There are several ways your pets can travel with you internationally from one destination to the other. The first, and most common way, is in a special crate, checked in as luggage and placed at the bottom of the plane. For pets that are less than 25lbs (most airlines), then you can consider taking your dog or cat with you in the cabin. You’ll need an appropriate carrier for both; that means the pet carrier must meet the airline’s requirements for size, weight, and exterior material. These are the most common ways to bring your dog or cat along for international pet travel and consequently the cheapest. When you bring your pet along with you they are considered ‘luggage’ by the airline and charge you special rates around $200 for a single flight. It will also give you more peace of mind as you can see your pets immediately after landing, which reduces stress for you and your pets as well. When flying domestically you should see if Pet Airways flies anywhere along your route, it’s a great pet travel alternative.
Pets As Cargo
It is also possible to send your pets ahead of you or have a friend or family member send them to you after you’ve arrived at your destination. While many airlines offer this service, it is much more cumbersome and expensive. There are several things to consider, first of all, most airlines will charge you live cargo shipping rates, meaning each pet traveling will cost around $1,300-2,500, depending on the size and distance traveled. It is also much more complicated to ship pets as cargo internationally since any layovers may require additional paperwork and customs red tape.
Finally, when shipping your pets as cargo, you’re trusting the person dropping the pets off at the airport, the airline and staff the entire way, and won’t be able to track any problems or noticed them until the final destination. That said, sometimes shipping pets are cargo is the most logical choice in a given set of circumstances so know that it is an option in many cases.
Pet Travel Crates
Before you make any international travel arrangements with your pet, be sure to call all of the airlines you’ll be flying with and find out their pet crate and carrier requirements. All of them have minimum and maximum dimensions and often will require the bottom to have some absorbent or soft material on the inside, in case your dog or cat goes to the bathroom during flight. Finding crates that meet most airlines’ requirements is pretty easy and you can find them or order them online almost anywhere in the world.
Keep in mind once you’ve bought your crate that you need to verify it with the airlines you’ll be flying. Call them and give them the size, weight, and build information so they know well in advance and can tell you if something is missing or a crate is or isn’t acceptable. You don’t want to find out at the airport or during a layover on your way to your final destination.
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