There are certain precautions every pet owner must take when your pet is traveling in the cargo area of a plane. You want to make sure your pet is acclimated to the crate, properly hydrated so your pet travels as safe and as comfortably as possible.
For the snub nosed pet owner, things can get risky. Here are dogbreeds that can be considered as snub-nosed depending on your airline: Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Pit Bull Terrier/Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier/”Amstaff,” Belgian Malinois, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, Bulldog, American Bulldog, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Old English Bulldogges, Shorty Bulldogs, Spanish Alano/Spanish Bulldog/Alano Espanol, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chow Chow, English Toy Spaniel/Prince Charles Spaniel, Japanese Chin/Japanese Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Mastiff, American Mastiff, Boerboel/South African Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Ca de Bou/Mallorquin Mastiff, Cane Corso/Italian Mastiff, Dogo Argentino/Argentinian Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux/French Mastiff, English Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro/Brazilian Mastiff/Cao de Fila, Indian Mastiff/Alangu, Kangal/Turkish Kangal, Neapolitan Mastiff/Mastino Napoletano, Pakastani Mastiff/Bully Kutta, Pyrenean Mastiff, Presa Canario/Perro de Presa Canario/Dogo Canario/Canary Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff / Mastin Espanol, Tibetan Mastiff, Tosa/Tosa Ken/Tosa Inu/Japanese Mastiff/Japanese Tosa, Pekingese, Pug, Dutch Pug, Japanese Pug, Shar-Pei/Chinese Shar-Pei, Shih-Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier/”Staffys,” and Tibetan Spaniel.
Also, the following cat breeds are also snub-nosed:?Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian.
These short nosed (also called “brachycephalic”) pets have difficulty breathing and acclimating to certain weather conditions. Even though these pets are considered ?at risk?, taking necessary precautions and using the proper flight itinerary on a pet-safe, pet friendly airline will help reduce the chances of an incident. Below is an airline chart to help pet owners who are considering traveling via cargo with their sub-nosed breed.
Most airlines require a health certificate within 10 days prior to your travel date for pets flying in the cargo hold. (International immigration requirements also apply if traveling outside country borders)
Weather restrictions: When temperatures exceed 80-85 degrees F (27-30 degrees C) in any airport on your pet’s itinerary, the airlines restrict animals that will be accepted as checked baggage or cargo. These restrictions are enforced for the safety of your pet. The restrictions are as follows:
Summer Heat Embargo: May 15 through September 15
Winter Embargo: November 1st through March 31st
Delta: Delta has changed their banned breed policies and will no longer transport dog or cat breeds considered as snub-nosed in the cargo hold.
United: United will no longer transport snub-nosed pets in the cargo hold. See their snub-nosed breed restrictions here..
American Airlines: American Airlines has issued a permanent embargo on all breeds of snub-nosed dogs and cats.
Frontier Airlines: Frontier no longer offers checked baggage or air cargo services for live animals. If you want to fly with your pet on this airlines, it must fit in an airline-compliant pet carrier that will fit under the seat in front of you.
Alaskan Airlines: snub-nosed breeds are no longer permitted to fly Alaska Airlines in the cargo hold.
Lufthansa: Snub-nosed breeds will be transported as long as temperatures do not exceed 75 degrees F anywhere on the itinerary.
KLM Airlines: KLM will only fly snub-nosed breeds as air cargo. Four breeds of snub nosed dogs will no longer be allowed in the cargo hold on KLM aircraft: English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, and Pug
When your snub-nosed dog or cat are flying in the cargo hold, here are tips to keep them safe:
- Use a pet crate that is one size larger than is normally required
- Use a crate with ventilation on 4 sides. (If the kennel does not have ventilation on 4 sides, modify the kennel by drilling 7 holes in the rear top and 7 holes in the rear bottom of the kennel using a 3/4 inch keyhole bit).
- Acclimate your pet to its crate by letting the animal spend time in the kennel for several days before its departure.
