TRAVELLING WITH AN ASSISTANCE DOG

Recognized assistance dogs (Service Animals – SVAN, e.g. seeing-eye dog, hearing dog, diabetes alert dog, mobility or seizure alert dogs) can be taken with you on board free of charge with Brussels Airlines. They must be fully trained to be obedient to your commands and must behave appropriately at any given stage of your itinerary. Please note the information on the following page on how to plan and book your journey with your assistance dog.

New Entry Regulations for Dogs into the USA

Due to new restrictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the entry regulations for dogs into the USA are changing. 

New bookings for dogs to the US with a flight date on or after August 1, 2024 will only be accepted for the airports in Washington DC, New York-JFK, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Update: with immediate effect, the transport of dogs to Newark (EWR) is possible again, provided that your dog has not been in a high-risk area (rabies) in the last six months before entering the USA.

Only dogs that are at least 6 months old will be accepted for travel to the USA.

Please also complete the CDC Dog Import Form. 

You must present the confirmation from the American authorities in digital or printed form when entering and leaving the country.

Animal transports as air freight are still possible. Passengers are requested to contact a pet shipping agent for this. 

To the CDC Dog Import Form (English)
For more information on the new regulations

Already confirmed bookings will be honored after August 1, 2024 provided all CDC requirements can be fulfilled. Full requirement details can be found on the CDC website. It is the passenger's responsibility to comply with all requirements. Failure to present the necessary documents required by the CDC upon check-in will result in Import/Transport refusal.

We continue to offer the following options if a dog's booking was confirmed before July 3, 2024: 

  • Rebooking to a flight before August 1, 2024 
  • Rebooking without the dog 
  • Refund of the ticket 

For further inquiries, passengers are requested to contact our service centers.

To the Service Center

The transportation of assistance dogs remains possible under the new CDC regulations, provided all CDC requirements can be fulfilled. Full requirement details can be found on the CDC website. It is the passenger's responsibility to comply with all requirements. Failure to present the necessary documents required by the CDC upon check-in will result in Import/Transport refusal.

If passengers already have a confirmed booking for themselves and their assistance dog, we ask that they contact our service center.

To the Service Center

What is an assistance dog?

An assistance dog is a dog that has been trained to assist a person with a disability or medical condition and has been determined as being able to travel safely in the aircraft cabin. For your assistance dog to travel with you in the cabin on Brussels Airlines, your assistance dog must:

  • be individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a passenger with a disability (be it a visual, sensory, motor or mental disability);
  • emotional support dogs, comfort/companionship and therapeutic dogs, without the need for any training beyond the basics are not considered assistance dogs.
  • We distinguish between assistance dogs on non-stop flights to/from the US & assistance dogs on all flights outside the US.
  • If your dog is not an assistance dog, the general requirements for taking pets in the cabin shall apply. These requirements can be found ​here.

How can I book a flight with my assistance dog?  

Assistance dogs can only be booked via our ​ Medical Assistance team at the latest 48h before departure. We ask you to provide us with the following information:

  • your booking number;
  • the dog’s breed and weight;
  • the dog’s age;
  • which task your dog is trained for or which task your dog performs for you; 
  • required forms (as indicated below).

In addition, based on your flight itinerary we will then ask you to send the required training certificate.

Which requirements apply?   

General requirements

To ensure the safe and undisturbed operation of the flight, your dog must be thoroughly trained to be obedient to your commands and must behave appropriately in a public space (in other words, no barking, growling, or jumping up at people or other animals).

On board:

  • your dog has to fit in the foot space in front of your seat and is not allowed to sit on a passenger seat;
  • be able to stay in the same spot for the whole flight duration;
  • be secured by leash to the seat, you have to be able to do this yourself;
  • we recommend securing the dog with a harness rather than a collar; 
  • we strongly request that you bring a muzzle as an added precaution and out of consideration for other passengers.

On no account may the dog relieve itself in the cabin or at the boarding gate, or may only be permitted to do so in such a way as to cause no health risk or hygiene problems.

If your dog does not behave in an appropriate manner, Brussels Airlines may refuse to transport the animal. You are liable for any damage and additional costs arising from the transport of your dog.

 

Approved assistance dogs (e.g. guide dogs, hearing dogs, diabetic alert dogs, seizure alert dogs) can be taken into the cabin free of charge on all flights operated by Brussels Airlines. Please register the animal for transport in the cabin up to 48 hours before departure.

You must submit:

  • a certificate from a training school which is accredited by the following organizations:
    • Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
    • Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu)
    • International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)

For flights outside the USA, we also require your written confirmation that the dog fulfils the requirements for travelling as an approved assistance dog.

It should be noted that, currently, self-learning portals and online-training portals are not recognized. As an alternative, we accept a training certificate from a dog training school that is accredited by one of the above-mentioned recognized organizations.

If you are flying directly to or from the United States, passengers are permitted to travel with an assistance dog, including a psychotherapeutic assistance dog. The dog must be individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, including a visual, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability, in the way and to the extent required and as defined by the United States. Department of Transportation (“US DOT”) regulations.

The definition of assistance animal and person with a disability should be understood as defined under Title 14 of the CFR §382.

NOTE: Pursuant to 14 CFR Part 382, emotional support animals are no longer classified as assistance animals under US DOT regulations, and Brussels Airlines will no longer accept or allow this category. 

If you are flying to/from the US, you will need to fill out two (2) US DOT forms, as a precondition of transportation. These will be provided after contacting and notifying that you will travel with an assistance dog via our ​Medical Assistance team.

Good to know

For flights with a scheduled flight time of 8 hours or more, you will need a written confirmation stating that your service animal will not need to relieve itself during the flight or can do so in a way that does not create a health or sanitation issue on the flight. 

Please note: from August 1, 2024, only dogs that are at least 6 months old will be accepted on trips to the USA.

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