Travelling with pets – What to know before you fly?
Here’s everything you need to know to prepare your pet for flying.
Before you start booking, here’s some important information to consider.
Prepping your pet for flying
- Parasite Control, Core Vaccinations & No full meals: Must be fit to fly and must not be a short nosed pet breed banned from flying. They must be older than 12 weeks (3 months). Vaccinations and all flea tick and worming must be given. No full meals 8hrs prior to avoid upset tummies. Do not sedate your pet.
2. You will need to weigh your pet. You can do this on your bathroom scales by holding your pet & weighing together, then weighing just yourself alone, then subtract your weight from the total. This equals your pet’s weight. As a rough guide: Small Dog (0-10kg), Medium Dog (11-20kg), Large Dog (21-40kg), Giant Dog (41+kg)
3. Forms & Certificates: Senior Pets over 12 yrs must have a fit to fly vet certificate within 14 days of travel. You must sign an AVI Acceptance Checklist and provide it to the Pet Taxi Driver & PetCloud. This form means you acknowledge the increased risks associated with transporting your pet.
4. Buy or Hire a Crate: You need to arrange an Airline approved crate with adequate room for them to stand/lie down & have a fixed water container on the door. You will need to know your Pet’s Weight and Crate Size, as this determines the price of travel.
Pet crates can be bought from Amazon or a Pet Shop or hired from a Pet Transport company. Crates are also available for hire at Qantas major terminals: phone 13 12 13. Absorbent materials such as puppy pad must be on container floor.
5. Booking an Airline in advance: Request early morning or late evening flights are preferable as they are cooler parts of the day & there is less risk of heat stress. You will be provided with an Air Way Bill number (AWB) upon booking in your Pet with the Airline’s Cargo Department.
6. Booking a Pet Taxi Pick Up from your home in advance: Ensure you have allowed adequate time for peak hour and any roadworks traffic delays to your home, and then from your home to the airport. Next, post a job on PetCloud for Pet Taxi driver.
Pet Taxi Chauffeur to Cargo Area: Your Pet is chauffeured by the Driver into the cargo area which opens 2hrs prior to the flight & closes 90 minutes before their scheduled flight departure. The Pet Taxi Driver will provide your AVI Acceptance Checklist to the Cargo handler. The cargo area opens 2hrs prior to the flight & closes 90 minutes before their scheduled flight departure.
7. Flight Destination Arrival & Pet Collection: Pet pick up will be in the cargo area of the domestic airport terminal. Your Air Way Bill number (AWB) will be required for pet collection and Photo ID of the person collecting the Pet. The Pet must be collected within 90 mins of flight arrival.
How much does it cost to fly a dog interstate in Australia?
Expenses can be over $1000; The flight $350-$600, crate hire or buying $600, Vet Certificates for older Pets approx $120, Pet Taxi pickup $100 and chauffeuring to the cargo terminal if they are flying unaccompanied. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel pay charge a pet cleaning fee of $100, plus a pet damage deposit of $150.
If you’re wanting to go away for a holiday, business trip or a mini-break and want to save money, our advice would be to use a pet sitting service or house sitter to care for your pet in a relaxing home environment.
Can you fly with a dog?
You can’t fly with pets in the cabin on your seat with Virgin Australia, Qantas, unless they are a service animal. This means your pet will have to travel as cargo in the hold. Region Express (REX) allows domestic animals under 30kg in the cabin.
Pets are loaded into a special area where the temperature and noise is similar to the passenger cabin, and is dimly lit so they can see, and are the last to board and first to disembark.
Airlines have limited capacity for pet travel. So it’s important to check directly with the airline you plan to travel with before making a booking. If you are making travel plans and your airline doesn’t have capacity for your pet, it’s worth booking a pet sitter to take care of them while you’re away, so that you don’t have to cancel your plans.
Is it safe for my pet to fly?
Air travel can be stressful for pets, and risky to their health, and is not suitable for some pet breeds.
What are the restrictions for Pet Travel?
As well as the weight and cargo restrictions, airlines have specific rules, but general rules for transporting a pet are:
- You can’t travel with a pet under 12 weeks old.
- Senior Pets older than 12 years, sick, injured, pregnant or pets that have recently given birth aren’t allowed to travel without a fit for travel certificate.
- Certain breeds may have further restrictions, including brachycephalic
- Your pet must be fit and well, and not acting aggressively
- Some countries require quarantine procedures, including returning to Australia
- You will need to give at least a few days notice to the airline before flying
- Generally there are no restrictions for domestic travel with pets, except Tasmania requires dogs to be treated for hydatid tapeworms prior to entry, and WA requires you check their fur for seeds, but it is always useful to double check the latest guidance
Will it be ok to take a French Bulldog or a Pug on a flight?
No. Brachycephalic breeds (also known as “Snub-nosed” breeds) are breeds with a short face and nose like the Pug, English bulldog, French bulldog, Pekingese, Boston Terrier, and Persian cats, and can have breathing problems and are banned on Qantas and Virgin Australia flights.
Can my Pet go to the toilet in the Cargo intake area?
Your cat or dog won’t be able to leave the container from the point of lodging them until they are collected at the destination, so give them plenty of exercise and toilet trips before the flight. Check them in as late as possible. Keep them hydrated and you can give them a light meal before the flight.
