Pets can travel in the cabin or in the cargo section of the plane. Generally, if a flight's duration is less than six hours, the airline will allow one pet per passenger in the cabin, for a maximum of two pets in the cabin overall. Appropriate containers for cabin travel have a waterproof bottom and can be placed under the seat. International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved cabin containers include the Sturdi, Pet Roll Around and Sherpa brands.
Pets traveling the cargo section must be in a IATA approved container. One such container approved by many airlines is the Kennel Aire crate. The size of the crate must be large enough for the pet to lie down, turn around and stand. Crates will have ventilation on four sides with water and food dishes attached inside. The container must be a hard plastic with no wheels.
Traveling pets must have a veterinary certification of good health and carry no known diseases that can be transferred to humans. Airlines send out a passport package with an acclimation certificate to be completed by your veterinarian; the certificate must state that the animal's health will not be compromised at temperatures lower than 45 degrees. Pets must be up to date on all shots, and travel to foreign countries may require special vaccines, which will be defined in the pet passport kit.
Some airlines that allow pet travel have temperature restrictions to protect the animals. Temperature guidelines are in place for the terminal, holding area and cargo area of the plane. The temperature can not be more than 75 to 80 degrees for snub nosed dogs and cats (Pekinese or Persian). If the ground temperature is 45 degrees or less at departure or at the destination, a veterinarian-signed acclimation certificate will be accepted, but if the temperature is below 20 degrees, no pet will be allowed to fly, even with acclimation certification.