- Do not place food in the kennel during the flight, just water.
- Provide plenty of water to your pet. Frozen water bottles with tiny holes punched in the sides make a great watering tool for several hours when placed in the crate’s watering dish. Find the largest pet crate water bowl that you can.
It is always wise to call your airlines when making your reservation and disclose the breed of your dog. Also, it is a good idea to let the Captain know that you are traveling with a pet. Preparing in advance is an important part of pet travel.
More information on airline pet policies.
Hi,
We are planning on moving from Hong Kong to New York with our 6 month old frenchie in March or April of 2014. It seems like all US carriers have banned frenchies from traveling as checked in the cargo hold? Do we have any options at all? Ie Korean air? Lufthansa? Emirates? Please help. Thanks!
Hi Gabriel – you may have a problem transporting your French Bulldog as checked baggage, but it is my understanding that Delta and United should transport them as manifest cargo. If you want to transport your pet as checked baggage, then you need to focus on foreign flagged carriers and contact the airlines to inquire.
Susan
Hi I need help in finding a suitable flight for my 4yr old French bulldog from Mexico city to Quito Ecuador, finding it hard to find a airline that would accept him, and also finding it hard to get a transporting company to help with this process, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Hi Jessica – English Bulldogs are the hardest breed to ship, so I can understand your frustration. I would try LAN or Avianca as they don’t advertise as not taking the breed. If that does not work, you may have to drive to another city and catch an airline that will take your pup. Sadly, there are not many.
Susan
Hi im currently looking for a flight for my 1 year old english bulldog from Medell?n Colombia SA to the U.S.. My main concern is getting her to the u.s then from there i can make arrangements.. ive been searching and searching and have absolutley no luck. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thank you..
Jessica.
Annette – French Bulldogs are tricky to fly, but not as tough as English Bulldogs. Try Emirates as they do not include this breed in their banned breeds. If any problems, Etihad Airways may carry your pet. There are others such as Lufthansa, but their transit times are much longer. Hope this helps.
Susan
KC – you can find a licensed pet transporter at IPATA.org. This is a worldwide association of pet transporters. As for an airline, you may try Emirates as they do not ban French Bulldogs. Maybe a call to Etihad Airways as well, although I do not know if they transport pets into Australia.. Hope this helps.
Susan
Hi, My sister in law has a French Bulldog and we are trying to get both of them to Australia from Athens, Greece. We are having huge dramas finding an airline that will take him. She wants to get him on the most direct flight to Sydney. Can you please let us know if there is any airline that will take him.
hi I need help in finding a suitable flight for my 3yr old French bulldog from Athens Greece to Sydney Australia, finding it hard to find a airline to except him, and also finding it hard to get a transporting company to help with this process, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Hi Iris – you can contact Copa Airlines and ask about their flight that transits through Panama City to Amsterdam.
They do not ban this breed, but you should discuss with them any extra requirements they may have.Another option would be to rent a car and drive to Quito and take Delta. You will need to confirm that their B767s do not service this route because the cargo holds on this type of aircraft do not accommodate pets. Hope this helps. Edit: Found out that Copa will not transport English Bulldogs in cargo hold, so that option is out. You will need to consider which airlines fly out of Guayaquil and, if you need to change airlines, do so in Ecuador if possible (Quito). Otherwise you will need to drive to another large city like Quito and fly from there.Susan
Hi,
My partner and English Bulldog ( healthy 2 years old) live in Guayaquil, Ecuador. My partner is going to move to Holland to live with me. But we want to take the dog with us. Anyone tips? We know already Lufthansa & Air france do accept this breed if we show the health certificate, the problem is that these airlines do not leave from Guayaquil. Anyone tips? We did contacted a local ‘ pet shipper’ but they are asking over 2000 dollars to move the pet to Amsterdam. As there are no other pet shippers in this city , we cannot compare the prices and experiences.
