Frontier Emotional Support Animal: Everything You Need to Know about Flying

No, Frontier Airlines does not allow an emotional support animal (ESA) on their flights.

New rules set forth by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have now made it so emotional support animal airlines can decide regulations on their own. Therefore, Frontier emotional support animal flying is no longer an option. 

Airlines can decide whether to allow ESAs on their planes and most airlines like JetBlue, American Airlines, and Delta have all chosen to no longer recognize ESAs as trained service animals.

Because of this, emotional support animals are now required to meet the exact specifications for air travel that pets must meet. Frontier does, however, allow trained service dogs and psychiatric service dogs as required by the ACAA but only when provided with the required documentation.

Yes, Frontier Airlines has banned emotional support animals. Changes in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) no longer require airlines to allow ESAs on their flights the same way they train service animals or psychiatric service dogs.

This means anyone traveling with an ESA will have to make reservations for the ESA, ensure the pet’s gear meets Frontier’s specifications, and pay pet fees like they would for any other pet.

Here are the Frontier emotional support animal and pet travel policies.

Pets in the Frontier Plane Cabin. Domesticated dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old, and only dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, or small household birds may be carried on to a flight. Large birds, rodents, beavers, ferrets, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, or insects are not allowed.

Carry-on pets are prohibited from disruptive behavior such as lunging, growling, biting, defecating, or wandering into the aisles. All pets are to remain in the carrier during the flight, and the carrier must be leakproof, well ventilated, and large enough for the animal to stand and lay in naturally while still fitting under the seat.

Only trained service animals are allowed in the cabin outside of a carrier, but they must be able to fit at the foot of their handler or under the seat and are not permitted to occupy an empty seat. They must be well-groomed, free of offensive odors, and well-behaved.

Pets are only allowed on international flights to and from the Dominican Republic and Mexico but are allowed on all domestic flights. However, carry-on pets will count as personal items, and you are not permitted to sit in row one or an exit row when traveling with a pet.

Pets in the Frontier Plane Cargo. Frontier Airlines does not allow pets in the cargo hold.

These are the steps to take for Frontier emotional support animal and pet flying:

Frontier allows dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and small household birds. They do not allow large birds (like parrots, cockatoos, birds of prey), rodents (mice, rats, squirrels), beavers, ferrets, reptiles (lizards or snakes), amphibians, spiders, or insects, and as their site says no lions, tigers, or bears either.

This is done in a similar fashion as if you were flying with a pet, but there is different documentation required to prove the animal is a trained service animal or a psychiatric service animal. The required documents include DOT’s Service Animal Air Transportation Form, a health certificate from a veterinarian, and up-to-date vaccination records. This should be done at least 48 hours in advance when making the reservation.

At the airport, the agent will determine the handler has a disability, and the animal is a trained service animal required to assist the disabled. This may involve asking fact-finding questions such as how an animal has been trained to assist with a disability or what work it has been trained to perform. Once this is done, the passenger may board the plane.

Once onboard, the animal must be positioned not to obstruct walking paths, and they are not to sit in emergency exit rows. The animal may sit in the passenger’s lap if it is no larger than a two-year-old or on the floor at the passenger’s feet or under the seat. The animal is not to occupy empty seats or infringe upon neighboring seats.

You can upload the documents on Frontier’s website if reservations are made more than 48 hours in advance of the flight. If reservations are made less than 48 hours in advance, then passengers must submit the completed form in-person to a Customer Service Agent upon arrival at the airport.

Frontier only recognizes dogs as service animals, and as briefly stated above, the service dog is not to be seated in an empty seat or encroach upon neighboring seats.

It must be seated either under the handler’s seat, on the floor at their feet, or in their lap if the animal is no larger than a two-year-old. The service dog must be well-groomed and free from offensive odors or disruptive behaviors. Excessive barking, eating from table trays, lunging, or growling is prohibited.

Passengers with service dogs are not to sit in emergency exit rows, and the dog is not to wander into the aisle or obstruct walking paths throughout the duration of the flight. Lastly, urinating and defecating are prohibited in the aircraft cabin and the gate area.

Here are the Frontier emotional support animal and pet fees: