International airline policies re pets checked as baggage/cargo
I provide this chart more for completeness than anything else, since most Dog Jaunt readers have small dogs that can travel in-cabin with their owners (and will therefore want to consult this chart instead).
The following information has been collected from the airlines’ published pet policies, supplemented (in some cases) by telephone inquiries. It was last updated on April 15, 2013.
For each airline, I have provided a link to the airline’s pet policy. It is a good idea to print out a copy of your airline’s policy, so that if a dispute arises with a ticketing or gate agent, you will have the actual policy to refer to (not the agent’s potentially faulty memory of the policy).
| Airline | Checked pets OK? | Minimum age? | Largest kennel? | Weight limit (pet + kennel) | Fee (each way) | Reservation needed? | Cargo shipping available? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Yes | 10 weeks | not stated | not stated | From U.S., not stated (call Pet Express at 1-866-PET-MOVE); from Ireland, 160€ | yes | yes |
| Aeroflot | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | "charged as excess baggage" | yes | not stated |
| AeroMexico | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | $90 from/to U.S. ($80 pre-paid) | not stated | yes |
| Air Canada | Yes | 8 weeks | Series 700 ["292 cm (115 in) in linear dimensions (length + width + height)"] | 32 kg (70 lbs.) | $105 USD/CAD from/to U.S.; $270 international | yes | yes |
| Air France | Yes | 15 weeks (8 weeks in "metropolitan France") | not stated | 75 kg (165 lbs.) | 200 from/to USA (EUR, USD or CAD, depending on country of departure) | yes | yes |
| Air New Zealand | Yes (domestic flights only) | 3 months | Checked pets: B737: 86cm H x 114cm W A320: 65cm H x 85cm W Link: 70cm H x 50cm W | no apparent upper limit | Checked pets: $75 NZ (up to 25 kg); $100 NZ (26 kg and over) | yes | yes (only option for international travel) |
| Alitalia | Yes | 3 months | not stated | 75 kg | $260 from USA, 200€ to USA | not stated | not stated |
| American Airlines | Yes | 8 weeks | Series 500 (Series 400 on MD-80 (S80), Boeing 737, and American Eagle aircraft) | not stated | $175 ($150 from/to Brazil) | no | yes |
| ANA All Nippon Airways | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | 30,000 Yen ($300) from/to U.S. | yes | no |
| Asiana Airlines | Yes | 8 weeks | Series 700? (" the three sides of the carrier may not exceed 246cm totally in length and its height may not exceed 84cm") | 32 kg | not stated | not stated | no |
| British Airways | No (cargo only) | yes | |||||
| Cathay Pacific Airlines | Yes | not stated | unclear [extra fee charged if "larger than 158cm (62in)"] | 32 kg (70 lbs.) | Charged "by piece system" from/to North America | not stated | unclear |
| Continental | same as United | ||||||
| Delta | Yes (cargo only for travel to or from South Africa, Hong Kong, or the United Kingdom) | not stated | Series 500 (Series 700 and larger crates okay in cargo) | not stated | $200 USD/CAD/EUR | yes | yes |
| Emirates | Yes (except flights arriving in Dubai; also flight must be under 17 hrs.) | not stated | not stated | not stated | "normal excess baggage rates" | not stated | yes |
| Etihad | No (cargo only) | yes | |||||
| EVA Air | Yes | not stated | not stated | No restriction "with the exception of structural limitations on some aircraft" | "charged as excess baggage" | yes | no |
| Iberia | Yes (except on IB5XXX flights) | not stated | not stated | not stated | "the rate applicable for excess baggage" | not stated | no |
| Icelandair | Yes | not stated | Series 400? ("Maximum kennel dimensions are 92x56x71 cm") | 32 kg | "the excess baggage charge applicable to the destination" | yes | yes |
| JAL | Yes | 8 weeks | not stated | not stated | "assessed according to the route" | yes | yes |
| KLM | Yes | 6 kg (13 lbs.) total | Series 700 (Series 500 on some aircraft) | 75 kg (165 lbs.) | Varies by destination; there will be an extra charge if your layover at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport lasts 2 hours or longer | yes | yes |
| Korean Air (under "At the Airport," then "Baggage" | Yes | 8 weeks | Series 500? ["The total dimension(length+width+height) of the kennel should not exceed 246cm. (84cm or 33inch high on some aircrafts)"] | 32 kg | "fixed excess baggage charges": KRW200,000/ USD200/CAD200 from/to North America | yes | no |
| LAN | Yes | 8 weeks | not stated | not stated | "an excess baggage charge" | yes | yes |
| Lufthansa | Yes | not stated | Series 500 | 22 kg | Varies by crate size and destination: $300 USD/CAD, 400 EUR for Series 500 from/to U.S. | yes | yes |
| Open Skies | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | $196 or 125€ | yes | no |
| Qantas | Yes (domestic flights only) | not stated | Checked: Series 100 Cargo: Series 700 ("Must not exceed 84cm in height") | Checked: 20kg | Series 100=2 "pet packs"; applied against your normal baggage allowance | yes | yes (only option for international travel, inc. domestic sector of international flights) |
| Qatar Airways | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | yes | yes |
| Ryanair | No | no | |||||
| SAS | Yes | not stated | Series 700+ ["If the cage size exceeds 158 cm (length + width + height), the price will double"] | not stated | €150/$200 intercontinental | yes | yes |
| Singapore Airlines | Yes | 6 months | not stated | not stated | "Pets - together with their containers - will be treated as excess baggage and charged accordingly" | yes | yes |
| Swiss | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | 400 USD/CAD, 300 EUR from/to U.S., for carrier larger than Series 100 (plus a Customs fee of CHF 88) | yes | yes |
| TAP Portugal | Yes | not stated | not stated | 45 kg (32 kg if travelling to/from/via USA, Hungary, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands) | €200 intercontinental (€300 if pet weighs up to 45 kg) | yes | yes |
| THAI | Yes | not stated | Series 500 ("54 inches length, 27 inches height, 33 inches wide") | 32 kg | calculated as excess baggage | yes | yes |
| Turkish Airlines | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | unclear ("the piece concept applies") | yes | no |
| United | No (cargo only) | yes | |||||
| U.S. Airways | No | no | |||||
| Virgin Atlantic | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | "depends on the size of its travel box" | yes | yes |