In our experience most pets travel very well by air, however conditions at airports are naturally noisy and filled with unusual smells such as aircraft fumes. And on long flights pets can suffer from stiffness especially if their container is not large enough.

Container Requirements

You must have a correctly sized container otherwise we may have to refuse to take your pet. The following requirements must be met:

• The container must be large enough for the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural manner. Your pet will be in the container for some time and therefore, it should be as comfortable as possible
• The container must be strong enough to protect your pet during transport, be secure enough to contain it and have sufficient ventilation on all four sides, to ensure the air quality in the container will not deteriorate
• The door must be secured in such a manner that it will not open accidentally or your pet cannot open it during handling and transport
• Your pet's nose and paws should not be able to fit through any ventilation opening or door mesh
• The container must have a water pot and a food container accessible from the outside
• Fibreboard or wiremesh containers are not suitable for air transportation

• Microchip your pet.
  This must be done by your vet before any of the other PETS scheme requirements are met, as the microchip is the means by which your pet will be identified at each of the following stages (the microchip should meet ISO standard 11784 or annex A to ISO standard 11785 - otherwise you should provide your own microchip reader)
• Ensure you have your pet vaccinated.
  Once your pet has had a microchip fitted it will then need to be vaccinated against rabies
• Make sure your pet's blood has been tested.
  30 days after the vaccination you will need to have a blood test carried out to ensure that the vaccine has given an adequate level of protection against rabies
• Get a PETS certificate.
  Six months after the blood test has been conducted you can then apply for a PETS certificate from a government-authorised Veterinary Surgeon (vet). Your local vet can advise you on this
• Have your pet treated for tapeworm and ticks
  24-48 hours before your pet travels to the UK you must have your pet treated for tapeworm and ticks. Any qualified vet can do this, however you must ensure that they issue an official certificate of treatment. Without this certificate your pet will not be released to you under the PETS scheme but will need to go into temporary quarantine (at your expense) until all treatments have been completed successfully
• You must be travelling on one of the routes listed below.

Pet Travel Scheme Routes

Into London Gatwick:

From Cyprus	Paphos (PFO)
From Europe	Alicante (ALC), Barcelona (BCN), Bordeaux (BOD), Faro (FAO), Marseille (MRS), Madrid (MAD), Malaga (AGP), Malta (MLA), Rome (FCO), Varna (VAR) and Venice (VCE)
From Switzerland	Geneva (GVA) and Zurich (ZRH)
From USA	Bermuda (BDA), New York (JFK), Orlando (MCO) and Tampa (TPA)
From Caribbean	Antigua (ANU), Barbados (BGI), St. Kitts (SKB), Trinidad and Tobago (POS)

* From non EU countries into London Gatwick the owner has to accompany the cat/dog on the same inbound flight if it arrives on a Saturday or Sunday, or a UK Public holiday.

From Monday to Friday, the cat/dog can be unaccompanied provided it arrives at the Animal Reception Centre (ARC) between the hours of 07:30 and 17:00. The Animal Health Divisional Office in Reigate and the ARC require a minimum of 24 hours notice prior to arrival of the cat/dog.

Into London Heathrow:

From Argentina	Buenos Aires (EZE)
From Australia	Melbourne (MEL) and Sydney (SYD)
From Bahrain	Bahrain (BAH)
From Canada	Montreal (YUL), Toronto (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR)
From Cayman Islands	Grand Cayman (GCM)
From Cyprus	Larnaca (LCA)
From Europe	Amsterdam (AMS), Athens (ATH), Barcelona (BCN), Berlin (TXL), Brussels (BRU), Bucharest (OTP), Budapest (BUD), Dusseldorf (DUS), Hamburg (HAM), Lisbon (LIS), Lyon (LYS), Madrid (MAD), Malaga (AGP), Malpensa (MXP), Milan (LIN), Moscow (DME), Munich (MUC), Nice (NCE), Paris (CDG), Prague (PRG), Rome (FCO), Sofia (SOF), St. Petersburg (LED), Stockholm (ARN), Stuttgart (STR), Toulouse (TLS) and Warsaw (WAW)
From Switzerland	Geneva (GVA) and Zurich (ZRH)
From Hong Kong	Hong Kong (HKG)
From Japan	Tokyo (NRT)
From Mauritius	Mauritius (MRU)
From New Zealand	Auckland (AKL) and Christchurch (CHC)
From Singapore	Singapore (SIN)
From United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi (AUH), Dubai (DXB)
From USA	Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Newark NJ (EWR), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA) and Washington (IAD)

