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Be aware that air travel has risks for your pet
Airlines make considerable effort to ensure your pet's safety, however, the pets ride in the cargo hold and travel as airfreight. It's noisy, crowded, and not always climate-controlled. Your pet may not be exposed to temperatures of less than 45º unless your veterinarian signs a certificate stating otherwise. Contact your travel agent or the airline for specific information on fees and requirements.
Most airlines will refuse to ship a pet unless accompanied by a person flying on the plane and frequently restrict the number of pets that can be on board at any one time. Sometimes a shipper's certification is necessary. Your travel agent can help you with the arrangements. They may make arrangements for a pet-handling agency to take care of the shipping details. If your travel agent isn't taking care of this for you, assign the responsibility for these arrangements to one person in the family. Before making your reservations, check to be sure that the aircraft can carry the necessary sized crate for your dog. Not all airplanes can.
Most air travel for pets should be arranged 4 to 6 weeks in advance. Each airline has it's own requirements. Most airline and state officials require a health certificate dated within 10 days prior to travel and a valid rabies certificate before they'll let your pet fly with you. Traveling abroad sometimes assumes an automatic quarantine upon arrival for your pet. (Hawaii does, so contact your travel agent for assistance in this matter).
Dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old and have been fully weaned for at least 5 days before flying. The recommended minimum age is 12 weeks. Any animals that are ill, nervous, pregnant or in heat, should not be flown. There are also certain breeds that have breathing difficulties, such as ShihTzus, Pugs, Pekinese, Boxers, Bulldogs, Himalayan and Persian cats that shouldn't be shipped because of breathing difficulties at the thinner air at higher altitudes.
When should you fly?
Try not to fly during holidays or weekends, as the crush of travelers frequently causes delays and the service personnel are already overwhelmed and may not be able to adequately tend to your pet. Avoid very cold or very hot times of the year and try to schedule for early morning or late night flights during the summer or mid-day during the winter. The USDA has regulations governing the temperatures that animals can be shipped during. Try to book a nonstop flight to avoid transfers or delays. Try to choose priority or "counter-to-counter" shipping. You need to make arrangements with each airline if there is a transfer. Be aware that there is no through checking of animals.
Your vet can give you tranquilizers to calm your pet for a long journey, but this may not be desirable as it lowers blood pressure and could impair breathing. If you can't decide if your pet is physically strong enough for the flight, ask your vet. If your pet gets sick while riding in the car, motion-sickness pills may be required. It can also be helpful to cut back on their food the day before. Sometimes a single piece of sugar candy helps.
You are responsible for:
- Providing all health documents
- advance payment of all shipping charges
- providing a shipping container that is durably and legibly marked with your name and the person who is receiving the animal's name, address, phone number and any other contact information
- Many airlines recommend travel kennels that can be obtained from their own freight departments at a reasonable cost, however, suitable shipping and travel kennels can be purchased at pet shops, on-line pet stores and pet catalogs Selecting a kennel
- making sure the person receiving the animal knows the airline and flight number, time, place and date of arrival
- on time delivery to the air freight terminal
- allow up to two extra hours for check-in and arrival procedures. Call and confirm where the check-in and arrival locations are. They may be in a different part of the airport from the passenger terminal. Also check on the cutoff times for dropping your pet off.
- signing the shipping papers
- being sure the animal is picked up at the destination
Written instructions for food and water must accompany all pets, regardless of the amount of time they are scheduled to spend in transit.
If Your Pet can Travel in the Cabin
You may be able to fit your pet under the seat in front of you if it is less than 15 pounds, and is of a size to be kept in a carrier that is no larger than 21" X 18" X 8", and you are on a domestic flight. On international flights, you may be able to ship larger animals in the forward cargo bin, which are climate controlled, for an additional fee. Contact your travel agent or the airline for specific information on fees and requirements. A seeing-eye dog, properly harnessed, can normally travel free in the cabin with its master. The airlines must be notified before the flight.
Be courteous enough to let the persons setting around you know about the pet so they can change seats if they're allergic to pets. Be prepared to clean up any accidents by carrying plastic bags and paper towels with you.
If you're fortunate enough that your pet can travel in the cabin, take it with you when you check in. Most airports will require that you remove the pet from its crate at the security screening, so have a leash with you. After the crate goes through the x-ray screening, put your pet back in. It will not be allowed out during the flight. If you have to make a transfer, make sure ahead of time that the rules for the second airline coincide with your arrangements.
