Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for your pet 10 days or less prior to your day of travel. Ensure your pet is fully up to date on all vaccinations and is healthy and fit for travel. Get a health certificate from your veterinarian if you're planning to ship your pet as air cargo. This certificate should include your vet's signature and the date, as well as your name and contact information and your pet's tag numbers, age and administered inoculations if relevant.
Avoid flights with layovers so you and your pet won't need to change planes. If you don't have another option, try to keep the layover time down to an hour or two so you don't extend the stressful period of time for your pet.
Do not plan to check your pet as baggage between May 15 and September 15 on any flights or between November 1 and March 31 on flights that may be entering Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Sun Valley, Idaho or Twin Falls, Idaho. During these times, Delta only allows pets to be carried on the plane or checked as cargo due to the possibility of severe weather. If weather conditions are severe, either hot or cold, Delta reserves the right to refuse checking pets as baggage. For a pet who is used to colder weather, you can get acclimation certificate from your vet stating that the animal can be exposed to temperatures between 20 degrees and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The certificate needs to contain your name and contact information, as well as your vet's signature and the date.
Understand breed-specific Delta regulations. Live birds cannot be transported unless you have documentation proving that the birds were born in captivity. Pug or snub-nosed dogs and cats cannot be checked as baggage or as cargo if the temperature could exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This is due to the animals' inability to handle warm temperatures.
Offer your pet food and water at least four hours before traveling on a Delta airline. You will need to affirm this on the live animal checklist you'll be asked to fill out. Also, bring feeding and watering instructions and food for a 24-hour period with you to the airport.
Administer your pet's sedation medication yourself as instructed by your veterinarian. You will need written consent from your vet to sedate your pet.
Place your pet in a kennel approved by the United States Department of Agriculture if you're planning to check your pet as baggage or as cargo. This kennel needs to be large enough for your pet to comfortably sit, stand, lie down and turn around without touching the top or sides of the kennel. Place your pet in a secure pet carrier if you're planning to take your pet as a carry on. The carrier must be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you. Because flight size varies, the room under the seats also varies. Calling Delta customer support ahead of time at (800) 325-1999 is the only way to confirm how much space you'll have to work with.
