Traveling with my dog by plane! Everything you need to know!

What you need to know before traveling by plane with your dog

Required documentation
Generally, the documents required are: a valid passport, an up-to-date health card showing vaccination and deworming treatments, a certificate of good health issued by a veterinarian no more than 10 days prior to travel, and the corresponding microchip.
Each airline has its own regulations

Each airline is different. In general, dogs and cats weighing less than 8 kg travel in the cabin and the rest in the hold. Service or assistance animals, such as guide dogs, always travel with you in the cabin and travel free of charge.

In addition, they must always travel in a carrier that complies with IATA regulations and in which they can remain in a natural position. Large breeds of dogs or those classified as 'dangerous breeds' must wear a muzzle.
Each country may have different rules
We recommend that you check the specific requirements for each place you travel to (consult, for example, the consulate of the destination country) as they may vary depending on the country or whether it is a domestic or international flight.
On intercontinental flights, for example, there are usually more restrictions in order to prevent the spread of disease. To travel with your dog to the US, a rabies vaccination is essential.
To travel with a pet to the UK, Sweden, or Ireland, several prior clinical tests are required.
Make sure your dog is in good health
In order to travel by plane, animals must be healthy, over 2-4 months old, not pregnant, and have a valid documentation, vaccinations, microchip, and passport.
Is it safe for my dog to travel in the hold?

Aircraft cargo holds are now pressurized and have a controlled flow of air entering and exiting, which is continuously renewed. The temperature in an airplane cargo hold can range from 10°C to 25°C. Many planes that transport pets carry them in special, climate-controlled areas. It is not recommended to sedate your pet unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian, and it is advisable to give them a light meal 2 hours before departure. Consult your veterinarian before flying!

Each airline has its own rules regarding fees, weight, and size of the carrier.

Let us tell you a little more about the requirements of the main airlines!
-Iberia
You can travel with pets in the cabin if they weigh less than 8 kg, including their carrier, which must measure no more than 45x35x25 cm. The price for taking your pet in the cabin is €25 for flights within Spain, and between €50 and €150 for international flights. You can travel with dogs, cats, turtles, and birds. Mustelids such as ferrets or martens are not allowed.
-Vueling
Vueling allows dogs, cats, birds, fish, and turtles on board. Mustelids such as ferrets, rodents, rabbits, and reptiles are not allowed. To travel with your pet in the cabin, it must be in a carrier measuring a maximum of 45x39x21 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg, including the animal. The fees are €40 for domestic flights and €50 for international flights. Animals are not allowed in the hold.

-Aeroméxico
This airline allows you to travel with your dog, cat, or bird if your flight is 6 hours or less. Reptiles, fish, rodents, etc. are not allowed on passenger planes. To take your pet in the cabin, it must weigh a maximum of 8 kg, including the carrier, which must measure up to 48x30x25 cm. Animals weighing up to 45 kg can travel in the hold. The price for international flights to Canada, Latin America, and the United States is €110. -Air Europa They allow dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, fish, turtles, and some rodents to travel in the cabin. The container must be no larger than 55x35x25 cm, and the total weight of the pet and the container must not exceed 8 kg (6 kg on ATR flights). The cost depends on the destination and whether the animal travels in the cabin or in the hold. On flights within Spain, it is €25-90, in Europe and Africa €50-100, and on long-haul flights €150-240.-Alitalia You can travel with dogs, cats, and ferrets on Alitalia. In order for your pet to travel in the cabin, it must travel in a carrier that does not exceed the dimensions of 24x40x20 cm. The total weight of the carrier and the animal must not exceed 10 kg. Prices vary depending on the origin and destination of the trip and whether they travel in the hold or in the cabin. They range from €40 to €250. -American Airlines They only allow dogs and cats, which you can travel with on most flights that do not exceed 12 hours. The maximum dimensions of the carrier for taking your pet in the cabin are 48x33x22 cm. If it exceeds this size, it must travel in the hold. The price for traveling with pets in the cabin is €108 per carrier and €130-€174 if they travel in the hold.

-Avianca

You can take dogs, cats, or birds in the cabin. Roosters must travel in the hold as checked baggage. Pets weighing up to 8 kg and measuring up to 20 cm can travel in the cabin, inside a suitable carrier that does not exceed 40x27x20 cm. Cabin fees range from €18 to €130, depending on the destination. In the hold, prices range from €26 to €217.
-Binter
You can travel on this airline with dogs, cats, ferrets, and birds. To take them in the cabin, they must be in a carrier measuring no more than 45x35x25 cm. The carrier and animal together must weigh less than 8 kg. The price is €9 for inter-island routes in the Canary Islands and €25 for domestic and international flights.

-BlueAir
This airline allows you to travel with cats, dogs, and small animals as long as they weigh no more than 6 kg, including the cage, which must be no larger than 45x30x23 cm. If they exceed these measurements and/or weight, they must travel in the hold, where medium-sized animals weighing up to 32 kg are accepted.

-Easyjet
Animals are not allowed on Easyjet flights, with the exception of service and special assistance dogs, in which case they may accompany their owner at no extra charge. However, there are also restrictions on some flights depending on the country of departure and destination.

-Latam
Only dogs and cats are allowed in the cabin. Their maximum weight must not exceed 7 kg, including the container, which must measure a maximum of 36x33x23 cm. Prices range from €18 to €173 depending on the destination. All other animals and large dogs must travel in the hold, up to a maximum weight of 45 kg. In this case, fares range from €44 to €260.

-Norwegian
Cats and small dogs can travel in the cabin on domestic flights within Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Spain. On international flights, they will travel in the hold. To travel in the cabin, the carrier and pet together must weigh no more than 8 kg, and the carrier must measure no more than 43x31x20 cm. The price is €48-84 in the cabin and €80-90 in the hold.
-Ryanair
Like other low-cost airlines, Ryanair does not allow pets on any of its flights. The only exception to this rule is for guide dogs, which can travel in the cabin with their owner on some routes.

-Tap Portugal
This airline allows dogs and cats in the cabin, provided their maximum weight, including the carrier, is 8 kg. The dimensions of the container must not exceed 40x33x17 cm. Animals weighing up to 45 kg can travel in the hold. Fares range from €35 to €130 on domestic flights, €70 to €200 on European flights, and €150 to €300 on intercontinental flights.

The rules and documentation for traveling with pets are a very important factor to consider before traveling.

Personal note: These conditions limit many travelers with dogs when traveling around the world.
Our dogs are small and large, and both exceed the maximum weight allowed to travel with us in the cabin. For our part, we are clear: unless it is an emergency, for their comfort and well-being, we always travel with them by car.