Iberia dog in cabin: weight, carrier and fees

Iberia is one of the few airlines that lets you add your pet during the ticket purchase, with the price shown before you confirm. It accepts dogs and cats up to 8 kg and, unlike almost everyone else, also birds, tortoises and ornamental fish.

At a glance

• Cabin. up to 8 kg including the carrier
• Carrier. maximum 45 x 35 x 25 cm, sum within 105 cm
• Species accepted. dogs, cats, birds, tortoises, ornamental fish
• Spain fee. from €40 online, €44 at the airport
• Europe and North Africa fee. from €60 online
• America and Asia fee. from €180 online

Fees, published by zone

Iberia publishes its full price list, which few airlines do. Per segment: €40 within Spain (excluding the Canary Islands), €60 for the Canaries, Europe, North Africa and Israel, €180 for America, Asia and Qatar, booking online.

At the airport each line rises by roughly 10% (€44, €66 and €198), and on connecting flights the fees become €60, €80 and €200. If your itinerary crosses zones, the most expensive zone applies.

The price is per carrier, not per pet: two animals in the same bag pay once.

The carrier: watch the sum

Maximum dimensions are 45 x 35 x 25 cm, with an extra constraint: the sum of the three sides must not exceed 105 cm. The carrier must be robust, with a safe leak-proof base, and ventilated across at least 16% of the surface of its four sides.

On Iberia flights operated by Air Nostrum the carrier cannot be rigid — the classic exception people discover at the gate.

Up to three small animals of the same species can share one carrier.

The UK, Qatar and South Africa: routes to avoid

These restrictions derail the most trips, because they depend on the route rather than the dog's weight. To the United Kingdom, pets in the cabin are not accepted on flights to London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh; at London Gatwick they are not accepted on any flight, arriving or departing. In the hold, pets cannot travel to or from any UK airport: only cargo remains, booked through an agent.

To Doha pets are not accepted in the cabin, only in the hold. To South Africa neither cabin nor hold is allowed: cargo is mandatory. From Ireland, departing Dublin, the hold is not available.

There are also specific Iberia routes without hold carriage: Madrid to and from Boston, Fortaleza, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Recife, Toronto and Washington, plus Cairo, Tel Aviv and Keflavik on Iberia Express-operated flights. Cabin carriage remains possible on these routes.

The hold: weight, connections and booking

The maximum hold weight is 45 kg including the container, and you need prior authorisation from the Booking Offices with the required documentation. Book at least 48 hours before departure, stating the breed.

With a connection, transit time must be between 90 minutes and 4 hours: outside that window your pet cannot travel with you. Authorisation is only granted once every flight in the booking is confirmed.

Hold fees range from €90 (up to 10 kg, within Spain) to €385 (26-45 kg, America and Asia with a connection) and are payable at the airport only. On Iberia Regional Air Nostrum flights the container cannot exceed 83 x 65 x 56 cm.

Snub-nosed dogs: cabin yes, hold never

Iberia does not carry brachycephalic animals in the hold, as they are more exposed to heat stroke and breathing problems under stress or high temperatures. They remain accepted in the cabin within the 8 kg limit including the carrier.

The airline's list is broad and includes breeds many would not consider snub-nosed: alongside bulldogs, pugs, boxers and shih tzus, it also lists chihuahua, maltese, yorkshire terrier, pekingese, lhasa apso and shar pei. Among cats: Persian, Himalayan, Exotic and Burmese.

If your dog is on the list and exceeds 8 kg, it will not fly with Iberia: you need another carrier or cargo.

How to book

In the flight search, open the passenger drop-down and select "pet in cabin"; then state species, breed and the passenger responsible, accept the conditions and add it to the booking with the price displayed.

At check-in, staff verify the documents and complete the official IATA form. If any requirement is not met, transport can be refused.

The carrier cannot be placed on a seat, and you cannot sit next to an emergency exit.

Frequently asked questions

• Does Iberia allow dogs in the cabin?
  Yes, dogs and cats up to 8 kg including the carrier, which must measure at most 45 x 35 x 25 cm with the sum of dimensions within 105 cm. Birds, tortoises and ornamental fish are also accepted.
• How much does a dog in the cabin cost on Iberia?
  Booking online: €40 within Spain, €60 for the Canaries, Europe, North Africa and Israel, €180 for America, Asia and Qatar. Airport booking costs more, and connecting flights are €60, €80 and €200.
• Does Iberia accept snub-nosed dogs?
  In the cabin yes, in the hold no. Brachycephalic breeds are not carried in the hold; Iberia's list also includes chihuahua, maltese, yorkshire and pekingese.
• Can I book the pet space online with Iberia?
  Yes. Select "pet in cabin" in the passenger menu during the flight search and add it to your booking, with the price shown before you confirm.
• How many pets can share one carrier?
  Up to three small animals of the same species. The fee is per carrier, not per pet.

Experiences from people who flew Iberia

We have no verified stories for this airline yet. If you have flown with your dog or cat, tell us how it went: we only publish real, moderated experiences, and every story helps someone deciding right now. The others are in our experience archive.