Note: Houston (IAH) and Denver (DEN) have a summer heat embargo between 1 June and 15 September annually. Phoenix (PHX) has a summer heat embargo between 1 April and 15 October annually.

Note: Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX) and Seattle (SEA) must be booked through IPATA, pet shippers only.

*On Australasia routes pets must not transit Bangkok (BKK) Thailand.


Travelling with Guide Dogs or Assistance Dogs

If you need to travel with your service animal it must be compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme and can only travel in the aircraft cabin on specified DEFRA approved routes. For travel, into the UK, in the cabin, your first point of entry must be either London Heathrow or London Gatwick.

This is what you need to do to prepare your Guide Dog/Assistance Dog for travel:

• Bring a dog car safety harness or equivalent to secure your dog during take off and landing (a collar and lead will not be acceptable for this)
• On longhaul flights, we suggest you bring a fleece/vet bed for your dog
• You need to contact DEFRA, who require a faxed copy of all relevant documentation prior to travel
• Refer to the government website of the country to which you’re travelling for any additional entry requirements or documentation that may need completing
• Contact British Airways at least seven days prior to travel to notify us that you wish to travel with a Guide Dog/Assistance Dog
• Check-in for your flight at an airport check-in desk in order to complete travel documentation and formalities prior to going through airport security

For further information about travelling with Guide Dogs/Assistance Dogs visit www.guidedogs.org.uk 

If you do not meet all of these requirements your dog may still be transported, as cargo, in the aircraft hold as explained in the general Pet Travel Scheme information.

Travelling with your pet

As always at British Airways we want to make everything as easy as possible for you so that your journey is relaxing and enjoyable. The following section gives you details of what you will need to do when flying from or to London with your pet.

Making your booking and taking your flight

When you make your booking you will need to let your travel agent or British Airways booking representative know that you will be travelling with a pet.

For journeys into London, your pet will not be able to check in with you but will be handled professionally by British Airways World Cargo and travel as an Unaccompanied Pet. A cargo booking will be required which can be requested through the local British Airways World Cargo booking office.

In the USA, contact the Pets Passport desk at 888-578-4806
In Canada, please contact British Airways World Cargo at

Toronto:  905-676-2821
Montreal:  514-633-9779
Vancouver:  604-270-2921

You will need to reconfirm the booking for your pet (maximum 14 days and minimum 3 days prior to travel) when details about your pet and the size of container will be checked.

On the day of travel, deliver your pet to the British Airways World Cargo Office. The travel container will be checked and the appropriate charges collected.

Please note - you will be asked to sign a Form of Indemnity to cover British Airways against any costs arising from your pet not passing the PETS checks on arrival and having to go into quarantine.

On arriving into London

You will be required to pass through the normal passenger arrivals processes (Immigration Control and HM Customs) and then collect your pet from the Animal Reception Centre. These can be found:

• At Heathrow Airport - Animal Reception Centre, Beacon Road, London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 3JF (Beacon Road is located off Sanctuary Road on the Southern Airport Perimeter Road).
  c/o James Cargo Services Livestock +44 (0) 1753 687722
  
• At Gatwick - Animal Reception Centre, Cargo Forecourt Road, Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, RH6 0SQ (located off the Airport Perimeter Road North and Cargo Road).
  c/o Animal Aircare +44 (0) 1293 555580
  

The clearance time for pets from EU countries will be completed about 2 hours after your time of arrival but will take longer for pets arriving from non-EU countries due to additional HM Customs clearances.

