Service animals

Service animals

A service animal means a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability or other similar medical condition. Animal species other than dogs, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals and their transportation is subject to the carriage conditions and fees applicable to pet animals in cabin or in hold, as applicable.

The following service animals will be considered as service animals, provided that the accreditation proving their condition as such is submitted and proof the need of their carriage:

• Guide dogs, that means a dog that has been specially trained to guide a blind or visually impaired person.
• Signal dogs, that means any dog trained to assist a deaf or hearing-impaired person by signalling the occurrence of certain sounds, and its provenance.
• Medical assistance dogs, that means any dog trained to mitigate a variety of medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy or other medical conditions leading to loss of consciousness.
• Service dogs for individuals with a physical disability or individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
• Search and rescue dogs fully trained to find missing people after a disaster, accompanying rescue teams, wearing the appropriate harnesses and traveling without occupying a seat.
   

Booking process

 To begin the process needed to bring your service animal along, you will need to contact our Customer Service  preferably at least 48 hours before the flight's departure to take the necessary steps to confirm that everything is in order to travel with your service animal.
 

Where will my service animal fly?

You may travel with your service animal on your lap or within your foot space on the aircraft free of charge. If the animal is in a kennel, it must fit under the seat in front of you with the animal in it. For safety reasons, service animals may not be seated in an exit row. The animal may not encroach on another passenger's space nor roam freely around the cabin. If your service animal is too large or too heavy to be safely accommodated in the cabin, you may need to rebook on another flight, or to transport the animal as a checked pet. In the case of search and rescue dogs, they shall travel in the hold.
 

Qualification as service animal

Service animals must have the relevant supporting documentation, such as:

• The dog must be trained to assist the customer with a disability or medical condition by way of specific tasks and assessed as suitable for those purposes by an accredited member of ADI (Assistance Dogs International) or IGDF (International Guide Dog Federation), or the guide dog user certificate issued by ONCE (Spanish National Organization of the Blind). The customer must proof the membership of the body that trained the animal.

• The dog must have had behavioural training and show appropriate behaviour in public and onboard an UX aeroplane. The customer must proof such training.

• The dog must wear an identifying harness or similar. The animal must wear a suitable harness to have the animal secured on board.

• Animals under 6 months of age may not travel as a service animal

• Animal must be clean and well-behaved

• An individual is limited to one service animal unless other limit has been set by specific regulations.
  
  Assistance dogs or guide dogs not meeting any of the requirements above may not be accepted.
  
  Final approval for travel will not happen until you arrive at the airport, and it is determined that the animal will safely fit in the passenger cabin.
   

Documents

All documents showing compliance with the customs and health requirements of the countries of transit and destination must be presented before boarding. If evidences are not provided, then the carriage of the animal will be subject to the same conditions required for the carriage of pet animals.

On flights to or from the United States:

Check the regulations for entry of dogs into the U.S. effective August 1, 2024 in the CDC Information Note available at the following link 

These forms must be submitted:

• The completed U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Travel Form for validation prior to flight stating the health, training and behaviour of the animal.
• For scheduled flights of 8 hours or more, you must also submit a completed U.S. DOT Relief Attestation Form stating that the dog will not relieve itself in the airport or on the aircraft, or that the animal can relieve itself in a manner that does not create a health or sanitary problem on the flight.

On flights to or from United Kingdom:

For an assistance dog or a guide dog to travel with the customer in the passenger cabin on United Kingdom routes, the following must be met:

• Carry out previous arrangements with DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs).
• Have contacted and received approval (after verifying that the animal meet all requirements of the Pet travel scheme set by the United Kingdom Government) from the United Kingdom animal reception centre at least 72 hours before flight. The customer must present the pre-approval letter before boarding a flight to United Kingdom.