I recently flew my 8 week old puppy, Archie from Newcastle, NSW to Melbourne and to be honest I was very stressed about flying such a young baby who had never before left the security of his home and littermates. In fact, the whole concept of pet air travel can be quite stressful for owners and their pets. Over the years I have had some pretty horrendous experiences flying my own pets- one airline actually lost my dog, Toby for over an hour.
It shouldn’t be that way- Our pets are valued members of the family and should be treated as such.
Before I flew Archie I set out to do some investigation and see what I could do to calm my nerves and make Archie’s plane trip as stress free as possible. Although I had a fair idea,I wanted to know exactly what happens to our beloved pets when they fly.
Some friends recommended Jet Pets- they act as a travel agent for pets and can organise pretty much everything that you need – from flight times, connection, crates and they can even deliver your pet door to door. Jet Pets were amazing and I have to say they made the whole process smooth, helped relieve my stress and most importantly my little Archie turned up safe and sound.
I have since worked with Jet Pets to pick their brains and answer the common questions that I feel people want to know about plane travel. Hope these answers help take some of the mystery and stress out of your pets next flight.
What should I do to prepare for trip?
Decide how involved you want to be with your pet’s travel arrangements:-
1) “Do it yourself option”: Book direct with airlines and arrange all airport transfers yourself. Regulations vary with different airlines.
2) “Pet Travel Agent: Book in with the experts, who receive airline industry rates so are competitive and take the stress out of moving. Pet Transport Companies can arrange a basic service including crate hire and flight reservation through to complete door to door, offering pet motel accommodation if required.
Decide whether or not your pet is generally a good traveller?
Most pets who love to travel in the car cope well with flying. However if your pet hates car rides or confined spaces than it may be worth arranging to purchase the crate a month or so in advance.
Crate training can vary from simply leaving the crate in a accessible area for your pet, fill the crate with comfortable bedding and leave the door open so your pet can go in an out at his/her own free will.
Starting adding a few treats to the back of the crate, so your pet warms to the crate.
Add some toys, an old t-shirt of yours so it smells familiar.
Gradually build up the time spent in the crate to sitting in the car, driving around the block and than to larger drives. The more time you spend on this the better.
What are the airline crate regulations ? How do I choose the right size?
There are 100’s of different pet crates on the market to purchase however very few are suitable for airline travel. Crate size is important to ensure the crate is a little on the snug side as the pets do not have seat belts but enough room to turn around and lie down in their natural sleeping position.
The easiest way to ensure you hire/purchase the correct crate is to hire/purchase the crate direct from either the airline or a pet transport company.
A Pet Transport Company will be able to provide you with an appropriate size crate that is in compliance with the IATA (International Airline Travel Association) cage sizing regulations for pet travel, maximising safety and comfort of your pet.Guideline on how to cage size your pet can be found on the Jet Pets website www.jetpets.com.au
Where do I obtain a crate from?
1 ) Pet Transport Company can arrange for your crate to be labelled and waiting at the airport for your pet’s departure
2) Contact the Airline your pet is flying with and speak to their cargo division.
3) Pet stores stock crates but you must make sure they satisfy the guidelines of the airline as these may vary from airline to airline
How do book my pet in ?
1) Airlines Direct: This is important and you must speak to your particular airline about specific requirements.It can be very difficult to get answers from airline and my last attempt to organise Archie’s plane travel involved speaking to 6 different people in 3 locations.
2) Pet Travel Agent: Jet Pets will tailor make a travel itinerary to suit both timetables and budgets - a full travel itinerary will be given to each customer along with a 24hrs contact number so you know where your pet is at all times. Jet Pets can also arrange just the crate hire for your pet, in which they will label the crate up in your name and flight details and have it waiting at the airport for your departure.
What will it cost?
This will vary depending on the size of the pet, weight, destination and level of service required. You need to speak to airline or travel consultant for specific pricing.
To give you an indicative of my costs to transport Archie:-
To fly Archie from Newcastle to Melbourne in his own cage was $185.00 AUD airport to airport.
