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Fees for ESAs

maxgalla
Explorer C

The last time I traveled with my ESA, I was charged a fee flying out of Dallas but was not charged a fee flying back from El Paso. Is there a way to determine whether or not there will be a fee for my ESA beforehand? It is hard to plan travel when I don't know whether or not I will be charged an extra $100 or more for my ESA. 

1 REPLY 1

Re: Fees for ESAs

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@maxgalla wrote:

The last time I traveled with my ESA, I was charged a fee flying out of Dallas but was not charged a fee flying back from El Paso. Is there a way to determine whether or not there will be a fee for my ESA beforehand? It is hard to plan travel when I don't know whether or not I will be charged an extra $100 or more for my ESA. 


 

By law, no carrier charges a fee for an Emotional Support Animal, as long as you have the required documentation for your animal.

 

If you can't provide that, your animal may be considered a pet, and travel under the rules for pet travel. The Southwest pet fee is $95 each way. If you were charged anything other than $95 you should contact Southwest to find out what happened.

 

Here are details regarding the different policies, including what documentation you need for an ESA:

 

Traveling With Animals