Traveling with pets requires extensive preparation. Flight delays or cancellations can be particularly stressful when taking your furry companion along.
Airlines are becoming more pet-friendly, but each has different policies and fees when traveling with pets. This article will help you select the ideal airline when traveling with your furry companions.
Fees for Bringing Pets on Board
Pet-friendly airlines are growing, giving more options for travelers looking to bring along their furry friends on flights. When planning a flight with your furry companions, keep in mind that airlines often charge pet travel fees which vary widely and could add significant costs to your flight cost.
Traveling domestically or internationally with your pet should not cost extra when using an airline; most carriers charge the same fee. Some airlines also provide details regarding acceptable breeds of dogs and cats, kennel sizes and more on their website – though details can often change unexpectedly.
As a rule, passengers may bring one pet into the cabin per passenger as long as it’s small and poses no risk to other passengers (no pythons or budgies allowed). Your animal must also fit within a secure carrier that stays underneath your seat during taxiing, take-off and landing; carriers should also be secured with latches – or you can hold onto your pet yourself on short flights!
Airlines also impose rules regarding how much space your pet takes up in the cabin, which impacts overall pricing for flying with pets. United Airlines allows passengers to bring both a pet and personal item (like a wheeled carry-on or laptop computer), with United charging an extra $100 fee if two pets share one kennel.
Delta allows two cats or dogs that get along and can fit within one kennel to travel together on one flight, provided that it doesn’t exceed 8 kilograms in weight and must travel in one of its cargo holds.
Pet owners must also ensure their animals behave themselves during flights; some airlines prohibit misbehaving pets from boarding, and this includes growling, excessive whining or barking, defecation in the cabin or on the runway and other unruly behavior. It’s wise to also research pet policies at hotels, vacation rentals or other destinations when traveling as each could have unique restrictions for animals.
Fees for Checking Pets in the Cargo
Airline cargo holds are designed to offer travelers a comfortable environment for them and their pets to travel in safety, but costs associated with checking a pet in this way tend to be considerably higher than for pets traveling in the cabin. Furthermore, some airlines require veterinarian approval prior to transporting an animal through this means – adding yet another cost factor into an already costly journey.
NerdWallet conducted an in-depth examination of some of the largest U.S. airlines’ fees charged when travelling with small pets in the main cabin or transporting larger breed dogs in cargo. The company took into account factors like number of animals per passenger and airline policy regarding two or more pets being brought on board, cost of kennels as well as ease of making reservations. NerdWallet considered whether airlines required booking seats for their pet, whether the carrier counted towards carry-on luggage limits and ease of making reservations as factors when reviewing airline fees charged by airlines for passengers using certain U.S. airlines to fly with small pets in main cabin or transporting larger breed dogs in cargo cargo.
Alaska Airlines allows its passengers to bring one pet into its main cabin as long as the animal fits within an enclosed kennel that fits under their seat and does not exceed 40 inches in length or height. They require that a separate ticket be purchased, along with paying an additional fee.
JetBlue allows passengers to bring up to two pets aboard in their cabin, but each animal requires its own ticket and an additional fee is assessed. Furthermore, pet carriers count towards carry-on baggage allowance and check kennels incur an extra $150 charge in cargo hold storage.
Delta allows passengers to bring small dogs, cats and household birds under 20 pounds into its cabin as long as they fit comfortably in an under-seat carrier. Their pet policy provides details regarding carrier specifications, documentation requirements and restrictions such as destination limitations as well as international and connection travel – it also covers their program for emotional support animals and service dogs.
Fees for Bringing Pets in the Cabin
As more pet owners make traveling with their animals a priority, airlines are making it easier for travelers to bring them along on flights. American Airlines recently made it so pet owners could bring both an animal in the cabin with them as well as regular carry-on bags – this change from its previous policy which only allowed passengers to bring either personal items or an animal together.
No matter which airline is chosen, flying with your pets can still be costly. Most airlines charge fees for in-cabin travel that include the cost of both carrier and pet (sometimes up to two separate charges!). Furthermore, weight restrictions exist between 40 pounds or so for both pet and carrier combinations.
At present, most airlines require that all pets flying in the cabin provide a veterinarian’s health certificate from their vet prior to flying with them, with some needing advance notification if you intend on transporting a service animal. Some airlines will also not permit you to fly with an unruly or aggressive pet; behaviors like growling excessive whining barking urination defecation or any form of aggression on board may cause it not be allowed boarding.
Alaska Airlines allows pet owners to ship their animals in their climate-controlled cargo holds on certain flights. Alaska allows dogs, cats, rabbits and household birds to fly while other airlines provide more varied list such as ferrets, hamsters guinea pigs and pot-belly pigs; even tropical fish species may be transported in certain cases.
Flight costs vary considerably based on your destination and airline of choice; on average, expect to spend several hundred dollars round-trip, which includes carrier rental fees as well as fees specific to the pet itself. Prices tend to increase when flights involve multiple stops or layovers.
Fees for Bringing Pets Internationally
Traveling internationally with your pet requires careful preparation. Before entering any country, check its entry (and exit) requirements for pets – many countries require rabies vaccinations for dogs entering certain endemic regions – while quarantine could become necessary upon arrival – all of which can add stress as well as costs to both parties involved.
For this reason, it is imperative that your pet possesses all of the required vaccinations and documents before booking a flight. Also consult your airline before departing on import rules for your destination; JetBlue provides an exhaustive list of requirements for their in-cabin pets that include carrier specifications, vaccination documentation and destination restrictions.
Costs associated with flying with your pet depend mainly on two variables: their size and the airline’s policy regarding in-cabin pets. Typically, airlines charge less when your pet travels in a carrier under your seat in front of you rather than cargo cargo cargo.
Some airlines allow travelers to bring multiple pets in a carrier provided it meets certain specifications; others prohibit this practice, and still others permit travelers with multiple animals onboard the plane to purchase two seats as a means of accommodating additional ones in their cabin.
Most airlines allow cats and dogs to travel in the cabin, but some airlines have more stringent policies for pets than others. Some airlines do not accept small hamsters or pot-bellied pigs; others limit international destinations to certain times of year or do not carry pets on domestic flights altogether. Some even only permit pets as cargo service. To learn more about an airline’s pet policy, visit its website; also, be sure to verify any accommodations like hotels or vacation rentals where you plan to stay when planning a trip – many hotels or vacation rentals may prohibit pet travel policies prior to booking your flight!