Traveling with Pets on Cape Air

General Information for both Pets and Service Animals

Pets are accepted for transport subject to a service charge of $49 for transportation of a pet carrier or kennel containing up to two small pets from the same household.
This charge is waived for up to two bona fide Service Animals from the same household.
Advance notification that you are traveling with a Pet or Service Animal is recommended due to the limitation that only one passenger (or household) may travel with up to two pets or up to two service animals per aircraft.
Should multiple passengers (from different households) wish to travel with a Pet or Service Animal, only the passenger who first provided notification for travel with an animal will be permitted to travel, subject to available space.
Although Cape Air will make every effort to honor advance notifications for Pets and Service Animals, due to the size of our aircraft, weight and balance limitations, and space constraints inside the passenger cabin, the advance notification is not a guarantee that a Pet or Service Animal will be able to be accommodated on board any particular flight.
The Passenger who has first given notification may choose to purchase an additional seat in advance at the applicable passenger fare to ensure space is available for a Pet or Service Animal. If a seat is purchased to accommodate a Pet, the service charge shown above in section one will not apply
Customers must check and retrieve their Pets planeside for each Cape Air flight. Pets will not be automatically transferred between connecting Cape Air or other airline flights.
Customers must make their own arrangements directly with other airlines for connecting flights with other carriers. Please keep in mind that different policies, including carrier sizes and fees, may apply for each carrier.
Pets and Service Animals are accepted for transport subject to our Contract of Carriage.
Cape Air reserves the right to refuse carriage of Pets or Service Animals at any time on the basis of safety and aircraft limitations.

Health and Compliance with Applicable Regulations for both Pets and Service Animals

The Pet or Service Animal must be harmless, odorless, inoffensive, and suitable for in-cabin transport as determined by Cape Air in its sole discretion. A Customer assumes full responsibility for the safety, well-being and conduct of their Pet or Service Animal.
Cape Air assumes no responsibility for the impaired health or death of the Pet or Service Animal due to illness or injury when the animal has been handled by Cape Air with ordinary standards of safety and care or when Cape Air has acted in the interests of the entire flight such as in an emergency or a Force Majeure Event.
The Pet or Service Animal must have a current vaccination for rabies, and, to the best of the Customer’s knowledge, be free of fleas, ticks, or any other disease that would endanger others.
All Pets and Service Animals must be accompanied by a traveling Passenger who is the owner or a designee who assumes full responsibility for the animal. Cape Air will not transport Pets or Service Animals as unaccompanied freight.
Regulations at the Passenger’s final or intermediate destination(s) may apply and impose further requirements or restrictions. The Passenger assumes full responsibility for compliance with all government requirements, regulations, or restrictions, including entry permits and required health certificates of the country, state, or territory from and/or to which the animal is being transported. Please be advised that local quarantine requirements may apply, and Customers should consult local quarantine regulations in advance.

Pet Policies

Accepted Pets. Unless otherwise noted herein, noting certain market restrictions, Cape Air accepts as Pets domesticated cats, dogs, rabbits, and household birds for transport in-cabin when accompanied by the Customer.
Kennel Requirement. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a kennel or pet carrier suitable for transport of the Pet is required. It is the obligation of the Customer to provide such kennel.
The maximum kennel size is 28”x20.5”x20.5”
Appropriate Kennel Size. A Pet should be able to stand up and turn around comfortably in a properly-sized kennel. Multiple very small Pets (e.g., birds, rabbits, cats) from the same family may be transported within the same kennel providing this standard is met for both animals and it is deemed safe in the sole discretion of Cape Air.
Tecnam Traveller Kennel Requirements. All Kennels must be hard-sided. The kennel will be secured behind an opaque, secure divider separating the passenger compartment from the baggage compartment and, as a result, inaccessible physically and visually during all times on board the aircraft.
Cessna 402 Kebbek Requirements. A Kennel may be soft or hard-sided. The kennel will be secured by a net behind the last row of seats inside of the passenger cabin, but will be inaccessible to the passenger during the flight.
Routes where a Kennel is not Required. For travel exclusively between Hyannis, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vinyard or between these locations and New Bedford or Norwood, a kennel is not required. The pet must be a dog weighing less than 80lb, and must be retrained with a leash, harness, or other similar device. The dog must be situatied in a location that does not obstruct access to the aisle or exits.
Flights to/from New York City (JFK). Only small cats and dogs are permitted. Animal and kennel combined must not exceed 20 pounds. Maximum size of kennel is 17” (L) x 12.5” (W) x 8.5” (H).
Caribbean Embargoes. Only dogs and cats are allowed for any flight to/from Anguilla (AXA), Tortola (EIS), Nevis (NEV), St. Kitts (SKB)
Britten Norman Islander (BNI) Aircraft Embargo. No Pets are accepted for travel for any flight operated by this aircraft type between any locations.
Adult Poultry Embargo. In order to ensure compliance with the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, Cape Air does not transport live adult poultry.

