Why can’t my Pet Travel on Any Available Flight?

By: Bridget Monrad, R.N. | Aug 07, 2015

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Pet shipping is much more complex than most people think. It is not as simple as people travel where you can just buy a ticket and go.  There are many more considerations when it comes to live animal shipments such as the airline, the type of aircraft, and the size of your pet. 

Not all airlines have the proper policies and equipment to ship pets. Some have restrictions which only allow pets to fly in the cabin and not as cargo.  This greatly restricts which type of pets can fly (please refer to our Cabin vs. Cargo Blog for more information).  Any aircraft which is able to ship pets as cargo must have a designated live animal section which is temperature controlled, pressurized, and oxygenated.  This ensures that your pets can breathe normally and are comfortable during transit.  This area is also separate from the traditional cargo or luggage hold of the aircraft, so you do not have to worry about your furry family member simply being treated as a piece of luggage.  At Happy Tails Travel we work only with airlines with the very best pet policies in place, who treat your family member as a VIP (very important pet)!   

Another aspect of the VIP service is how your pet is handled before, during, and after the flight.  With our pet-approved airlines we ensure that your cats, dogs, and other furry friends are handled with care throughout their entire journey.  This means that before flight, during any layovers, and after flight, your pets are kept in a heated or air-conditioned building, given more water if needed, and are transported around the airport in temperature controlled vehicles.  Pets are also always the last ones loaded onto the aircraft and are the first ones taken off.  This helps ensure your pets’ safety and comfort so that they are not waiting on the tarmac longer than necessary. 

While an airline and aircraft may be pet-friendly, there are further restrictions which depend on the size of the aircraft and the size of your pet.  Just as different pets require different size crates, each aircraft is built differently and has different size cargo doors.  The size of the cargo door and weight of the aircraft, limits the size of the crate and the number of animals, which may fly on an aircraft at any one time.  Many airlines simply use a “first come, first serve” rule if you are shipping your pet yourself where you have to make sure you are first in line so that your pet gets onboard, however if you work with a pet travel specialist, you can guarantee your furry family member a spot on a specific flight. 

Another challenge faced by many pet owners arises when shipping large pets to smaller cities or shipping pets internationally from a smaller city.  This becomes a challenge as smaller cities or non-international airports often use smaller aircraft, many of which are not pet-friendly.  Additionally, if you need to ship your pet internationally from a small city, they will first be required to travel to a large international airport before they can make the trip across the pond! Again these domestic flights do not always use pet-friendly aircraft, and if a route is possible, there is a good chance your pet will have to change airlines from a domestic to an international airline, which incurs additional costs.  Come back next week for a new blog describing in more detail the challenges of remote locations!

When you hire a professional pet agent, such as Happy Tails Travel, you are hiring someone who knows each airline and will ensure that your pet will travel on the safest, most pet-friendly airlines.  Please fill out our Pet Travel Form for more information or a quote today!