Which airlines can you take pets on?
If you're flying internationally you've got a good choice of airlines.
British Airways lets cats and dogs travel as hand luggage or in the hold,
Virgin Atlantic allows cats, dogs and, bizarrely, ferrets to travel as
cargo in the hold, KLM will carry pets as hand luggage, checked luggage
or as freight, Lufthansa carries pets as hand luggage or cargo, American
Airlines carries cats, dogs and domestic birds in the cabin or in the hold
and many of the other large international airlines also transport animals.
Whichever airline you choose to fly though, you will always need to call
and reserve your pet's travel before you go. Each airline has slightly
different regulations about what and how they will carry animals, so if
you're not sure call and ask, it's the only way to find out that if you
want to take a ferret to America you should fly Virgin, but if you want
to take your pet parrot, you'll need to fly American Airlines. While some
airlines allow pets in the cabin, others do not and though there is always
an administrative charge for transportation of animals, these can vary
hugely by airline. Research all these factors before you decide with whom
to fly.
Low-cost airlines
Perhaps unsurprisingly, all the UK based low-cost carriers will not
allow pets to travel in the cabin. Only Flybe will allow pets to travel
in the hold as cargo. You can reserve by calling 01293 814340. Some European
discount airlines have different rules, however, so if you flying within
Europe try and arrange your route with one of these airlines:
Germanwings allows cats and dogs to travel as hand luggage, travelling
in a waterproof box, as long as the total weight is less than 8kg and the
total dimensions less than 45 x 29 x 22cm. The cost is a fantastically
small £17 and pets can be booked on the reservations number 01805
955 855.
The Scandinavian low-cost carrier Sterling.dk allows cats and dogs
to travel in the cabin instead of a hand luggage baggage as long as the
dimensions do not exceed 50x40x25cm and the weight does not exceed 10kg.
Pets can also be carried in the hold for a cost of €6 per kilo. Forms
must be filled out online to reserve pet transportation.
How to carry your pet?
You can book your pet to fly two different ways: accompanied or unaccompanied.
Accompanied flying does not necessarily mean that Rover will be able
to sit with you - some airlines allow pets to travel as hand luggage whereas
others will insist that they are checked-in to the hold. If the animal
is travelling with you, the kennel in which it is travelling will have
to be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you and the standard
maximum allowable weight is normally 8-10kg. Normally, only one pet is
allowed per kennel (and only one kennel per passenger) though some airlines
will permit very small animals to travel together, usually with a maximum
of two per kennel, so two young puppies, under the age of six months, might
be allowed to travel together. But note that no airline will transport
animals that have not yet been weaned.
If your pet is travelling in the hold, you must provide enough food
and drink for it for the journey and you must have fed it within four hours
of the departure time. The hold is usually left dark so that the animals
can settle down to a good sleep and the temperature is controlled. Be careful
if flying in the summertime as pets will not be carried on planes if the
temperature is expected to exceed 85F at any point in the journey. Snub-nosed
dogs and some breeds of cats (such as Siamese) have even stricter travel
procedures, because they find it harder to breathe than other animals…
Some airlines refuse to carry them in the hold at all and none will permit
them to travel if the temperature is expected to be above 75F at any point
in the journey.
For animals travelling unaccompanied, restrictions are often less strict
and this is the only means of transportation for animals that are not cats,
dogs or other standard domestic pets. Remember that the cargo departments
of most airports are separate to the passenger terminals, so make sure
you know where you need to go to pick them up.
Rules for travel
The method for transportation of animals is very strict to ensure that
your pet is comfortable, happy and healthy in the air. The following are
standard rules for travel, but do check with the individual airline as
variations occur.
Documentation must be ready in advance of travel. Some countries require import licences and records of vaccinations will always be needed. A certificate is required from a vet stating that the animal is in good health and it must have been issued within 14 days before travel.
Kennels must be big enough for the pet to sit, stand and move around in and must be well ventilated on all four sides. The animal must not be able to fit its nose or paws outside the mesh or ventilation holes. The kennel must be locked in a secure way and, though this goes without saying, the pet must not be able to open it. Water and food containers must be accessible from the outside. The container must be marked "live animals" on the side, in letters at least an inch high.
Pet's passport: The DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) Pet Travel Scheme (commonly known as pet's passport) lets animals from certain countries enter the UK without undergoing the six month quarantine period. This means that you can bring your pet back into the UK as well, without them having to undergo quarantine. To meet the rules of the scheme, your pet needs to be fitted with a microchip, vaccinated against rabies and then blood-tested. You then have to wait for six months after the animal has been blood-tested to check that the vaccine was successful to get the documentation from the vet that will allow it to travel and your pet will be issued with an EU passport. The scheme applies to dogs, cats and the ever-popular ferret. Other domestic animals such as birds, rabbits, rodents and fish can also be transported under the scheme, though, obviously, they do not have to be microchipped or given rabies vaccinations. The scheme is excellent for providing easy transportation of animals in the UK, but it does take time to follow the procedures, so make sure you start at least seven months before you're due to fly - it's no good turning up at the passport office with a mugshot of your moggy…
Extras…
Just so they know they're as welcome as human passengers, Virgin Atlantic
and United Airlines have launched frequent flyer programmes for pets. Virgin's
Flying Paws reward scheme lets animals win gifts for themselves and air
miles for their owner. On their first flight, the animals will receive
a "welcome onboard pet pack" complete with doggy t-shirts, toy mouse or,
for the ferrets, a flying jacket and collar tag. All pets will receive
their own passport, which lets them collect paw prints that they can redeem
for gifts. United's programme, United Pet Pass, lets owners earn an extra
1,200 air miles when their pets travel with them.