Service Animal Policies

Approved Service Animals. A dog, regardless of breed or type, which is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Untrained emotional support or comfort animals may not travel as Service Animals.
Harnesses and Securing the Service Animal. Service Animals must be secured with a harness, leash, or otherwise tethered while at the airport gate, on the ramp, and onboard the aircraft, and remain under the direct control of the accompanying Service Animal Handler at all times.
Carriage. Service Animals are expected to fit within the Passenger’s foot space, leaving the aircraft aisle unobstructed. Federal regulations require that the Service Animal must not obstruct emergency exit rows, aisles, or any other area that is required to be clear to facilitate an emergency evacuation. A Cape Air agent will work with the Customer to determine the appropriate seating arrangement, considering all the specific circumstances for a particular flight
For transport in the Cessna 402. There is additional space in the aft of the Passenger cabin which allows for some flexibility in accommodating Service Animals.
For transport in the Tecnam Traveller. Due to the location of the emergency exits and internal seating configuration, some Service Animals may be too large to be accommodated within the Passenger’s foot space without obstructing designated emergency exit rows or aisles. Any Service Animal which exceeds approximately 18 inches tall (measured to the shoulder) or 35 pounds in weight is likely too large to be safely accommodated within Passenger’s foot space.
For transport in the Britten Norman Islander. Due to the nature and size of the Britten Norman Islander aircraft, Service Animals in excess of 35 pounds are likely too large to be safely accommodated on this aircraft type. This range does not represent a limit but is intended to offer general guidance as to whether the Service Animal may be too large to safely be accommodated in this manner. Please see additional options in the Section entitled “Large Service Animals.”
Large Service Animals. For large Service Animals which do not fit within the Passenger’s foot space, there are additional options, some of which vary by aircraft type due to the configuration which impacts where Service Animals can safely travel onboard. Although every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate all approved Service Animals on board, some Service Animals may be too large to be safely accommodated. Customers with large Service Animals are encouraged to contact Cape Air in advance to be sure the animal can be safely transported on board our relatively small-sized aircraft.
- - When available, Cape Air will offer the option to secure the Service Animal within the foot space of a nearby unoccupied seat, or in the aft of the Passenger cabin near the cargo area. Cape Air will work with the Customer to choose the best location for securing the Service Animal and ensure the animal is properly restrained using the restraining devices provided by the Customer. If there is no unoccupied space, the aircraft is at maximum weight, or the aircraft is otherwise unable to safely accommodate the Service Animal on a particular flight, Cape Air will offer the Customer and Service Animal to travel on a later flight where space may be available to safely accommodate the Customer and Service Animal on board. Customers also have the option to purchase an additional seat in advance for their Service Animal, ensuring the availability of a nearby unoccupied seat where the Service Animal may be safely secured for transport. Customers desiring this option should reach out to our Contact Center and published Passenger fares apply.
  - Service Animals which are too large to be transported in the passenger compartment of the aircraft may alternatively be transported, at no additional cost, in a kennel provided by the Customer so long as the kennel maximum size limits in the Sections above are met, along with all other provisions within this Section entitled “Service Animals.” This option is available for travel in the Tecnam Traveller. Although Customers may provide a kennel for travel in the Cessna 402, it is stowed in the same location where a Service Animal may be tethered so the kennel does not expand the available space. There is no space on board the Britten Norman Islander for transport of a kennel.
Identification of the Animal as a Service Animal. Cape Air may accept as evidence that the animal is a Service Animal such physical indicators as identification cards, harness markings or types, vests, tags, or other credible assurances. Cape Air may also rely on observed behavior that the animal presented appears trained; That is, the animal is under the control of its handler and does not engage in disruptive behavior which demonstrates that it has not been successfully trained to behave properly in a public setting. Such behavior may include running freely in a gate area, repeated barking, or growling, or urinating in the cabin or gate area. The US Department of Transportation allows airline representatives to ask passengers if the animal is required to accompany the passenger because of a disability, and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform.
Responsibility of the Passenger/Handler. The Service Animal Handler assumes full responsibility for the safety, well-being, and conduct of its Service Animal, including the interaction of the Service Animal with other Passengers who may come in contact with the animal while on board the aircraft
Refusal to Transport. Cape Air may refuse transport of a Service Animal when any of the following circumstances apply. In assessing the below, Cape Air will consider if measures exist to mitigate the problem, allowing the animal to be safely and legally transported. If the Service Animal must be refused transport pursuant to this Section, Cape Air will provide a written statement of the reason for the refusal within ten (10) calendar days.
1. When the animal’s carriage would violate applicable safety or health requirements of any U.S. Federal agency, U.S. territory, or foreign government.
2. When the animal poses a Direct Threat to the health or safety of others. This determination is based on an individualized assessment, independent of the dog’s breed or generalized physical type, based on a reasonable judgment relying on the best available objective evidence to ascertain the nature, duration and severity of the risk, the probability that the potential injury will actually occur, and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedure will mitigate this risk.
3. When the animal causes a significant disruption in the aircraft or at an airport gate area, or its behavior on the aircraft or at an airport gate area indicates that it has not been trained to behave properly (e.g., running freely, barking or growling repeatedly at other persons on the aircraft, biting or jumping on people, or urinating or defecating in the cabin or gate area.) This determination is based on an individualized assessment, independent of the dog’s breed or generalized physical type, based on a reasonable judgment relying on the best available objective evidence to ascertain the probability that the misbehavior and/or disruption will continue to occur, and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedure will mitigate the misbehavior and/or the disruption.