What airlines, hotels, and carriers currently require — and where your letter still protects you.
Pack smart: the rules for animals in the air are stricter than the rules at home, and South Carolina flyers should know both before booking.
Charleston International is the state’s busiest airport, with GSP serving the Upstate.
The DOT’s 2021 rule change ended mandatory ESA accommodation in the air. Practically, that means pet fees, an under-seat carrier for small animals, and cargo rules for big ones — with details varying by carrier, so confirm before flying out of South Carolina.
A psychiatric service dog still flies in the cabin free of charge. Carriers can require the DOT Service Animal Transportation Form — an attestation of training and behavior, usually due 48 hours before departure — and the dog must stay within your foot space, under control.
On the ground, the ADA governs — and it covers task-trained service animals, not ESAs, so hotels and carriers may apply pet policies. Where the letter keeps its force is lodging that counts as housing: leases, sublets, and many longer rentals at your destination beyond South Carolina.
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Yes, but as a pet: expect a fee and an under-seat carrier requirement. The DOT removed the airline obligation to treat ESAs as service animals in 2021.
A task-trained psychiatric service dog flies in the cabin at no charge. Most carriers ask for the U.S. DOT Service Animal Transportation Form, usually 48 hours ahead.
It remains essential for housing at your destination — short-term rentals and leases — and some carriers and hosts voluntarily accommodate documented ESAs, but it doesn’t create a legal right to fly.
Book under your airline’s pet policy: reserve the pet spot early (cabins cap the number), confirm carrier dimensions, and budget for the pet fee each way.
Yes, but narrowly: incomplete DOT paperwork, disruptive behavior, or space constraints are the recognized grounds.
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