Can I travel with my emotional support pet?

If you need the company of your emotional support animal to travel, you can go with him in the cabin of the plane on routes that recognize the concept of emotional support animal. That is, from or to Mexico, Colombia and on domestic flights within Colombia.

The emotional support animal accepted upon routes are:

• Dogs: from or to Mexico and Colombia
• Cats: from or to Colombia, and domestic flights within Colombia. These cats must travel inside their kennel or travel container during the flight, and must be placed under the seat in front of yours.

Keep in mind:

• New security measures for the transportation of Emotional Support Dogs: Starting from June 3rd, the use of an anti-bite muzzle will be mandatory for all emotional support dogs, regardless of their size. Small dog breeds that meet the size requirements for in-cabin pet service may choose to travel without a muzzle inside an appropriate container located under the front seat of their handler.
  Additionally, customers who have purchased their ticket starting from June 3rd will only be able to transport a dog weighing up to 12 kilograms in the cabin, and if it exceeds this weight, it must be transported in the cargo hold at no additional cost.
• You can only travel with one emotional support animal, who must be at least 4 months old.
• The final boarding approval will be made directly at the airport counter, in order to ensure that it meets the requirements and conditions (behavior and size), which allow us to ensure their safe transportation in the cabin of the aircraft. Otherwise, they will have to travel in the aircraft’s hold inside a suitable container, at no additional cost.
• The transport of potentially dangerous breeds of dogs is prohibited in the passenger cabin.
• The maximum weight for emotional support dogs not in a container is up to 12 kg.

How to request the transportation of your emotional support dog?

If you travel on other routes you can request our pet transportation service, to travel with your dog in the cabin or take it in the hold of the aircraft, as long as it meets the conditions for each service.

To travel with your emotional support dog, you need to let us know up to 48 hours before your flight departure. Then, download and complete the request form and send it as a request through the Contact Form, detailing the conditions and requirements for travelling with your pet. 

Step by step

Create a case entering your email, then fill out the form and attach the corresponding documents.

Our recommendation

We invite you to carefully read the request form, which indicates the requirements that your emotional support animal must meet, as well as your responsibilities as the owner.

You also need certification from your treating physician to confirm the need to travel with your emotional support animal. You can use the provided certificate format for your doctor to complete and attach it to your request.

If you are traveling on routes that do not allow emotional support animals, you can request our pet transportation service to travel with your pet in the cabin or in the plane hold, provided that the conditions for each service are met.

Considerations during the flight for emotional support dogs:

• He/She can travel at your feet or under the front seat, without obstructing aisles, and cannot be located at emergency exits.
• You can bring carpets/sanitary sheets and/or diapers to avoid situations that affect the hygiene of the plane.
• You will not be able to feed him/her from the trays, nor be fed with the meals of the service on board.
• Your pet needs to wear a leash or harness, be clean, healthy, and have good behavior.

Considerations during the flight for emotional support cats:

• Cats are only accepted in international flights from or to Colombia, and domestic flights within Colombia 
• He or she must travel inside a rigid or soft kennel/container that meets the requirements of cabin transportation. 
• In compliance with the guidelines of the Colombian Civil Aeronautical, there are a maximum of 6 kennels on board each flight. Therefore, the confirmation will be subject to the aforementioned availability.
• You will not be able to feed him/her from the trays, nor be fed with the meals of the service on board.

You can check out more information about requirements, conditions and special routes in our Special Assistance - Assistance pets section.

 

Travel ban for dogs to the U.S.

The CDC (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention) dictates that all dogs traveling to the United States must comply with the following conditions:

• It must be in good health.
• It must be at least 6 months old.
• It must have the importation form for dogs, emitted by the CDC website.
• It must have a microchip. The number of the microchip must be included in all the required forms and documents.

Additionally, dogs coming from countries with a high risk of rabies transmission, or that have been in those countries within the last 6 months, or their itinerary includes a connection in those countries, must be vaccinated against rabies and comply with the vaccination requirements according to the country:

• If your dog was vaccinated in the United States, it can enter from any airport, as long as it is the same as the one declared on the import form, in addition to presenting the following:
  • The rabies vaccination form emitted in the United States.
  • A certificate of health for exportation backed by a veterinarian affiliated with the USDA.

• If it was vaccinated outside of the United States, it will be obligated to enter through airports that have an Animal Care Facility (ACF), such as New York (JFK), Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA), in addition to presenting the following:
  • Confirmation of the reservation for care at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility (ACF).
  • Foreign rabies vaccination form and microchip (certified by an official government veterinarian).
  • Valid rabies serology report from a CDC-approved laboratory (in English or with a certified translation).

These conditions are for reference purposes and can change without prior notice. Due to this, we request that you always review the CDC website in detail. Compliance applies to dogs in the cabin, service dogs and dogs traveling in the hold, independent of their race.