• Pet travel in Spring

Spring is a great time for your pet to travel. The weather is usually mild which means that hot and cold weather embargos are not in effect. Most airlines will not allow your pet to travel in their cargo hold if the temperature at the departure, layover or destination airports is forecasted to be above 84˚F or under 45˚F so spring is a good time of year to fly with your pet.

Snub nosed breeds

If your pet is a snub nosed breed or mix of a snub nosed breed, like Bulldogs, Pitt bulls, Pugs, etc., Spring is one of the only times of the year where any airline will allow them in their cargo holds. If you have a snub nosed breed of dog or cat make sure you check with the airlines and see if they have any special restrictions.

Prepare your pet’s travel crate

Make sure your pet’s travel crate is the right size for them. In some cases a bigger crate or customizing a crate for added air holes can greatly improve the comfort of your pet during travel.

Lining your pet’s crate with an absorbent material like shredded paper will keep your pet dry in case of mishaps. Paper can also keep them cool since they can dig around to find a cool spot, and a bit of warmth and padding if they decide not to move around too much. If your pet has light colored fur, make sure the paper doesn’t have any ink as it can stain their fur when it gets wet.

Best times for flying

The best days to fly are usually mid-week. Fridays, Saturday, Sunday and Monday are usually pretty busy since there are weekend travelers and people traveling for work. The calmer the airport personnel is the better they will be able to care for your pet. Avoid Holidays as they tend to be busier then.

The best times of day to fly your pet in spring will depend on your departure and arrival locations.

Book direct flights for your pets

Direct flights are the safest for your pet. It makes the trip shorter and avoids unnecessary time on the tarmac. Though airlines transport your dog from the air conditioned cargo hold to the air conditioned plane in an air conditioned van, there are times (when the pets are being loaded) that they are exposed to the weather, so it is best to keep these transfers to a minimum.

If you have any questions about restrictions for flying pets, documentation, crate sizing, scheduling of flights or anything else, please contact our pet travel experts who are here to help.