The SATA Azores Airlines pet policy 2024 includes various options for flying with dogs or cats in the cabin and cargo hold. Details of the Azores Airlines pet travel policy for international and transatlantic flights with your cat or dog are included. When flying with your pet in either the cabin or cargo hold with Azores Airlines, your cat or dog must be able to move around within their carrier, and they have to travel with an adult passenger. The price for flying your pet in an Azores Airlines cabin or hold varies, and certain dog breeds are not permitted to travel either in the cabin or cargo hold. Assistance & Service Dogs fly free of charge in the Azores Airlines cabin, but Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) aren’t recognised. You can also check out pet travel reviews for SATA Azores Airlines or leave a pet travel review if you’ve flown your cat or dog with Azores Airlines! Read on for the full Azores Airlines pet policy 2024.
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Table of contents
- Does SATA Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
- Does Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
- Does Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Cargo?
- SATA Azores Airlines Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
- Azores Airlines Banned Dog Breeds
- Azores Airlines Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
- Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
- SATA Azores Airlines Excluded Pet Flight Routes
- Are Pets Safe on Planes?
- Related Pages
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Does SATA Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
Small pets in their travel bags are accepted in the cabin of Azores Airlines flights, up to a combined weight of 8 kg. Your pet must be able to stand up, rotate and lie down in their travel carrier, and your chosen pet carrier must meet the specifications of Azores Airlines.
The maximum dimensions permitted for your pet’s travel carrier in the Azores Airlines cabin are L 55 x W 40 x H 20 cm.
A one pet per passenger rule applies, but, Azores Airlines accepts pets other than cats and dogs. The species of animals permitted to travel in the cabin are listed below.
| Azores Airlines Pet in Cabin Species |
|---|
| Aquarium Fish Cats Chinchillas Dogs Ferrets Guinea pigs Hamsters Rabbits Tortoises Turtles |
On the Azores Airlines flight, the travel container will be stowed underneath the seat in front of you and you can’t remove your pet during the flight for safety reasons.
IATA Regulations for Cats & Dogs Flying in the Cabin
While you need to ensure that your pet’s travel crate meets the maximum dimensions set by SATA Azores Airlines to fly in the cabin, remember that you must also adhere to the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This includes calculating the minimum inner crate dimensions allowed by the IATA LAR for your cat or dog to fly in the cabin. In addition, the airline pet travel carrier must adhere to the criteria set by the IATA LAR, in terms of ventilation, design etc.
If you’re new to pet travel, check out 8 IATA Compliant Airline Pet in Cabin Carriers.
Azores Airlines Pet in Cabin Price
The fess for flying small pets in the cabin one way with Azores Airlines depend on your chosen route. Note that fees are per pet, per flight.
- Domestic Flights, €6 per kilogram (your pet plus their travel carrier)
- Europe & Africa, €70 flat rate
- USA & Canada, €140 flat rate
Does Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
If your pet weighs between 8 kg and 45 kg, they must travel with Azores Airlines in the hold as checked baggage. In addition to a maximum weight of 45 kg for your pet plus their carrier, the maximum dimensions permitted for pets as checked baggage with Azores Airlines are L 100 x W 78 x H 69 cm.
If your dog’s weight or crate dimensions exceed the maximums allowed, they will have to travel in the Azores Airlines hold as cargo, instead of checked baggage. However, see the price table regarding dogs over 45 kg on flights to and from Frankfurt, the USA and Montreal.
The pet species permitted by Azores Airlines are listed in the table.
| Azores Airlines Pet in Hold Species |
|---|
| Aquarium Fish Bird (only selected birds, for which you can obtain information through one the Azores Airlines Sales Offices or the Customer Contact Centre) Cats Chinchillas Dogs Ferrets Guinea pigs Hamsters Rabbits Tortoises Turtles |
IATA Requirements for Pets Flying in Hold
For the safety of your pet during air transport, the airline travel kennel must meet the legal requirements of the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Therefore, in addition to ensuring that your cat or dog in their travel crate adheres to the maximum weight and dimensions set by SATA Azores Airlines, the minimum inner kennel dimensions defined by the IATA LAR must also be met.
You can calculate the minimum inner space permitted by the IATA LAR, in addition to learning about the required construction, design etc for the pet in hold travel crate.
Should you need a new travel kennel, check out 4 Popular IATA Compliant Pet in Hold Crates.
SATA Azores Airlines Pet in Hold Price
The transport of pets in the hold as checked baggage is included in the free baggage allowance. If the weight of your own checked baggage combined with the weight of your pet dog in their travel carrier exceeds the free baggage allowance, additional fees are applied by Azores Airlines.
Weight of Pet Plus Crate Domestic Flights | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cost of Excess Weight per kg (24 kg to 32 kg) | €6 per kg |
| Between 33 kg and 45 kg | €70 (in addition to €6 per kg for initial excess) |
Weight of Pet Plus Crate European Flights | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cost of Excess Weight per kg (24 kg to 32 kg) | €40 |
| Between 33 kg and 45 kg | €80 (in addition to €40 for initial excess) |
Dogs weighing more than 45 kg on flights to and from Frankfurt | €200 |
Fee for exceeding the number of pieces of checked luggage permitted | €60 |
Weight of Pet Plus Crate USA & Canada Flights | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cost of Excess Weight per kg (24 kg to 32 kg) | €120 |
| Between 33 kg and 45 kg | €200 (in addition to €120 for initial excess) |
Dogs weighing more than 45 kg on flights to and from the USA & Montreal | €300 |
| Fee for exceeding the number of pieces of checked luggage permitted | €130 |
Does Azores Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Cargo?
