We are often asked, "Which are the best airlines for pets?" or “which airlines are pet-friendly?”
What people usually mean when they ask this question is, which airlines will carry our pets in a safe and caring manner, when the pets are travelling by air cargo
You may be surprised to know that during any one month, tens of thousands of pets are transported by air cargo and the number of "incidents" reported is very low. However, what we class as a "pet-friendly airline" is one that has a pet transport policy that has been carefully thought out in order to minimise the stress of air travel for your pet.
Flying a dog - Dogs are especially sensitive to their surroundings and will certainly feel take offs and landings, just as we do as passengers. The more comfortable their surroundings are the better they will deal with flight "bumps" and aircraft noise.
Good "pet friendly airlines" will not leave your pet waiting on a cold or hot tarmac for loading where they could be subject to excessive temperatures. As a pet owner you can reduce some risk to your pet by not flying them at the peak of summer, or winter because of these temperature extremes. If a live animal is being carried in the pressurised area of the cargo compartment then the flight crew are told of this before departure. With most aircraft built within the last 14 years, the environmental settings of the cargo compartment can be monitored and controlled from the flight deck, but this may not be the case with older aircraft which should not be used for pet travel.
Some people believe that their pet will endure a flight better if they have been sedated, but this is not the case. Changes in altitude causing air pressure change can mean that a sedated animal has extreme difficulty breathing and may become distressed. Pets should only fly when in good health so this also means that if a vaccination is required it should be carried out well before the departure date so that your pet has plenty of time to recover from any ill effects.
Please be assured that pet air travel by cargo is safe these days, especially if you use a pet friendly airline or an experienced pet shipper like ourselves. We have excellent communication with the airlines we use on behalf of our clients and our track record and testimonials speak volumes. If you are considering relocating your pet then please do contact us for a quote or to answer any questions you may have about flying a pet to a distant location.
We look forward to hearing from you!
