Avianca Airlines Pet Policy

Avianca Airlines allows passengers to travel with small pets as carry-on or checked baggage. However, Avianca’s pet policy imposes limits on the number and types of pets allowed in the aircraft. Pet reservations must be made either at the time of booking or at least 24 hours before departure. 

Service animals (dogs) are allowed to travel with disabled passengers for free in the aircraft cabin.

Avianca Airlines does not provide pet services:

• In the cabin on flights to Europe
• On Embraer aircraft
• On flights:
  • To/from London
  • To Curacao, Aruba, and the Galapagos Islands

Avianca Airlines Pet Policy—In-Cabin Pets

What is Avianca Airlines carry-on pet policy? 

Avianca allows passengers to travel with dogs and cats in the cabin on domestic and international flights, as long as the pet container fits under the passenger’s front seat. 

• Pets Allowed
  • International flights. Cats and dogs.
  • Within Colombia. Small birds, cats, and dogs. Only dogs and cats require a vaccination card. 
• Pet Age. At least 4 months old.
• Pet Reservations
  • Call or the Avianca Airlines office in your city/country.
  • Book through your travel agent. 
  • Book at the airport counter (subject to availability). 
• Pet Forms 
  • If you’re travelling from Colombia to an international destination, you must carry a Health Certificate for your pet, issued by the appropriate authority.
  • Vaccination certificate issued by a certified veterinarian.
  • Import/export documentation, as required. 
• Conditions of Carriage
  • At the airport if outside the carrier, your pet must be leashed, collared, and muzzled. 
  • During the flight, your pet must remain inside its carrier at all times. 
  • Your pet carrier can contain only 1 pet inside it. 
  • Only 1 pet carrier is allowed per passenger. 

• Pet Carrier Size and Requirements. Your pet carrier must meet the following requirements:
  • Max. weight (incl. pet carrier) 22lb/10kg 
  • Max. pet height 20cm/8in
  • Pet carrier dimensions
    • Combined linear dimensions 90cm/35in 
    • Max. Length + Width + Height 40.6cm/16in + 27.9cm/11in + 20.3cm/8 in
  • The pet carrier must:
    • Be spacious enough for your pet to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. 
    • Have holes for ventilation.
    • Have a waste collection system for any waste produced during the trip. 
• Pet Fees for Pets as Carry-on Baggage 

The pet fees/service charges for travelling with pets in the cabin, depending on your route, are as follows:

Flight Route	Pet Fees (excl. taxes)
Within Colombia	COP 145,000 (incl. taxes)
Within Ecuador	USD 70 (incl. taxes)
U.S./Canada ↔ South America	USD 165
Central America ↔ South America	USD 170
Within Central American countries	USD 170
Within South America	USD 220
Mexico ↔ Latin America	USD 160
The Caribbean ↔ Latin America	USD 160
To/from Europe(excludes Bogota 🡪 London but includes London 🡪 Bogota)	EUR 180

• Pet Restrictions 
  • Route Restrictions. You’re not allowed to travel with your pet in the cabin on:
    • Transoceanic routes
    • To/from Aruba and Curacao
    • Flights to/from London 
    • Flights to the Galapagos Islands
    • Colombia does not allow the entry of the following dog breeds (or crossbreeds/hybrids resulting from them):
      • American Pit Bull Terrier
      • American Staffordshire Terrier
      • Staffordshire Terrier
    • United States. Your dog will not be allowed to enter the United States if it has been to a country with a high risk for canine rabies in the last 6 months. The countries include, but are not limited to, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Guyana, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Bolivia, and Belize.
      
      You can travel to the United States with your dog if you meet certain requirements by applying to CDCanimalimports@cdc.gov for an import permit at least 30 days before entering the United States. 
  • Seating Restrictions 
    • Avianca does not allow 2 pets in the same row unless they are from the same family.
    • Aggressive pets that are likely to inconvenience fellow passengers will be transported as checked baggage in the hold at the passenger’s cost. 

Avianca Airlines Pet Policy—Pets as Checked Baggage

If your pet is higher than 20cm, weighs more than 22lb/10kg (incl. pet carrier), or is other than a dog or a cat, or if your flight is very long, you will need to transport your pet as checked baggage in the aircraft hold. 

• Pet Reservations
  • Call or the Avianca Airlines office in your city/country.
  • Book through your travel agent. 
  • Book at the airport counter (least recommended unless you’re booking in advance).
• Pets per Carrier. Only 1 pet is accepted per container/pet carrier. 
• Pet Carrier Size and Requirements
  • Must be made of sturdy material, such as plastic, fiberglass, or metal. 
  • Must have proper ventilation. 
  • Must not weigh more than 22lb/10kg. 
  • Must allow your pet to stand, sit, and lie down, and turn around freely when inside.
  • Must be leakproof and clean. 
  • Must have easily-accessible food and water bowls. 
• Restrictions 

• Flight Restrictions. The following restrictions apply to the transport of pets as checked baggage:
  • Pets weighing up to 101lb/46kg (excl. container) are accepted only on Boeing B737 and Airbus A330 aircraft, regardless of flight duration.  
  • Pets weighing up to 22lb/10kg (excl. container) are accepted on flights that are up to 5 hours long.
  • Pets weighing up to 44lb/20kg (excl. container) are accepted on flights that are up to 4 hours long. 
• Breed Restrictions. Refer to the section titled Prohibited Dog and Cat Breeds below. 
• Pet Fees—Pets as Checked Baggage 

The pet fees/service charges for transporting pets as checked baggage in the aircraft hold are route dependent, as shown in the table below.