If Your pet can't Travel in the Cabin
On the Day of Departure
Make sure that your pet is wearing a collar with its identification on it. No choke collars. A nice flat-buckle collar that you can write on is best. A breakaway collar is best for cats. You don't want to chance that the collar will hang up on something and strangle your pet. Do not muzzle your pet as it impedes their ability to breathe.
If the pet has no trouble with motion sickness, feed it about 6 hours before flight time. Be sure it has water within 2 hours of flight time. Your veterinarian can give you more specific feeding and watering instructions.
Write "Live Animal" in big letters on the side and top of the crate. Draw arrows to show the upright position. On top of the crate, write the name, address and telephone number of the pet's destination, and who is picking up the animal.
Get to the airport early and exercise your pet and give it any necessary medication. Put it in it's crate, fasten the leash firmly to the outside of the crate, tape a photo of the pet on the crate and deliver it to the air terminal 2 hours before flight time if it's on a flight without you and 45 minutes early if its on the same flight with you. Double check the names, addresses, etc that you wrote on the kennel and its collar. Let the person picking your pet up know that it's on its way. When arrival time is near, have them check with the cargo office to be sure the flight is on time. They'll need the air waybill number to do this.
When you leave your pet off, you may want to ask if any dangerous substances are going to be in the cargo hold with your pet. If so, you may need to make a decision about how important this trip is to you. Consider insuring your pet for $10,000 to that greater attention will be paid to your pet.
Before Take-Off - Time to Double Check:
- Did you pay the shipping charges?
- are all health and shipping documents in order?
- Does your pet have on a flat-buckle collar with identification tags on?
- Is the shipping crate correct? Legibly labled? Securely latched? Leash attached?
- Does the person receiving your pet have all the information they need to pick him up?
Try to remain in the boarding area long enough to confirm that your pet has been loaded. After boarding, tell the captain and flight attendant that you have a pet on board and ask them to confirm that your pet has been loaded.
If the plane takeoff is delayed, ask the flight attendant to check on the temperature of the cargo hold. If the delay is too long, or the temperature is too high, ask for your pet to be removed.
If your flight has a transfer, check to be sure your pet doesn't remain in the cargo hold or out on the tarmac during the layover. If the layover is long, check to see if you can walk your pet before reboarding or if someone will walk it for you.
Airline Crates
All animals must be contained in a travel crate when traveling on an airline. Whether your pet is in the cabin, or is traveling as checked luggage in the cargo area, there are no exceptions. You can usually purchase or order an airline crate from a pet shop or online. Some airlines have crates that are reasonably priced and they prefer you to use.
You must know your pets':
- length from nose to base of tail
- width across the shoulders
- height in a standing position with its head up
It is important that your pet can stand, sit, turn around, and lie down comfortably throughout the flight. Airline crates must be:
- Large enough so the animal can stand without touching the top of the crate, turn around and lie down. The crate must not be so large that your pet is exposed to the risk of injury from a bumpy portion of the flight. Wire crates are prohibited. The crate cannot contain more than one adult dog or cat or no more than two puppies or kittens younger than 6 months and under 20 lbs.
- strong enough to withstand the rigors of being shipped and free of interior protrusions with exterior handles
- Have a leak proof floor that's covered with absorbent material such as bedding or newspaper, but not litter.
- be purchased enough in advance so that the pet has become acclimated to it.
- Be appropriately labeled on the top with name, address, phone number, flight information, destination information, arrival contact information and the words 'LIVE ANIMAL' in one inch letters. Put arrows pointing upwards on the four sides. Attach extra food, water, and any required medication to the outside of the crate along with a nice note with your pet's name, breed and a current photo. Instructions for handlers, and a twenty-four history of feeding, watering, and medication should be in the note.
- Be ventilated on opposite sides with exterior rims and knobs to keep airflow from being impeded and have a leash secured to the outside of the crate. The kennel cannot have wheels on it
- The crate must close securely with a mechanism that requires no special keys or tools to operate or unlock and must be easy for airline personnel to open in case of emergency.
- Secure two food and water dishes inside the crate so they are accessible from the outside. Freeze water in the water bowl before you secure it so the animal has something to lick if it needs water. Don't use ice cubes because they can choke on them, consume them all at once or spill them out. Don't put toys inside because they can choke on them.
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