How to Fly With Your Dog

If your next vacation destination requires you to fly, don't leave your dog at home. Follow these travel steps and your dog can fly too!

Things You'll Need

• IATA approved dog carrier
• Dog health certificate signed by licensed vet
• Acclimation certificate signed by vet
• food dish
• water dish
• airline phone numbers
• airline websites

Instructions

1. Research the major airlines to find out which ones accept dogs either in the cabin or in cargo. Unless you have a service dog, larger dogs are required to fly in cargo either checked as baggage or shipped via cargo.

2. Make sure you dog's vaccinations are current, including rabies for dogs older than sixteen weeks. Airlines that accept dogs require the dog have a health certificate not more than 30 days old, or in some cases, not more than ten days old.

3. If the airline will accept dogs in the cabin, make sure your dog is well behaved and capable of flying in the cabin without disturbing the other passengers. Contact the airline to find the pet carrier size requirements. (see resources below under Airline Policies)

4. Make sure your dog is a breed the airline will accept. Some airlines, like Continental, will not accept American Pit Bull Terriers. Other airlines will not accept Rottweiler's. Some airlines will not accept Brachycephalic breeds, like pugs.

5. Make sure the airline will accept the dog given the outside temperature. Most airlines have regulations on whether a dog can fly based on outside temperatures, i.e. warmer than 75 degrees and colder than 45 degrees.

6. Obtain an acclimation certificate from your vet if the outside temp is colder than 45 degrees or warmer than 75 degrees and your vet believes your dog is healthy enough to withstand colder temperatures. Some airlines require an acclimation certificate no matter what the temperatures. Some airlines will not accept dogs during the summer months. Be sure to call the airline and check the weather beforehand.

7. Feed your dog a light meal six hours before the flight. Offer water right before you drop the dog off for the flight.

8. Attach food and water dishes to the door of the crate so airline personnel can offer your dog food and water without putting their hands inside.

9. If you have connecting flights, or layovers, be sure to ask air personnel to check on the status of your dog. Be polite and ask if your dog is on the plane of the connecting flight.

10. Pay the fees to fly your dog. Most airlines charge a small fee, $75 or more, to fly the dog either in the cabin or as checked baggage. If flying your dog as cargo, the fees are much higher.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with friends to see if they've used a particular airline to travel with their pet.

• Dogs that travel either as luggage or in cargo are placed in a pressurized cabin. The difference, however, is that pets traveling as cargo are handled by people trained to move live cargo. Pets travelling as baggage are treated as baggage and may or may not be handled with care.

• If you're concerned about flying your dog either cargo as baggage, consider hiring a professional pet transportation service to fly your pet. (see resources)

Resources

• Professional pet transportation service
• Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association
• http://www.bringfido.com/airpolicies.htm