What is the air carrier access act (ACAA)?

The Air Carrier Access Act is a federal law instituted by the Department of Transportation (DOT). It “prohibits discrimination based on disability in air travel.” As such, airlines must accept service animals - provided they are well-behaved and do not pose a danger to other passengers or overall flight safety.

Under this act, service animals and psychiatric service animals are protected and handlers do not have to pay additional fees or have their animals travel in the hold when flying with them.