We would not take the risk if our dog would not be in a good shape ( not fat at all and no breathing difficulties), used to live outside in the garden when it’s 34 degrees outside… thanks in advance!
Hi Josh – Under current regulations, you can return to London without quarantine if you follow this procedure. Your cat must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies (in that order). No sooner than 30 days after vaccination, your vet will do a blood titer test and send the sample to an approved lab. Assuming that the tests are within accepted range, done more than 3 months prior to returning, and you do not let your pet?s vaccination expire after the titer test is done, you can enter the UK without quarantine. You will need to have your vet fill out some forms shortly before traveling, but as long as you have the titer test, there should be no quaranine. When you are ready to go through the process, you can find instructions here: http://www.pettravelstore.com/pet-passport-england/
hope this helps.
Susan
Hi,
I live in Shanghai and have a Himalayan cat. I have no current plans to leave Shanghai but eventually I will move back to London.
Please can you advise on the best method for this?
Thanks!
Josh
Hi Lisa – the United States does not quarantine pets prior to exporting them. There will be mandatory quarantine when your pet enters Australia, however, and there are a lot of tests and vaccinations to be done ahead of time. Your puppy must be at least 6 months old when entering Australia. The summer heat embargo does not officially begin until May 15th. In the abundance of caution, you should choose an early morning or late evening flight and the most direct flight possible.
We are located in Fort Lauderdale and would be happy to assist if your breeder needs help. (sue@pettravel.com) It is important to know your breeder as there are a lot of pet scams on the internet.
Susan
Hi,
I have recently purchased a french bulldog puppy from a breeder in Florida, I have already paid the breeder thousands for him and quarantine. I am in Australia. By the time he finished quarantine he will be ready to fly 10th may 2014 from fort lauderdale Hollywood airport USA to Astralia. I have only just realised that the weather is hot in US in may and many airlines don’t fly dogs at all from 15th of may- 15th September especially snub nosed breeds. I am really stressing and your site has been the only thing I have come across with helpful info.
Do u know if there are any airlines that can fly him in may? I was hoping to find an airlines that use air conditioned vans to transport him to the plane ?
Thankyou so much for your time.
Lisa 🙂
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Pet Travel. French bulldogs are considered “snub-nosed” breeds and can be more difficult to transport than other breeds. If you like, you could visit our transport website: http://www.pettraveltransport.com and click “get a quote”. We will get back to you within a few days with additional information.
-Campbell
Pet Travel
Good Day, I am trying to make a flight reservation for my french bulldog from Miami to Heathrow, I have contacted all airlines (including Delta) and they cannot accommodate him for different reasons (planes are too old, weight limts, etc), could you please recommend me a pet shipping company?
Thanks a lot
Ivanna
Hello Maria,
Thank you for commenting on our blog. We would recommend contacting either Delta or American Airlines. (Delta should be able to accommodate, but you might need to fly into Miami) You would need to reach their cargo office at SJU, the US agents unfortunately will not be able to help much seeing as your origin is Puerto Rico.
Regards,
Campbell
Hello
I have a female Boxer and she’s 11 months old. I live in Puerto Rico and I’m planning to move to Tampa Fl. I wnat to know which airline (even cargo plane) it’s better to take her. I’m calculating it will be on November (2013) and I really need help. I already bought a kennel with the specifications and two sizes bigger so she can have plenty room inside. She’s 48 pounds. Any help will be great.
Thanks
Hi Laura – you may have a hard time finding an airline to carry your Frenchie, but will increase your chances once the weather cools. We do not recommend airlines except in cases where airlines have better and more direct routes, do not ban the specific breed, and are carriers that have good track records of safe pet transport. In your case, I would start with Delta Airlines as United and British Airways will not carry French Bulldogs. If you are traveling with your pet, you should not need a transporter unless your need clarification on export requirements or have a long layover. Delta’s layover is a little over 2 hours. We would be happy to help should you need the services of a transporter. You can always contact us at info@pettravel.com
Susan