Travelling with a pet comes with its own rules — some set by the airline, some by the destination country. Here is what to check before booking, and what questions to ask before you pay.
Travelling with a pet calls for different preparation than an ordinary trip, because the rules come from two separate sources — the airline and the destination country — and both need to be checked separately before a ticket is booked. A missed detail on either level can mean the pet is not allowed to fly on the planned date, with no way to fix it at the airport itself. For this reason, preparation needs to start earlier than for a trip without a pet. The text below sets out the steps to follow.
The airline sets the rules
Each airline decides for itself whether a pet travels in the cabin with the passenger or in the aircraft’s cargo hold, and this depends on the animal’s size, weight and breed — some breeds are not accepted on certain flights at all. The airline also specifies what type of carrier is allowed, with exact dimensions and material, and how many pet spaces are available on a given flight, which means that not every flight on the same route necessarily accepts the same conditions. These rules are not universal, so they should always be checked directly with the airline that physically operates the flight, not only with the agency issuing the ticket.
The country sets the documents
While the airline decides how the pet travels on the flight, the documents required for the pet to enter are set by the destination country, and when transiting through a third country, sometimes by the transit country as well. Veterinary documents, certificates and entry conditions differ from country to country and change over time, so the only reliable way to confirm them is through a vet and through the official sources of the country you are travelling to. The ticket itself does not resolve this part — it provides transport, but it does not guarantee the pet’s entry into the destination.
Book early
The spaces reserved for pets on a given flight are limited and are not added afterwards once that part of the flight is already sold, so booking early is key to securing a spot. It is also worth checking whether the same aircraft type that accepts pets is flying on the exact day you plan to travel, since airlines sometimes change aircraft type on the same route depending on season or load. If this detail is not checked in advance, a booking can be confirmed and then, when the aircraft changes, the pet space may no longer be available.
At the airport
Travelling with a pet usually takes more time at the airport than an ordinary trip, because the carrier goes through a separate check, and not every counter or checkpoint is set up to carry it out immediately. Check-in procedure for a pet varies between airlines, so it is good practice to confirm in advance with the airline exactly where and how to check in at the airport. This matters especially when the trip includes a connection, since every airport has its own procedure for animals in transit.
Questions before you pay
Before confirming the booking, it helps to ask yourself a few specific questions:
- Does the carrier you have meet the airline’s conditions for size and material?
- Do you have all the veterinary documents required for the destination country, and, in case of a connection, for the transit country as well?
- If the trip includes a connection, does every airline involved in the itinerary have the same or different pet rules?
- Is the pet space on that specific flight confirmed, and not just “pending”?
Every trip with a pet is its own case, which is why it deserves a personal conversation before the booking is confirmed. Details on the procedure for special requests, including travelling with a pet, are available on the special requests page, and for a specific question about your trip, contact us — the team will help you check the conditions before you pay for a ticket.