COPA Airlines Pet Restrictions & Fees

COPA Airlines Pet Policy

COPA Airlines welcomes small cats and dogs to travel in the cabin on select flights, as long as the combined weight of the pet and carrier does not exceed 20 lbs (9 kg). It is important to note that pets must remain inside their carrier for the entire duration of the journey. Each passenger is allowed to bring one carrier on board with one pet inside. During the journey, passengers are permitted to feed their pets as long as they remain inside their carrier. The fee for transporting pets in the cabin is $125 on international flights and $25 on domestic flights.

If your pet does not meet the requirements for cabin transport, COPA Airlines offers the option to transport them as cargo through Copa Pets. Cargo transportation is only available from Monday to Friday to ensure that the animals do not pass quarantine over the weekend. To be accepted as cargo, pets must be between 2 months and 11 years of age. However, there are certain breeds that are not accepted as cargo, including Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, English Bulldog, Canary Catch Dog, Argentine Dogo, Cane Corso, and Brasilian Fila. Snub-nosed breeds such as Boston Terrier, Boxer, Grifon de Bruselas, Bull Terrier, Holand Pug, English Toy Spaniel, French Bulldog, Japan Chin, Japan Pug, Pequines, Stafforshire, Bichon Principal, Maltes, Cavalier King, Charles Spaniel, Chow Chow, Lhasa Apso, Sharpei, Shihtzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Carlino Mastiff, and Dogue de Bordeaux will be handled with special care and may not be accepted on all flights. For more information on transporting your pet as cargo, you can contact the Reservations Team at (800) 359-2672.

When traveling in the cabin, soft carriers must not exceed the dimensions of 13" x 17" x 7.5" (33 cm x 43 cm x 19 cm), while hard carriers must not exceed 11" x 18" x 11" (28 cm x 45 cm x 28 cm). Carriers must be clean, well-ventilated, leak-proof, and should not allow any part of the pet to escape or stick out. They can be constructed of wood, metal, or plastic, with rigid or soft sides. It is important that the carriers provide enough space for the animals to stand, turn around, or lie down comfortably. Proper ventilation is also crucial for the well-being of the pets during transportation. For pets traveling as cargo, carriers can have dimensions ranging from 16” x 15” x 21” (40 cm x 38 cm x 53 cm) to 27” x 30” x 40” (68 cm x 76 cm x 101 cm).