How to fly your pets abroad

If you can’t bear the thought of leaving your beloved pooch or moggy at home while you’re off on holiday having fun, you’ll be pleased to hear there are ways you can take them with you. Follow the handy tips below for advice on how to fly your pet out with you on holiday.

 

The PETS passport scheme has made flying your animal abroad much easier. This scheme means you can bypass the usually mandatory 6-month quarantine period for animals being taken abroad and returning to the UK. Your pet will have to be fitted with a microchip, vaccinated against rabies and then blood-tested (assuming it’s a dog, cat or ferret). You then have to wait 6 months for another blood test to make sure the vaccination was successful, at which point your pet will be issued an EU passport. Birds, rabbits, rodents and fish are also covered by the scheme, although they do not have to be micro chipped or vaccinated for rabies.

 

You will not be able to take pets into the cabin on international flights operated by UK-based budget airlines. Germanwings will fly cats and dogs around Europe in the cabin, on the proviso that they weigh no more than 8kg. However they will not fly animals to and from the UK or Ireland. Flybe will transport pets in the cargo hold; however this is only for domestic flights.

 

If you want to fly your pets abroad, there are a number of options. British Airways will transport your animal on their British Airways World Cargo, via a Pet Travel Agent. Cats and dogs can travel as cargo in the hold of Virgin Atlantic planes to and from Barbados, Boston, Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK and Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, Sydney and Washington. KLM allows dogs and cats aboard its planes. Both cats and dogs can be taken aboard Lufthansa aircraft, either as hand luggage or cargo depending upon their weight.

 

Regardless of who you decide to fly you pet with, you will have to ring in advance to book them on the flight. Some airlines will not allow your animal in the cabin, and all airlines will charge a fee for transporting a pet. Ensure you find out exactly what the procedures are for transporting pets on your airline before you arrive at the airport.