Travelling via road or through the sky, a pet lover’s journey becomes meaningful when their beloved animals accompany them and make it more enjoyable. Road travel and domestic air travel hardly causes the owner any trouble; however, overseas travel via air becomes a serious concern.
As at first, everything seems tough and impossible, I hereby come up with some simple practices to implement before/during/after your international trip to make it a memorable one where you and your furry companion can relish every bit of your travel.
Take a rundown at the useful tips which would guide you at every step of your Air Travel with pets.
#1 Review the Top Airlines Transporting Pets
Relocating or going for a vacation, irrespective of the reason, the first thing that worries is the pet travel, especially when you need to travel via air. The first considering point here is to look for the best airlines that have a good name in transporting the furry animals with no/least records of pet missing or fatalities.
As in the year 2018, 10 animal pets died during their air travel and some popular U.S. airlines had a minimum of one pet fatality (Wallethub Report), one would never want to witness such a situation and must do in-deep research on the airline’s and their pet policies.
AA does well with pet transport and one can go for looking out the American Airlines pet policy to get an idea of the basic requirements as well as the restrictions applied for carrying pets to/from a destination.
The Asian travellers can look for some of the best Asian Airlines providing satisfactory air travel services with pets, having less restricted pet policies which makes
Moreover, if you prefer any other airline, I would suggest you to look for Top Airlines to Fly with Pets which have earned their name by providing excellent services to passengers as well as their tamed animals by clearly describing their pet carrying rules and regulations.
If you are planning to fly with your furry friend, consider booking your tickets from Faremart.com that provides satisfactory air travel services and 24/7 assistance for solving all your queries.
#2 Creature Categories Do Matter
Yes indeed! Majorly there are two types of animals, dogs, and cats who are permitted to accompany their owners either in the cargo hold or carry on. Nevertheless, some airlines do allow birds and other pets to be transported with a few limitations.
As per the pet, the fee also varies for each considering the one-way trip. Frontier starts from $75 USD, Southwest $95 USD, Alaska $100 USD, and the range may go up to $200 as well.
Service and emotional support animals are governed by different policies where some airlines allow these pets to travel with their disabled owners for free while some ask for a document as a proof that shows the commuter needs animal support.
Thus, one must be aware of these insights for having a trouble-free journey in the air with your loved ones.
#3 Check for any Inclusions/Exclusions
The policies once set may be changed as per the needs and demands where a shift in the pet travel policies is likely to happen. Among the hub of airlines, each one has its own restrictions, be it related to animal breed, fees, carrier dimensions, travel type, category and much more.
Every airline has a rule where passengers have to notify their flying with the type of animal and ask them to submit a medical proof as a note from mental health professionals and mandatorily require the certificates of the pet’s up-to-date vaccinations confirmed from a veterinarian.
[One can have a look at the Rule Book to bring Pets into different Asian countries.]
There are many inclusions/exclusions in the rule book of airlines supporting pet travel, and one must be aware of the latest updates on the addition/deletion of any rules. Say, Delta Airlines has started binding its rules more strictly looking at the 84% increase in the incidents occurred due to animal’s misbehaving during their air travel.
The brand refuses to carry some restrictive pets on long-duration flights (journey more than eight hours) and bans pets less than four months to be carried along in the cabin.
#4 Carrier Considerations
While flying as we humans are imposed with some limitations, these furry friends also are imposed with some rules as you cannot just show up at the airport and expect things to proceed smoothly.
There are mainly three ways in which your pet can travel through the air along with you:
- Pets in cabin
This option is available usually when you bring a small cat or dog (till a specific age) in a pet carrier that is adjustable and can be placed under the seat in front of you when your beloved companion is allowed in a cabin. Pet along with its carrier will be counted as your carry-on item which is chargeable.
[Note: carriers have particular dimensions with some facilities and are mostly hard-sided or soft-sided.]
- Pets in the baggage compartment
If not in the cabin, you can bring big/large pets in the baggage hold as the weight and size of dogs/cats matters. Additionally, more fee is added for pet travel while you bring your pet in the baggage compartment.
- Pets in cargo
For too heavy and huge pets, airlines provide the facility to transport pets as cargo(applied additional fees). Even if your beloved pets are commuting without you or any company, you must contact the cargo department. Your pets in cargo are retrieved separately from the cargo area.
#5 Look for Basic Airport Amenities
Yes indeed! There are many provisions for your lovely animal friends at the airport where one can make the best use of them. There are separate pet relief areas available per terminal which are made mandatory by the law as well.
There are pet travel instructions and guidelines displayed on every airport that needs to be paid to heed to. Different airports offer different provisions for your tamed animals keeping in mind their security and safety.
One can have a look at the pet-friendly amenities provided by major airports before making the air journey as it will help you to be at ease with them.
#6 Check out for Domestic and International Requirements
Flying domestically won’t make much difference and causes no big issues within same country travel; however, the international journey may limit you with some specified rules which need to be obeyed.
Some significant points for international flying with pets include:
- Extra processing
- Heavy fees (one-way)
- Vaccinations documents as proof
- Quarantine period (which is occasionally mandatory)
- Pet’s mental health report
- And much more
Thus, it is recommended to check out the distinct airlines’ pet policies in order to make your paperwork complete and organized, eliminating all the travel discomfort.
#7 Ensure Pet’s Health while Flying
There are some crucial points to note while you travel on the flight. This will reduce yours as well as your pet’s discomfort on the way. Take a look:
You must take care of the animal’s feed, and it is recommended to make them eat four to six hours before departure. (Avoid feeding right before a flight.)
To eliminate the risk of accidents, always remove your pet’s leash, which also ensures his safety and comfort.
In order to prevent any mess/discomfort to the others, make your furry friends a bit tired before heading to the airport so they can take a nice, long snooze during the flight.
Make sure your pets can move freely in the pet carrier and has absorbent bedding so that they can rest easily without causing any trouble.
[Take Care: Along with the Necessary Items to carry along while travelling, one can have a look at the On-the-Go checklist for Air Travel with pets.]
#8 Pet-Friendly Accommodation
It’s mandatory that you prioritize your pet’s layover/accommodation wherever you go. Keep the journey pleasant and enjoyable for both you and your pet from the start till the end.
Whether staying with friends or lodging out, you must ensure that they get familiar with the surroundings and don’t behave oddly. One must do research on pet-friendly hotels or inns who welcome visitors with their animal companions. (call ahead first)
[Be Prepared: One can have a look at the Top Asia Pet-Friendly Hotels along with their reviews on your next travel to India, Malaysia, China, or any of the travel destinations of Asia.]
If your pets are real homebodies and don’t feel comfortable enough with unusual surroundings, it’s probably best to keep them safe and sound at home. You can ask a trusted friend to watch him or her or look for a licensed and insured pet sitter.
Hope the guide acknowledges you with all the essential information to know about your pet’s air travel. If you have any other major concern to share, do let us know in the comments.
Happy Travelling with your Furry Companions!
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