Pet Air Travel

Pet Air Travel

Flying the Pet-Friendly Skies with petswelcome.com

OK. So you booked your pet-friendly hotel with petswelcome.com. Well done! But now you need to get where you’re going with your pet. And there’s 3,000 miles of ocean between you and your hotel. Or a lot of road and traffic. Or you don’t want to spend 30 hours driving with your cousin who, whenever he sits in the backseat of a car, insists that everybody sings in unison the theme songs of his favorite 1960s TV shows, like F Troop and Bewitched and Hogan’s Heroes. The whole trip. So a plane, then, is really your only option because sanity is essential, if only when you’re on vacation.

Most people feel that it’s next to impossible to take their pet on a plane when, in reality, it’s largely a matter of being well informed. While we do not recommend you take your animal on a plane (except as carry-on baggage), we know that sometimes you may not have a choice. Unfortunately, if you own anything larger than a small dog, you cannot take it in the cabin. This means your pet has to travel as checked baggage or cargo. Not a great option. But, whatever the case, knowledge is power and so we’ve gathered as much information as possible from all the major airlines so that you will be familiar with their particular rules and policies.

Airline Pet Policies

These are the airlines for which we have pet policies covered on PetsWelcome so far – we’re working on expanding this list, so if the airline you want to see listed isn’t here, please let us know!

Tips for Air Travel with Pets

Here are some general airline travel tips for pets to bear in mind:

  • Never sedate your pet on a flight. High altitudes and sedatives are a dangerous combination and should never be mixed.
  • Always have your pet’s leash and collar easily accessible for walking prior to departure, but do not take the pet out of the kennel inside the airport.
  • Identification tags for your pet and travel kennel, including pet’s name, home address and phone number, are essential.
  • Never use a muzzle on your pet during travel, as this is dangerous to the pet.
  • Familiarize your pet with the kennel prior to the trip so that it is comfortable to him/her at travel time.
  • Always make advanced reservations or arrangements with the airline when you are making your own reservations. The airline always reserves the right to refuse travel if there are too many pets on board, so make sure you advise them early.

Whether your pet will travel with you in the cabin or as checked luggage in the cargo area (this will be primarily determined by size), your pet will need to be contained in a dog crate or cat carrier for the entire trip. Most pet supply stores carry both soft-sided (for in cabin travel) and hard-sided kennels approved for air travel. Additionally, the airlines also sell kennels at the counter. As always, check with the airline first to arrange for this purchase.

In selecting a kennel, you must first determine the proper size. Your pet’s size is determined by the following:

  • Length: from nose to root of tail
  • Width: length across shoulders
  • Height: in standing position with head erect, from ground to highest point

It is important that your pet can stand, sit, turn around, and lie down comfortably throughout the flight.

photo by Irumiha

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2 thoughts on “Pet Air Travel

  1. Would like to take my poodle with me on my trip July 13 to Bentonvill Arkansas,Fl Confirmation number 7Lkmyb. Flight 628,SFB XNA July 12, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    Linda Sayre