threatening, non-disruptive, odor-free, healthy enough to be transported, and have no symptoms of illness or discomfort. It is crucially important for a pet to have enough space to be comfortable inside the carrier since the size of the carrier is as important as the type of animal.
It is strictly forbidden to transport animals as checked luggage or cargo, even if the animal does not fit into the dimensions of the carriers provided by Allegiant. On the matter of the paperwork, it is important to note that Allegiant Airlines does not require health certificates at the moment. However, travelers should make sure that there are no other specific requirements for pet transportation into the destination country. It is especially important to consider such places as Puerto Rico.
Pet Booking, Check-In, and Airport Handling
Pets must be reserved by you as well, and it can either be done in advance while making a booking or through Allegiant’s trip management features later. Travelers with pets cannot occupy seats in the exit row and bulkhead row, and because of a lack of space for feet, pets are also prohibited from aisle seats on Boeing planes. In case you have already chosen aisle seating, get ready to be reseated.
Unlike other travelers, those who travel with pets have to go through the check-in process with an Allegiant agent at the ticketing counter or gate counter one hour before the scheduled time of departure to ensure that the pet and its carrier meet all the requirements for boarding. Pets should stay in the carrier throughout the whole journey – failure to meet this requirement can lead to denial of boarding or even to certain limitations for future flights with Allegiant. While buying a carrier, do not pay attention to such advertising slogans as “approved by airlines” since the real requirements for the carrier are much simpler: leak-proofing, ventilation, correct dimensions, and sufficient internal space for your pet.
Service Dog vs. ESA vs. Pet on Allegiant: Quick Comparison
| Animal Type | Cabin Status | Required Paperwork | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trained service dog | Travels as a service animal under the ACAA once DOT and Allegiant requirements are met. | DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form; Relief Attestation Form for segments of 8+ hours. | Free |
| Psychiatric service dog | Travels as a service animal when task-trained for a psychiatric disability. | Same DOT forms as any service dog; a supporting PSD letter helps, but doesn’t replace them. | Free |
| ESA or standard pet | Travels as a pet under Allegiant’s standard pet policy. | Approved carrier and compliance with pet policy; ESAs don’t receive ACAA service animal status. | $50 per segment, per carrier |
The Bottom Line
Traveling with Allegiant on an airplane all boils down to just one thing: Is your dog specifically trained to do something related to a disability? If so, then you are on the ACAA path for service animals. This means no fees, but you need to complete the proper DOT forms before you travel. If not, including emotional support animals, you are on the regular pet path. You will pay a $50 fee, have to abide by the required carrier rules, and be treated like a regular traveler’s pet.
FAQs
1. Does Allegiant still allow emotional support animals?
Yes, although they are considered ordinary pets. After the new rule passed by the DOT in 2021, ESAs are not considered as service animals anymore, and thus, do not have the same right for free and in-cabin access as before – they are subject to the same fees and restrictions as any pet.
2. What is the Allegiant service dog form?
This is a U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form that includes information about the dog’s health, training, and behavior. The airline requires this form at least 48 hours before the flight.
3. Does a psychiatric service dog fly free on Allegiant?
Yes, if the dog is trained specifically to assist with your psychiatric disability, and if you fill out all of the required DOT service animal forms.
4. Does a PSD letter replace the DOT service animal form?
No. A PSD letter documents your psychiatric disability and need for the dog, but Allegiant still requires the completed DOT forms for the dog to travel under service animal status.
5. How much does Allegiant charge for pets?
Allegiant’s current pet fee is $50 per segment, per carrier, and this fee is non-refundable regardless of any change in travel plans.
6. How strict is Allegiant about carrier size?
Quite restrictive. Allegiant provides precise maximum dimensions for carriers, whether they are soft-sided or hard-sided, and your pet should have enough space to stand and turn around comfortably without bumping into or extending out of the sides of the carrier.
7. Does Allegiant require a health certificate for pets?
At the moment, there’s no such requirement for traveling with pets on Allegiant planes, but you need to double-check if there are any particular destination-based requirements.
8. Can I check my pet as baggage or send it through cargo on Allegiant?
No, this is not an option as Allegiant does not transport animals either in cargo or as checked baggage. In-cabin transport is the only choice.
9. Can I fly internationally with my pet on Allegiant?
Not all of them. The general pet policy by Allegiant involves domestic flights only, and some international locations and U.S. territories do not accept all pets; thus, you should check your particular route prior to making a reservation.
10. What happens if my pet or service dog becomes disruptive during travel?
An aggressive/ill/disruptive/sick pet cannot board an aircraft or may be taken off of one, even when documentation exists. The decision whether the travel is possible is made by Allegiant after evaluating all of these aspects.
