Airports join airlines in tightening the leash on animal travel
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November 22, 2025

As had been widely reported, airlines have seen a sharp rise in the number of animals traveling on planes. Some are ticketed pets, but many are pets that have been flying for free thanks to loopholes in rules governing the transport of emotional or psychiatric support animals.

American Airlines reported a 40 percent increase in the number of service and emotional support animals on flights between 2016 and 2017. United Airlines cited a 75 percent increase year over year.

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Emotional-support animals are becoming a big problem on planes, and airlines want them to go away
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November 22, 2025

According to Airlines For America — a trade group that represents major US airlines including American, United, JetBlue, Southwest, and Alaska — the number of emotional-support animals, or ESAs, traveling aboard commercial flights jumped 74%, from 481,000 in 2016 to 751,000 in 2017.

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Southwest latest airline to restrict service, emotional support animals
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November 22, 2025

For service animals, Southwest says it will accept “only the most common service animals — dogs, cats, and miniature horses.”

“For the health and safety of our customers and Employees, unusual or exotic animals will not be accepted,” the airline added in its statement.

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Survey: 61 percent of flight attendants say emotional support animals have caused trouble midflight
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November 22, 2025

AFA reported earlier this week that 82 percent flight attendants surveyed agree that the DOT needs to release a more clarified policy on the requirements for emotional support animal in the high skies, while continuing necessary support for travelers with disabilities and veterans.

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Royal Caribbean bans emotional support animals from all cruises
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November 22, 2025

“We are updating the policy to differentiate emotional support animals from service animals that are trained and certified to perform a function for a person with a disability,” a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean said in an email to MarketWatch. “It is important to us that all our guests enjoy their vacation, which is why we put into practice this new policy. Royal Caribbean’s policy remains the same for service animals traveling with guests that have a physical or non-physical disability.”

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New airline rules haven’t stopped an increase in pets, including emotional-support animals
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November 22, 2025

Last year, the number of pets carried by U.S. airlines (usually for a fee in the cabin or cargo hold) increased 11% to 784,000, according to Airlines for America, the industry’s lobbying organization. The number of service animals increased 24% to 281,000, according to A4A. And the number of emotional-support animals leapt 56% in that one-year period, to 751,000.

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