If transiting through London to another British Airways UK destination, your pet must be cleared at the first point of entry to the UK and separate arrangements made for onward travel. Please ask your pet travel agent or British Airways World Cargo booking office for details.

Flying out of London

The DEFRA Export Section (Dogs and Cats) will advise you of the current documentation and vaccination requirements for your destination. We will also require a health certificate from your vet to show that your pet is fit for air travel.

Making your booking and taking your flight

When you make your booking you will need to let your travel agent or British Airways booking representative know that you will be travelling with a pet.

For journeys out of London, your pet will not be able to check in with you but will be handled professionally by British Airways World Cargo and travel as an Unaccompanied Pet. A cargo booking will be required which can be requested through the local British Airways World Cargo booking office.

On the day of travel, deliver your pet to the British Airways World Cargo Office. The travel container will be checked and the appropriate charges collected. Payment at Heathrow is by debit or credit card only. Please check local payment options when making your booking.

At London Heathrow Airport we recommend that you bring your pet in at least four hours before departure. The customs and documentation process takes up to two hours, and this should give you enough time to return to the terminal in time to catch your flight.

The cost of flying your pet with British Airways

Charges differ for pets depending on the size of container, weight of your pet and distance being travelled. Cargo charges will be quoted at the time of reconfirming your pets travel either to or from London with British Airways World Cargo (maximum 14 days prior to travel).

Additional handling, local government and customs clearance charges may apply at the origin or destination, please contact your local British Airways World Cargo office to find out more. In the UK, contact the Commercial Call Centre: 08457 222 777 (option 1), (option 2), (option 2).


Frequently asked questions

Q	Can I transport any other types of animals under the PETS scheme?
Q	How do I prepare my pet for travel?
Q	How does my pet travel?
Q	How can I be certain that my pet will be allowed back into the UK?
Q	How will you manage Guide Dogs for the blind and Assistance Dogs for the deaf and disabled?

Q	Can I transport any other types of animals under the PETS scheme?
A	No. The PETS scheme applies only to domestic cats and dogs.
Q	How do I prepare my pet for travel?
A	Prior to your journey you should give your pet only a light meal and the opportunity to urinate and defecate before it is placed in its container.
Q	How does my pet travel?
A	During the flight your pet will be stored in the plane's hold, where it will be safe and secure in a temperature controlled environment. The hold is unlit as our experience shows that pets quickly settle down and travel better in the dark.
Top
Q	How can I be certain that my pet will be allowed back into the UK?
A	Provided that your pet complies with the pre-entry requirements described earlier there should be no difficulties when it comes to re-entry. However it is also advisable to have your vet check that the microchip is readable, as sometimes these migrate around the body.
Q	How will you manage Guide Dogs for the blind and Assistance Dogs for the deaf and disabled?
A	Guide Dogs for the blind and Assistance Dogs for the deaf and disabled may be carried in the cabin on all UK Domestic routes. Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs travelling under PETS may travel in the cabin of the aircraft on certain international routes. On all other routes they will travel as cargo into London, in the aircraft hold, which requires delivery to BAWC on departure and collection from the Animal Reception Centre on arrival in London. A Guide Dog or Assistance Dog will only be allowed to accompany its owner in the cabin of the aircraft if it has been trained and certified by an organisation that is a registered member of Assistance Dogs (UK), International Guide Dog Federation, Assistance Dog International, or Assistance Dog Europe. The following Assistance Dog Organisations are registered members of Assistance Dogs (UK): Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Hearing Dogs for Deaf People Support Dogs Dogs for the Disabled Canine Partners

Useful contacts

The following contacts should be able to help you with any questions you may have:

DEFRA

Website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets
Tel: +44 (0) 8459 335577
Pets Travel Scheme (PETS)
Helpline: +44 (0) 870 241 1710
(Lines open Monday to Friday 08.30 to 17.00)
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7904 6834
Email: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

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