My daughter flies back and forth with her dog, she has a legit emotional support letter from a shrink, and it was fine for years. Last year the rules changed and she still flies back and forth but now pays $100.00 extra, for the dog, each time.

You shouldn't have to deal with any of the 3. Since most planes are fully booked you have to deal with the cards are you are dealt. Just because they haven't said a word to you doesn't mean they haven't spoken to the flight attendant. Nice first post.

I think flying on a plane, hurts their ears with the pressure. Its ok for a one time thing. However, if going back for a visit etc. why not look into keeping your Frenchie at home in The Villages. WE do have pet sitters, house sitters, or friends/neighbors that would be willing to take your fur baby in while your gone. Less stress on your furry one. And they get a little vaca too. Just a thought.... or wait and see how Frenchie handles the first plane trip and go from there. I do like the idea of buying a seat just for the pooch. He will be up by you and looking all around instead of under a seat, not knowing whats going on... either way is good. And welcome to Paradise !

our Lily is my husbands emotional support pug. she has a license & ID cards i need to present when needed. they still didn't let her on. outside having a cig with one of the conductors, he said the same thing you did! for the last year he had seen travel become more restricted than ever, & told me to ride it out-things will get back to normal soon. i guess their hands are tied; they WANT to help us out, but cannot due to regulations

We recently flew Southwest with our 20lb Mini aussie-doodle. We had an airline approved carrier that fit under the seat. The flight was only a couple hours but he did great. We kept him under the seat the entire flight per Southwest rules. Better behaved than most children and several adults on the flight.

Only issue we had was in the airport. He got tired of being cooped up before the flight and when we allowed his head to poke out for an ear rub, we were informed that airport security could write us a ticket for him not being fully in his carrier.

The $90 cost for him to sit under the seat was more than my ticket. Worth every penny to have him with us.

I am one of those allergy people. I have pretty bad reactions to pet dander. Cats are the worst for me, but dogs also make me sneeze and wheeze. I was on a flight recently and had a dog carrier under my seat from the person sitting behind me. I started sneezing. The flight attendant came back and suggested I get off the flight and get Covid tested. She was adamant. I asked her if I could simply move, but she would not allow it. I assured her that it was just allergies. I was miserable the whole flight and got off the plane with a migraine. If there had been 1st class seats I would gladly have paid, but often there aren’t any. On one flight, there were 3 large dogs with their emotional support vests. All were jumping and barking and one owner took his off leash and let it roam. I asked to catch a later flight. Some airlines will accommodate me. I don’t mean to be a bother, but they do affect my health and I always opt for first class whenever available to give me more separation. I’ve never seen so many dogs fly onboard in the main cabin though and airlines are permitting very large “service dogs” onboard. In those cases, I wish they would designate pet friendly rows so I can stay well clear of them.

I'm with you. Pet rows in the back with the kids is a great idea.There is no way of knowing who and what will be seated next to you until you're onboard. Then it's to late because all the first class seats are given out to status people.

Really
 

I rather sit near a dog than a child or screaming baby. Better yet a fat person who can’t fit in their seat. I don’t like flying and find a dog comforting. Sometimes people don’t have a choice whether or not to bring their pet.
There are dog haters.

We are from Wisconsin too and will be moving to TV in November. We have a 19 pound Cavapoo. I’d love to fly with her instead of driving. How much does your pup weigh?

People who don't want to sit next to a dog on a plane are not necessarily dog haters.

Totally with you on this. My my wife is incredibly allergic to cats to the point her eyes swell shut and she also cannot breath. Dogs create a severe sense of unease, anxiety and fear. By allowing "comfort animals" in a confined space for extended periods with no option to remove one's self from the presence of the animals the airlines have chosen to accommodate one person's illness over another's. Rather than "support animal friendly" rows, how about entire sealed off sections and charge for the required seat space required to accommodate the animal (extra passenger). Or perhaps even offer separate flights that are listed as animal free "health" flights. Since this would be difficult to do, don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

No kidding! I'm sure the idea of sealed off sections and "health" flights would go over great with the airline industry that already can't make a profit.

Please check the written polices about pets on the airline that you plan to travel and please follow the rules - they are in place for a reason.

I know people who are deathly allergic to most cats AND some dogs (even non-allergenic breeds). Often the allergen is from the animal saliva (which winds up on the fur or hair of the animal licking it). IMHO I believe these humans should be given a safe airplane seat and even priority over which party is allowed to fly. Airlines often suggest the allergic human to take another flight which is easiest for them. There should be a policy to accommodate seating distance for both as a priority. The allergic person I know takes a signed note from the doctor, which must be updated frequently.

In December 2020, the Department of Transportation announced a final ruling stating that U.S. carriers would no longer accommodate emotional support animals due to it getting out of control. People were pushing to get away with as much as possible.

I don't believe there are very many pet haters. Just people who dislike pet owners who are insensitive to humans who dislike their inconsiderate behaviors.

Hope it goes well if you choose to fly.

Our Frenchy weights about 25 lbs. I checked the SouthWest Airlines website and they don't mention any weight limitation. However, the pet must fit within a pet carrier that has maximum dimensions of 18.5” long x 8.5” high x 13.5” wide. And there is a $95 fee per flight.
In a previous post, someone mentioned an allergy to pet dander, so it might be a good idea to give the pet a bath the day before the flight, to reduce the dander. Who knows.......it might help.

Airline Bag Requirements
 

Each airline has specific bag requirements for cabin pet travel
Bring wet ones,water bottle and chews.