Planning a trip with your emotional support animal that involves flying with Frontier Airlines? Learn more about the Frontier emotional support animal policies and procedures below.
It always pays to be well-prepared, especially with so many airlines recently changing their ESA policy. Here’s what to expect when flying with your ESA on Frontier:
Dogs and Cats Only
Frontier used to permit a wide variety of ESAs and service animals on-board their aircrafts.
However, this has recently changed…
Now, an ESA needs to either be a dog or a cat if you want to take it on a Frontier plane.
Additionally, only one ESA is allowed to accompany each passenger. This means that if you have multiple ESAs, you will need to pick just one to bring with you.
Your ESA is Allowed to Sit on Your Lap
While some airlines require ESAs to be contained in a carrier or sitting on the floor, Frontier Airlines is happy to allow an ESA to sit on its owner’s lap.
However, there are some conditions involved…
Your ESA needs to be quite small to be allowed to do this, at no larger than an average two year old child.
You also need to make sure that your ESA:
- Doesn’t encroach on the seat next to you
- Never eats off your tray table (or anyone else’s!)
- Extend out into the aisle of the plane
Don’t want your ESA sitting on your lap?
For some ESAs, a carrier is much safer and less stressful. This is something else that Frontier permits, although the carrier needs to be small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. This means that your ESA needs to be less than 8 inches tall, 14 inches wide and 18 inches long.
Your ESA Needs to Be Well-Behaved
Although an ESA doesn’t need to undergo any specific training, basic obedience training is a must, especially if you plan on taking your ESA on a plane.
You will have a tough time finding an airline that will accept disruptive behavior from an ESA. Most of them, including Frontier Airlines, are allowed to deny a disruptive ESA from boarding the plane.
Wondering what counts as disruptive behavior?
Examples would include:
- An ESA that is constantly barking and whining
- An ESA that is showing signs of aggression, whether this may be growling, lunging or biting
- An ESA that isn’t toilet-trained and is urinating in public spaces
Most ESA owners would agree that these are understandable rules. After all, it isn’t fair on the other passengers to have to deal with a disruptive ESA on their flight.
So, even though your ESA may already be pretty well-behaved, it always pays to go over basic training before taking a plane journey together.
You Will Need to Fill Out Special Paperwork
There are two special forms that Frontier Airlines requires if you want to travel with your ESA, along with your ESA letter.
These are:
- Frontier Medical/ Mental Health Professional Form – this needs to be filled out by your LMHP
- Frontier Animal Behavior Acknowledgment Form – this needs to be signed by you, and states that your ESA has been trained and responds to commands
This paperwork needs to be submitted at least 48 hours before your day of travel.
It may seem complicated, but so long as you have everything organized in advance, taking your ESA onto a Frontier Airlines plane is actually quite simple. The airline readily accepts well-behaved and sociable ESAs, and will do everything they can to make your journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
Categories: Pets, Travel, Travel Tips
