Swiss Airlines’ Emotional Support Animal Requirements

Over 200,000 people in the United States rely on their pets as an Emotional Support Animal or ESA. ESAs help with a variety of mental health issues. Policies and procedures surrounding ESAs often bring confusion. Luckily, DoNotPay's ESA products will help pet owners understand the information they need to know for companies like Swiss Airlines.

The interest in ESA policies of airlines makes sense. Aviophobia or fear of flying may affect over 20 million people in the United States. Many people find relief from aviophobia and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and addiction issues with a pet that qualifies as an emotional support animal.

What Exactly Is an Emotional Support Animal or ESA?

It's important to realize that an emotional support animal doesn't qualify as a service animal. A service animal undergoes rigorous training to earn its certification. This training enables the service animal to assist its owner with physical disabilities. The seeing-eye-dog provides the most common example of a service animal. Dogs are also commonly used as ESAs.

Emotional support animals do not receive special training or certification, but they help their owners control mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and depression. Scientific studies show that animals positively affect our hormonal balance by reducing stress-contributing hormones such as cortisol and Alpha-Amylase and increasing good feeling hormones like Oxytocin. The science, along with anecdotal results, encourages mental healthcare professionals to prescribe ESAs to manage these types of symptoms.

Does Swiss Airlines Require an ESA Letter?

If you depend on your pet to serve as an emotional support animal, you should keep an ESA letter on file and at your disposal. You may need it for housing situations or day-to-day activities.

Your ESA letter should include the signature of the qualified healthcare professional and the date of the signature. The letter serves as proof that your ESA helps with your mental wellness concerns.

The legislation does protect renters with ESA letters on file. Even buildings that don't allow pets can't use your ESA as an excuse not to rent to you. Landlords may not charge extra rent for an ESA. However, private companies such as Swiss Airlines do not need to base their pet policies on ESA letters. Swiss Airlines covers ESAs primarily under their pet policy. While Swiss Airlines doesn't require an ESA letter for travel, it still makes sense to carry one with you for hotels and other venues you may visit during your travels.

Swiss Airlines’ Pet Policy:

The rules outlined below pertain specifically to Swiss Airlines flights taking off from U.S. locations. If you're traveling internationally, you need to check with your destination regarding ESA rules, and they suggest that you book your trip and related arrangements well in advance. Listed below, you'll find the rules surrounding Swiss Airlines’ pet policy:

• Only dogs and cats may travel with the passenger in the cabin. The animal must be at least 16 weeks old.
• Passengers may not travel with more than two pets.
• The animal must weigh 18 pounds or less to travel in the cabin.
• You must keep your pet in a soft-sided carrier that's free of rips and tears. It needs to measure under 46 inches.
• Swiss Airlines does not charge a fee for ESAs or service animals.
• If your animal does not meet the requirement to travel in the cabin, it may travel in checked baggage in a metal carrier.
• In addition to the canine and feline variety, they also allow rabbits to travel in the hold.
• If you're going through customs in Switzerland, make sure your animal meets the criteria ahead of time. The border patrol will confiscate animals that don't qualify and send them back to the country of origin through a veterinarian service. The expense for this service will fall on the owner.

How to Obtain an Emotional Support Animal Letter on Your Own:

Traveling with pets represents a challenge, especially when traveling internationally. In addition to checking out the policies surrounding ESAs at your destination(s), you will want to keep an ESA letter with you at all times. You can take these steps to obtain an ESA letter on your own:

1. Locate an ESA form letter online and prepare it for your appointment.
2. Research your options for professional help from your physician or licensed mental health professional.
3. Schedule a session either in person or virtually with an appropriate healthcare professional.
4. Review your situation and symptoms with the healthcare provider and explain why you need an ESA.
5. Request an ESA letter using the ESA form letter you obtained earlier.

These steps may seem pretty easy, but you may encounter problems while obtaining your ESA letter. Your general physician may not want to sign if they're not familiar with the mental health issues you experience. Some healthcare professionals in Psychology, Psychiatry, and other related fields may want you to undergo testing before signing the ESA letter.

Online venues come with technical issues relating to passwords and navigation. And, of course, you want to make sure to avoid any scams.

DoNotPay Will Help You Obtain Your ESA Letter:

DoNotPay's Service and Emotional Support Animals product covers all your ESA needs. Follow the steps below to let DoNotPay take the frustration out of the ESA letter process:

1. Search "service animal" on DoNotPay.

2. Select the type of issue you need help with, including contacting your landlord about your ESA/service animal, asking your airline about ESA options, or requesting ESA/service accommodations at other venues.

3. Answer a series of questions about your current situation and the details of your ESA/service animal, so we can generate the best results for you.

And that's all you need to do. DoNotPay then contacts the appropriate party on your behalf. Depending on your needs, they will send a letter to your landlord, the airline agency, or your mental health professional requesting they send you an ESA letter.

Three Great Reasons to Use DoNotPay for Your All ESA Needs:

If you're still wondering if you should use DoNotPay for all your ESA needs, consider these three important yet straightforward reasons:

1. Fast—You won't spend hours or days looking for an appropriate healthcare professional for your ESA letter.
2. Easy— You don't need to worry about taking multiple tests or keeping track of numerous usernames and passwords.
3. Successful—You can relax knowing that DoNotPay's experts know how to care for all your ESA needs.

DoNotPay Products Help You With Many Aspects of ESA:

Just follow the links below for product information for your ESA needs:

• United Airlines and ESA policy
• Southwest Airlines and ESA policy
• American Airlines ESA policy

How Else Will DoNotPay Simplify Your Life?

Pet owners will find DoNotPay's products such as Pet Custody Agreements, Lost and Found issues, Licensing, and more very helpful.

DoNotPay helps just about anyone with day-to-day management and needs. Check out the suggestions below for more of how DoNotPay will make your life easier and learn more about DoNotPay’s products for pet owners and non-pet owners alike.

• Animal control issues
• Compensation for canceled flights
• How to get free hotel upgrades
• Filing a claim in Small Claims Court