Travelling Pets

Flying with your Pet

LAST UPDATED: July 19, 2009

The various airlines worldwide have different rules and regulations regarding traveling with your pet based on their company regulations, insurance guidelines, and also the country specific mandates on the import/export of animals. At Travelling Pets, we regard our pets as living members of our lives, however, you will find that with most of these airlines, pets are considered baggage (so sad). Therefore, if you are having difficulty locating the pet information for an airline, start with the baggage section. That being said, we have focused our efforts on providing information and promoting airlines that respect pets as more than a suitcase. We have also provided the details of airlines that provide pet travel in the cargo hold as well as shipping companies that we feel will respect your loved one, as this method of transport may be a necessary last resort for some travellers.

As a general rule, any service pets (i.e. guide dogs) are permitted on all airlines and we will only indicate airlines that do not allow them.

This post will be updated on a regular basis with new companies and new information. This site should be used as a guide. All information should be checked on the individual airline and government sites for country specific pet travel requirements to ensure that the information is correct and current.



Airline Overview:

	Air Berlin: Pets in Cabin: YES, 6kg, carrier: (cm) 55 x 40 x 20, 20 EUR one way Pets in Hold: YES, over 6kg, 30 EUR one way (short/med-haul), 60 EUR one way for flights of 3,000+ miles
	Air Canada: Pets in Cabin: YES, 10kg, carrier: (cm) 23 x 40 x 55, $50 CAD for CAN/US, $100 CAD International Pets in Hold: YES, 32.5kg, must stand, turn around and lie down
	Lufthansa: Pets in Cabin: YES, 8kg (incl. carrier), (cm) 20 x 40 x 55 Pets in Hold: YES, details at Lufthansa Reservation Office

Airline Details:


Air Berlin

Pets in Cabin: YES, 6kg (incl. carrier), carrier: (cm) 20 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, over 6kg, carrier: animal must stand, turn around and lie down

Pets can be carried either in the cabin or in the hold, depending on the animal's weight and size. Pets must be carried in an enclosed container that is leak-proof and escape-proof. They must have enough space to be able to stand in their normal position. They must also have space to lie down. The pet carrier must be provided by the passenger. Early registration is required. The carriage of pets can be registered by contacting the Air Berlin Service Centre any time up to 48 hours before departure. As space is limited, please contact the service centre before booking to find out whether there is still enough room on your preferred flight for your pet.

Pets weighing up to 6 kg

You can take dogs and cats with you into the cabin if they are in a suitable pet carrier (max. measurements 55 x 40 x 20 cm, adequate ventilation) that weighs no more than 6 kg with contents. The animal’s head is not allowed to protrude from the pet carrier nor is the animal permitted to leave the carrier at any time during the flight. On no account are passengers allowed to place the pet carrier on a seat, not even if an additional seat has been purchased.

Pets weighing more than 6 kg

Pets weighing more than 6 kg including the pet carrier are transported in the hold. They must also be in a suitable pet carrier. Please note that all carriers used to transport animals in the hold must have a water/feed container that can be filled from outside. The water/feed container must not be filled during the flight.

Air Canada

Pets in Cabin: YES, 10kg, carrier: (cm) 23 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, 32.5kg, carrier: animal must stand, turn around and lie down


Air Canada never used to allow pets in the cabin which was very confusing since other Star Alliance companies such as Lufthansa allowed them. For instance, if you wanted to book a flight from Frankfurt to Toronto and you used the Lufthansa website, you had to make sure that the flight number started with LH to ensure that it was actually a Lufthansa plane or you would find out at the airport that your pet could not board the Air Canada plane (discovered through personal experience).

Thankfully, it looks like Air Canada is trying out the "pets in the cabin" system starting July 1, 2009. It seems to be a slightly complicated system over other airlines with pre-registration and a whole plethora of rules and regs but in the end, your little buddy will be able to fly with you under the seat in front of you.

This is a new feature for Air Canada and we presently have little experience with this service. We welcome your comments.


Pets in Cabin:

• 10 kg max
• carrier: airline approved to be able to fit under seat (cm) 23 x 40 x 55, leak-proof, ventilated, hard or soft ok.
  
• pet should be able to sit up and turn around in the carrier
  
• has to be an Air Canada or Jazz flight
• only 1 pet per person
• charge: $50 CAD for Canada/US; $100 CAD International
  
• must pre-register (only a certain number of pets are allowed per flight): must be done within 24 hrs of booking your flight
  
• when you pre-register, you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
• must arrive 30 minutes prior to suggested check-in time
• pet must be kept in carrier under the seat for entire flight (cannot be let out)
• carrier counts as your one carry-on item

Pets not allowed in Cabin on flights to and from Australia, Columbia (no cats; only small dogs allowed), Hawaii, Hong Kong, Jamaica, New Zealand, Peru and the United Kingdom.


Pets in Hold:

• must contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262) within 24 hrs of your booking
• pet must be pre-registered
• when you pre-register, you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
• pet and carrier must have a combined weight of less than 32.5 kg
  
• no more than 2 pets per person
• pets over 14 kg must have their own separate carrier
  
• 2 pets not weighing more than 14 kg each may travel together in same carrier
• carrier must be hard plastic, leakproof and with ventilation holes
  
• pet must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably
  

More details are available on the pet page of the Air Canada website. It is also important to check out the country specific details of required age of your pet as well as vaccination and medical history.


Lufthansa

Pets in Cabin: YES, 8kg (incl. carrier), carrier: (cm) 20 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, details when you contact Lufthansa Reservation Office

There is a fee that must be paid for your pet to travel which is paid at the airport once you have checked-in. As a rough guide, an 8kg dog and carrier travelling from Toronto to Frankfurt is about $200 CAD each way. You must go through the same procedure on your return flight (check-in, then pay). Arriving at the airport a few minutes ahead of the suggested time for check-in is a good idea since in most cases, to pay for your pet, you must stand in a different line after you have checked-in (most times it is the excess or bulkly luggage counter that can be very slow). There you will be issued your boarding passes. Also, Lufthansa is quite strict about the "in-cabin" weight of the dog and carrier not exceeding 8kg.


Pets in Cabin:

• 8 kg max (incl. carrier)
  
• carrier must be airline approved to be able to fit under seat (cm) 20 x 40 x 55, leak-proof, ventilated, hard or soft ok.
  
• pet should be able to sit up and turn around in the carrier
  
• charge varies (8kg "pet & carrier" travelling from Toronto to Frankfurt is approximately: $200 CAD each way)
  
• must contact Lufthansa Reservation Office within 24 hrs of booking your flight (only a certain amount of pets are allowed per flight; if there is already too many pets on that flight, Lufthansa will cancel your ticket free of charge provided you have contacted them within the 24 hr period). During this contact you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
• must arrive 30 minutes prior to suggested check-in time
• pet must be kept in carrier under the seat for entire flight (cannot be let out)
• carrier counts as your one carry-on item

Pets in Hold:

• must contact Lufthansa Reservation Office for information and to provide details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier; must provide your own carrier that complies with the relevant IATA [International Air Transport Association])
• carrier must be hard plastic, leakproof and with ventilation holes
  
• pet must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably
  

More details are available on the pet page of the Lufthansa website. It is also important to check out the country specific details of required age of your pet as well as vaccination and medical history.