If I wanted Archie to be delivered from Melbourne Airport to my Melbourne residence it would have been $77.
Veterinary Requirements for Travel?
Ensure vaccinations, flea treatments and worming are up to date. This is not a requirement but is recommended as other pets may not be vaccinated on board the flight
Medical conditions-. If booking direct with the airlines inform the airline staff and label the crate yourself with all the information in case of an emergency. Provide pet agent along with your vet's contact name and number, so we can label your pet's cage & reservation accordingly
The day of the trip.
Exercise pet before travel- don't over exert but give a long gentle walk so pet will be more likely to sleep in crate.
Don't feed on day of travel, just allow your pet access to water. A treat is OK, just not a meal.
Include something familiar- a toy and soft blanket or a shirt that has owners smell on it for reassurance.
Stay calm - our pets feel our stress and it makes them anxious too
Do not send your pet wearing a choker chain
Prior to handover
Offer small drink and opportunity to relieve themselves.
Offer cats a litter tray.
Do not sedate unless specifically recommended by vet- can cause dehydration and anxiety in certain animals.
Checking In:-
Due to the extra security measures you must check your pet in a full 90 mins before a domestic flight.Some regional ports that are smaller still run at 60 mins but it is getting less common, best to check with the airline upon booking.
Where do I check in ?
The airport cargo facilities around Australia vary from port to port, sometimes the pets are collected at a door next to the baggage carousel and sometimes pets are taken to the cargo terminal for collection – each airline at each port has different pet handling facilities. It is essential that if you are collecting your pet direct from the airport that you ask the airline or pet transport company exactly where to go:-
Do it Yourself Option – When you book your pet with your preferred airline carrier you need to know
- Where to drop your pet off?
- When to drop your pet off – normally at least 90 mins prior to departure
- How much you need to pay and payment options?
- Do you need to supply anything for the crate?
- Ensure you have all your contact numbers to give to the airlines
- Ensure you find out exactly where to collect your pet at destination
Pet Transport Company- Will provide airport transfers to save you the worry of where to go
- Will advise full address and phone numbers of where to go if collecting yourself
- Will give you a travel itinerary so you know when you pet is being collected and delivered home
What happens to the pets once they are taken. Where do they go for holding?
The airlines have livestock handling division with staff trained in pet travel. The pets are kept in a secure, cool area of the freight terminal awaiting their departure.
The Pets are kept inside the secure freight terminal awaiting their ride to the plane. They are normally lodged by the owner or agent 1.5hours prior to departure and are normally taken to the plane to be loaded about 20mins prior to dept. (About the same time as you are getting on the plane)…
Can you stay with your pet until they take it?
No, the pets should be checked in at 90 mins, owner’s are not allowed in the freight area due to tight security measures.
Where do pets go on the plane and is it heated ?
The pets are kept in a climate, pressurised and lighting controlled hold on the Aircraft that utilises the same Air Conditioning as the passengers get, therefore the your pet is kept at 18-21Deg for the entire flight. The hold is under the passenger seating floor and can be at the front or the rear of the Aircraft. Due to thinner atmosphere, most pets will sleep during a flight
Does anyone supervise the pets ?
The pets are checked upon as they are loaded and are not checked during mid-flight. Pets are priority and therefore unloaded & checked by the ground crew upon arrival at the destination..
Where do I retrieve my pet ?
- If flying with Qantas this will be Australian Air Express -the cargo section of the airport or if flying with Virgin Blue it will vary pending on the airport capabilities, some ports have cargo sections others is a door next to the baggage collection.
- You must check with your airline prior to departure and then ask the ground crew again at your destination.
What happens in an emergency ?
Your number is listed on the consignment note and if anything was to happen they could reach you via phone or via the Cabin crew if you are a passenger on board
What services to Jet Pets offer?
Jet Pets offer a complete door to door service, saving you the hassle of getting lost at the airport, trying to book flights, trying to work out what cage to use. They can organise transfers and pet motels if necessary.
Jet Pets can be contacted via phone or e-mail on 1300 668 309 or www.jetpets.com.au