FAQ's

1. Where will my pet be placed in the aircraft?
Your pet will travel in the cargo hold which is pressurised, heated and situated below the passenger cabin.

2. Will my pet be given food and water prior to travelling?
We recommend pets are not fed for 6 hours prior to travel to avoid soiling their air kennels. All the boxes are fitted with water containers which are refilled during transits if required.

3. Will my pet have enough space in the air kennel?
Yes. The regulations ensure that your pet will be able to stand, lie and turn around. Any extra space would be very costly as the comfort space is included in our choice of container.

4. Can I use my own container?
Yes. However some containers advertised in this country as approved by airlines fail the strict IATA regulations in place for your pet’s safety. If it is a manufactured container and IATA approved, it will say so. If in doubt we can check for you.

5. Will my pet be stressed from the flight?
Over a million pets fly safely every year under the IATA Live animal regulations. These regulations ensure that all animals that travel by air do so in comfort and with the least amount of stress possible.

6. Does my pet need sedating before it travels?
No. There is a considerable risk to the animal’s safety if tranquillised whilst in the pressurised environment of an aircraft. Adverse reactions and breathing difficulties may occur due to the change in air pressure and as they will be inaccessible most airlines refuse to carry sedated animals as they cannot determine their state of health. We find that after they have been loaded into the air kennels, pets soon settle down to the journey and fall asleep.

7. Can my pet travel in the aircraft cabin?
No. However some airlines accept assistance dogs in the cabin.

8. Can our Pet travel on the same flight as us?
In 9 out of 10 cases Yes. However sometimes the cargo handling agent is closed at flight arrival time so pets cannot be accepted on these flights.

9. What documentation will I require?
Most of our destinations are within the EU so the new EU passport is all that is required, however full details on exactly what is needed can be obtained from your local DEFRA office. Some airlines will also require a private health certificate.

10. Do I check my pet in at the passenger terminal?
No. Your pet will be travelling as cargo and will need to be delivered to the airlines cargo handling agent.