Pets Allowed 

• The following dangerous dog breeds are allowed to travel as checked baggage on Avianca Airlines, as long as they travel in an IATA compliant metal-walled crate that allows the animal to fed and watered from outside:
  • Rottweiler 
  • Pitbull Terrier
  • Neapolitan Mastiff
  • Japanese Tosa
  • Fila Brasilero
  • Dogo de Bordeaux
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Doberman
  • De Presa Canario
  • Bull Terrier
  • American Staffordshire Terrier

Prohibited Dog and Cat Breeds

Avianca Airlines does not accept the following snub-nosed (brachiocephalic) dog and cat breeds on its flights:

• Prohibited Dog Breeds
  • Belgian Griffon
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Bulldog
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Chin
  • Chinese Shar Pei
  • Dogue de Bordeaux
  • English Bulldog
  • English Toy Spaniel
  • French Bulldog
  • Griffon Bruxellois
  • Japanese Spaniel
  • King Charles Spaniel
  • Pekingese
  • Petit Brabancon
  • Pug and Doguillo
  • Tibetan Spaniel
• Prohibited Cat Breeds 
  • Burmese
  • Persian
  • Exotic Shorthair 
  • Himalayan

Ho to Travel with a Service Animal on Avianca Airlines 

Avianca allows service animals (guide dogs and support dogs) to travel free of charge with their owners in the aircraft cabin. Emotional support animals may be allowed to travel for free on some routes, but not flights to/from the United States, where they must travel as normal animals on a paid basis per Avianca’s pet travel policy. 

Conditions of Acceptance 

To be accepted on a flight: 

• The service animal must be dog, specially trained to assist a passenger with a disability. 
• The emotional support animal:
  • Must provide therapeutic benefit to the passenger. 
  • Must have supporting documentation from a mental health professional. The documentation must be issued less than 1 year from the date of departure, justifying the passenger’s need to travel with the animal.  
• The service/emotional support animal must have identifiable credentials, such as ID cards, harness, and tags.

There is no limit to the number of service animals allowed in the aircraft cabin. However, passengers must reach the airport at least 3 hours before departure, along with all the required documents.

• When travelling to the United States with an assistance dog, you must ask for the CDC’s approval at least 30 business days before departure. If your dog arrives without CDC’s written permission, it will be sent back at your cost.
• Your application must be sent via email to CDCanimalimports@cdc.gov.
• The service is provided on flights from Bogota to London, but provided on flights from London to Bogota.
• There’s no size limit for assistance dogs as long as it can be accommodated in the aircraft cabin without obstructing the evacuation pathways. 
• If your assistance dog cannot be carried on board, Avianca will:
  • Carry it in the aircraft hold at no cost to you.
  • Request you to purchase an additional seat to ensure more floor space for your dog, as it is not allowed to occupy a seat. 
  • Re-accommodate you within the same travel class if it helps accommodate your dog. 
  • Book you on another flight.

• If your flight is 8 hours or longer, you may be required to provide documentation stating that your dog not need to relieve itself or that it can do so without creating safety and hygiene problems in the aircraft. On flights to/from the United States, you will need to fill out a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form.
• Health and hygiene. You may be denied boarding with your dog if Avianca staff feel that your dog will likely jeopardize the crew’s/passengers’ health or safety.
  • Your dog must be at least 4 months old. 
  • There are no restrictions on a service animal’s breed. However, country restrictions (if any) must be complied with by you. 
  • At all times, your dog must behave appropriately, i.e.:
    • Remain at your feet. 
    • Not run freely on board the aircraft or at the airport. 
    • Not bark, growl, bite, or jump on people. 
    • Not relieve itself on board or in the airport. 
• Dogs are not allowed to use trays, service items, and/or blankets.

Points to Note

• Report with service dog directly at the boarding room with documentation.
• You can travel with up to 2 service/guide/rescue dogs per passenger.
• Your dog must remain seated on the floor at your feet. However, you’re allowed to place it on your lap if its size does not exceed that of a 2-year-old child. 
• Search and rescue dogs (K, B and R) must have a certificate, double leash, bib, and microchip.
• Your dog will be accepted as a service dog if any of the following evidence is presented:
  • The presence of marking on a harness/harness.
  • ID tag or card.
  • Appropriate animal credential that identifies it as a service animal in case of doubt (except on flights from/to the United States).
  • Verbal affirmation from you that you have a disability and are using the dog as a support dog—and your dog behaves like a support dog.

Note: Service animals include psychiatric support animals that have been trained to perform tasks to benefit the individual with a disability—such as mental, psychiatric, or intellectual disability.

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Passengers Travelling with Emotional Support Dogs

• You must present yourself at the airport’s documentation counter at least 1 hour before normal check-in time so that you can comply with all the requirements (but not if you’re travelling to/from the United States).
• You can travel with only 1 emotional support dog per passenger.
• Your documentation must have been issued no more than 1 year from the date of travel, certifying that you need to travel with the emotional/psychiatric support dog. The documentation must be dated and signed by a mental health professional on their letterhead (except on flights to/from the United States), stating:
  • That you have a recognized mental, emotional, or psychiatric disability.
  • That your dog’s companionship is necessary during travel or at the destination. 
  • The type and breed of dog.
  • The medical prescription that the psychiatric/emotional support animal is required during the flight. 
  • The professional assessing you is a licensed mental health professional/physician and that you are under his/her care. 
  • The license type and place of issue.
• If your emotional/psychiatric dog behaves aggressively, you may be asked to place a muzzle, so remember to have it at hand. 

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Frequently Asked Questions on Avianca Airlines Pet Policy