Last Updated on May 25, 2025
If you’re planning a trip that will include air travel and are thinking of bringing your faithful four-legged friend, you may want to reconsider. Flight travel is hard on humans, but it can be even harder on pets.
According to an Expedia survey, many Americans find air travel more stressful than filing their taxes and seeing their dentist. This isn’t surprising when you factor in security lines, flight cancellations, weather delays, and mechanical problems. If people feel this way about flying, imagine the stress level your cat or dog must feel in the cargo hold of a plane. They’re in an unfamiliar place. It’s noisy. It may be too cold or too hot.
It’s easier if they’re small enough to fly in the cabin. However, it’s still stressful because they must be confined in a carrier.
Flying can also be dangerous for pets, particularly brachycephalic animals. Brachycephalic is a medical term for animals with “pushed-in” faces, such as Persian cats, pugs, and bulldogs. They have shorter heads, wider faces, and shorter snouts. This means they have short nasal passages, which makes them susceptible to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke.
A veterinarian must sign a certificate that an animal is fit to fly. Many hesitate to give their approval, given all the problems inherent with air travel.
Dr. Gail Golab, Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), said, “We don’t like to tell a client ‘no,’ but sometimes we refuse to sign a health certificate because it’s what’s best for the animal.”
Risk of Injury & Loss
Pets can travel on commercial airlines in the cabin, as checked baggage, or in the cargo hold. While most animals arrive safely at their destination, some are lost or injured or even die each year. According to the Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Reports, seven pets out of almost 200,000 that were passengers on U.S. commercial flights died in 2022.
Extreme temperatures, bad ventilation, and improper handling are the main culprits. The Engelgau family lost Frank, their French Bulldog, during a move from Hawaii to Oregon. He became overheated in his carrier while the family was waiting to board their Alaska Airlines flight. Charlie and Fawn, their other two dogs, survived the trip.
The Surette family still mourns the loss of Winter, their 11-year-old Old English bulldog, and Soju, a 5-year-old French bulldog. Both died in the cargo hold on a military-contracted flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Seattle, Washington. Timothy Surrette, a Department of Defense civilian employee, had been stationed in Seoul and was redeployed to Washington, D.C. along with his wife Anne and their family.
The Surettes planned their trip to minimize the risk of air-travel-related problems. They traveled from Osan Air Base near Seoul to Seattle with a short layover at Misawa Air Base in Japan and planned to drive from Seattle to Washington D.C. Unfortunately, the flight from Japan was delayed because the plane lost power. The plane was on the tarmac for three hours without air conditioning. A crew member assured the Surettes that the dogs were fine. Unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case.
Lost and (Hopefully) Found
We’ve landed on the moon and have taken pictures of Mars, but airlines still have trouble getting bags to their correct destinations. According to SITA, a leading authority in airline communications and technology, airlines mishandled 36.1 million bags in 2023. Losing a bag is an inconvenience. Losing a pet is much more critical.
When Margo Neas and her family moved from Christchurch, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia, Mittens, their 8-year-old Maine coon cat was in the cargo hold. When the family arrived, there was no sign of Mittens. They soon learned the cat was on the return flight to New Zealand. Baggage handlers didn’t see her carrier when they unloaded bags because a wheelchair blocked their view. The Christchurch ground crew notified the flight crew, and they ensured Mittens was OK.
She finally arrived in Melbourne after a third flight, a little shaken, but unharmed.
Paula Rodriguez wasn’t as lucky. She was traveling to California with her dog, Maia, from her home in the Dominican Republic. She was denied entry into the U.S. due to problems with her tourist visa and spent the night in a detention center that didn’t allow pets. A Delta agent took Maia to a pet facility and told Rodriguez she could pick her up the next day before her flight back to Punta Caña.
As Rodriguez told CNN, when she arrived the following day, the Delta staff couldn’t find Maia. She later learned that Maia escaped from her carrier and ran away. Rodriguez never found her.
If You Must Take Your Pet on a Plane
In a perfect world, we’d never need to subject our pets to the stress of air travel. Unfortunately, the world isn’t perfect. If you’re moving across the country or to another country, you may not have a choice. Here are some tips to help you ensure your pet’s experience (and yours) is as stress-free as possible.
Check Pet Policies with Your Airline: When you make your reservation, tell the airline you’ll be traveling with an animal. Most airlines allow pets to travel with you in the cabin or the cargo hold. If they travel in the cabin, they must be in a carrier that fits under the seat. Check with your airline to ensure you understand their policies and the fees for each option.
Health Records: Discuss your travel plans with your veterinarian. If your pet has certain health conditions like heart disease or diabetes, it could develop complications during a flight. If you’re traveling to another country, you may be required to get a health certificate that shows your pet meets local requirements, such as up-to-date vaccinations or being microchipped.
IATA-Approved Carrier: Your pet must be in a kennel approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). An IATA-approved carrier is a closed container made of fiberglass, metal, rigid plastic, solid wood or plywood with no sharp edges or protrusions in the interior. It must have good ventilation and have at least a 3/4-inch rim around the exterior so air holes won’t be covered if the carrier is placed next to other boxes. One end must have a sliding or hinged escape-proof door. It must be large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around comfortably, and the top of their head must not touch the top.
Pre-Trip Preparation: Place the carrier on the floor with the door open to allow your pet to get used to it. Put familiar blankets, favorite toys, and treats inside so your dog or cat sees it as a non-threatening place. Once your pet feels comfortable inside, shut the door for a while. You can even take pets on short trips in the car so they get used to traveling in the carrier.
Departure Day: Feed your pet four to six hours before your flight. You should also be sure they get some exercise before you leave so they’ll want to rest during the flight. Give them a bathroom break before checking the carrier or boarding the plane. Most major airports have a pet relief area and pet-friendly lounges. Check with your airport in advance to ensure you understand the amenities they offer for pets.
Your animal should be wearing a collar and an identification tag that lists your name and phone number.
If Your Pet is Traveling in the Cargo Hold
If your pet is traveling in the cargo hold, follow these guidelines to ensure the carrier arrives safely at your destination.
- Always book a nonstop flight. If it isn’t possible, retrieve the carrier at baggage claim and recheck it for your next flight.
- Mark the carrier with your pet’s name and your name, address, phone number and destination. Write “live animal” in large letters with arrows that show which side is up.
- Attach a full water bottle to the carrier.
- Verify that the kennel’s baggage claim tag is securely attached and shows the correct destination.
- Watch as baggage is loaded to ensure your animal is on your flight. If you do not see the carrier in the loading area, ask the flight attendant to phone the cargo crew and verify that your pet is on the flight.
- If your flight is delayed, inform the crew that your pet is on board and ask that the captain be informed. In case of a long delay, insist that the carrier be unloaded until flight time.
- When you reach your destination, retrieve your pet immediately.
Most of us consider our pets to be part of the family. When we travel with them, we want to make the experience as easy as possible for them. If your pets must travel by air, following these tips will help ensure they arrive safely at your destination.