Dogs in their carriers weighing more than 45 kg, except on the routes stated in the above price tables, must fly as cargo. In addition, if your pet is travelling on a different flight from you, or you’re flying to a country that requires pets to arrive as cargo, your pet will have to fly with Azores Airlines Cargo.
Check out the differences between flying your pet as checked baggage or cargo, and be aware that the latter option is always significantly more expensive.
SATA Azores Airlines Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals, such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian Cats, can have trouble breathing during the flight, due to high temperatures and stress. To ensure their well-being, most snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals may not be transported in the hold. This means that these pets can only fly in the Azores Airlines cabin, they aren’t allowed to travel as checked baggage in the hold of the plane. It also isn’t recommended to fly as snub-nosed breed in the cargo hold, though many airlines do permit this method of transport.
When flying with a snub-nosed pet in the cabin, remember that you need to add 10% to your IATA compliant pet carrier calculation.
Azores Airlines Banned Dog Breeds
The following dog breeds classed as dangerous, can only be transported in the hold as cargo:
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Rottweiler
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Tosa Inu
Note that a reinforced airline travel crate is mandatory, you can see an example of an approved crate in 4 IATA Compliant Pet in Hold Crates.
Azores Airlines Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
SATA Azores Airlines welcomes certified, professionally trained Assistance & Service Dogs to fly free of charge in the cabin. If you plan on travelling with your Assistance or Service Dog, try to notify Azores Airlines at least 48 hours prior to departure. The required documentation and behaviour of the dog will be assessed at the airport to ensure safety requirements are met before approving them for travel.
Categories of Assistance & Service Dogs accepted by Azores Airlines
- Seeing Eye Assistance Dogs
- Hearing Assistance Dogs
- Service Dogs (to assist with psychological or physiological incapacity)
Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSVDs) are therefore accepted for free travel in the Azores Airlines cabin, on flights to and from the USA. But, Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are no longer recognised as Service Dogs, following a ruling by the US Department of Transport (USDoT). Therefore ESAs must travel under the standard SATA Azores Airline pet policy.
The Assistance or Service Dog must be trained by a certified national or international establishment, and your dog must carry the badge that classifies them in a visible way. When necessary, you must present your dog’s documentation to airline and airport staff.
Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
Azores Airlines is a Portuguese international pet friendly airline, so for flights within the EU, your cat or dog has to meet the EU Pet Travel Scheme criteria. This means that you’ll need to arrange either a Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate, and ensure that your cat or dog is microchipped and vaccinated against Rabies.
You can also check out the laws for taking a cat or dog to Portugal, as well as other worldwide destinations in 2024.
SATA Azores Airlines Excluded Pet Flight Routes
Due to government pet travel rules, you can’t fly your cat or dog in the cabin to certain countries. These rules are in place in some pet friendly destinations that are currently rabies free, in order to protect their borders. For example, when flying to the UK (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland), all pets arriving on a plane must travel as cargo in the hold.
At present, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extended the ban on dogs travelling to the USA from more than 100 high risk rabies countries. If your dog has visited any of these countries in the last six months, the same rules apply.
Are Pets Safe on Planes?
If you’re worried about your furry travel companion’s wellbeing when flying, check out our comprehensive post regarding pet safety on planes. While in the USA, a monthly report is provided for airline pet incident rates, there isn’t an equivalent in Europe at the moment. So, there’s no data available for incidents when flying pets in the hold with SATA Azores Airlines. Note that even the airline pet incident reports submitted in the USA are only for cats and dogs flying in the hold, and don’t include any in cabin events.
No doubt, at some point your trip will involve a car ride, so have a look at our 12 Essential Pet Car Safety Tips too. Should your cat or dog suffer from motion sickness, we’ve also compared some of the treatments, strategies and medications for pet travel nausea.
It’s important to be aware that you can’t sedate or tranquilize your cat or dog for their flight, whether your pet, or pets, are travelling in the Azores Airlines cabin or hold.
In addition, to protect your pet’s health and wellbeing in a new country, be sure to keep your cat or dog safe from vector-borne diseases. In particular, Heartworm from mosquitoes and Leishmaniasis from sandflies pose a serious pet threat in Southern Europe.
You might also want to check out 10 Pet Friendly Airlines in the EU, Pets in Cabin from the UK and 7 Transatlantic Pet Friendly Airlines.
And don’t forget the all important Essential Pet Travel Accessories!
Prior to booking, always view the Azores Airlines pet travel policy on their website for any recent changes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some airlines are frequently amending their rules for pets on planes.
Have a safe and wonderful trip, and remember to leave a pet travel review for Azores Airlines if you fly your pet cat or dog, in the cabin or hold!
