Service dogs, coded SVAN (Service Animal), are trained to guide, assist or give medical alerts. They can travel with passengers who have a range of conditions or disabilities.
Guide dogs
- Visual disability.
- Hearing disability.
Medical alert dogs
- Help passengers with balance problems by acting as a counterweight.
- Detect changes in blood sugar levels in passengers with diabetes.
- Warn of a possible epileptic episode or seizure.
- Detect changes in heart rate or blood pressure linked to tachycardia.
Keep in mind
- On all routes except to or from the United States: up to 1 SVAN per passenger.
- On routes to or from the United States: up to 2 SVAN per passenger.
- The dog must be at least 4 months old. For flights to or from the United States, the minimum age is 6 months.
- The service is available on LATAM-operated flights, except on routes to or from the Galápagos Islands and Aruba.
- On all routes except to or from the United States, the passenger must show a printed or digital certificate proving the dog's training, issued by an accredited body or an equivalent organization in that country.
- The training certificate must name the passenger as the dog's owner or trainer. The trainer's name is only accepted in Chile, Brazil and Colombia.
- Add the dog's name to the booking with an OSI. It must match the name on the certificate.
- The Service Dog Transportation Form must be completed, signed by the passenger or the SVAN's owner and presented at the airport.
- Service dogs travel free of charge and don't count toward the passenger's baggage allowance.
Traveling with a service dog doesn't replace medical clearance when the passenger's condition calls for it.
Service dogs still in training
| Country | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Brazil | Accepted when handled by a responsible family member or by the trainer, as long as that person is properly accredited or certified. |
| Chile | Accepted only when handled by the trainer, properly accredited or certified. This doesn't apply when the dog in training travels with the passenger who needs its assistance; in that case the dog must have finished its training. Applies to domestic flights and international flights to or from Chile. |
| Colombia | On flights to, from or within Colombia, the dog must travel with both its owner and its trainer. It also has to wear a green vest and carry the matching accreditations. |
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Special requirements by destination
- London (LHR), England: before traveling, the passenger should check the paperwork and entry authorization required, including the Pre-Approval Letter, on the official Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC) site.
- Curaçao (CUR): the passenger must contact the Curaçao Government Veterinary Service to request entry authorization and the import permit at least 72 hours before arrival.
Flights to, from or via the United States
Under DOT rules, a service animal is a dog trained to work or perform tasks for a person with a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. These forms must be completed:
- DOT Service Animal Form: required for every passenger traveling with a SVAN, certifying the dog's health, training and behavior.
- DOT Relief Attestation Form: also required on flights longer than 8 hours, stating that the dog won't need to relieve itself during the flight or can do so hygienically.
Form requirements
- Send them through the contact form on LATAMairlines.com at least 48 hours before departure.
- Show them at the airport, digital or printed.
- They must be dated after the ticket purchase date.
- They must be valid for both the outbound and the return trip.
- Every field must be filled in by the passenger.
The dog's paperwork
- Acceptance of the dog depends on the health and documentation requirements set by the authorities in each country of origin, transit and destination.
- On domestic flights within Brazil, the passenger must show an up-to-date vaccination card.
- On international flights from Brazil, the passenger must show an up-to-date vaccination card and the International Animal Health Certificate.
- Dogs may be barred from entering the United States if they come from countries at high risk for dog rabies, or if they have been in one of those countries in the past 6 months.
Seats
- Service dogs can't be seated in emergency exit rows.
- A window seat is the preferred assignment.
- On B787 aircraft, don't assign the center seats in row 30.
- The dog must stay on the floor at the passenger's feet, under the seat in front, without blocking the aisle.
Under the rules for passengers with disabilities, front-row seats in the Economy cabin stay available until 24 hours before departure for passengers with reduced mobility or traveling with a service dog.
| Aircraft type | Seat held |
|---|---|
| A319 | 1C |
| A320 | 1C |
| A321 | 1C |
| B767 | 12D |
| B787 | Depends on the aircraft configuration |
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Once the 24-hour mark passes, Special Services can release these seats to other passengers. The front-row hold covers only the passenger with a disability; if they travel with a companion, the companion goes in another block of seats where the two can sit together.
Because of the space needed in the front row, a passenger traveling with a SVAN can't also bring a pet in the cabin (PETC).
Leash, harness and muzzle
- Aviation authorities require the service dog to wear a leash or harness for the entire flight.
- A muzzle must always be carried, but it only needs to be used on board if the situation calls for it.
- Once the service is confirmed, the travel manager should add an OSI to the booking as proof that the passenger was told about the conditions and restrictions for the muzzle and the leash or harness.