Flying with a pet: what to know before you start

Weight and carrier: cabin or hold

The most determining factor is the total weight of the animal and carrier together: many airlines set the cabin threshold at around 8 kilograms, but the exact limit varies considerably from one airline to another and should always be checked before booking, not taken for granted. Above that threshold, the animal travels in the hold, in a pressurized and climate-controlled area separate from the rest of the cargo.

Species, breed and minimum age

Dogs and cats are generally accepted by most airlines, while other animals require case-by-case checks, not always guaranteed. One often underestimated point concerns brachycephalic breeds (short-nosed, such as French bulldog, Pekingese or Persian): many airlines exclude them from hold transport, and in some cases also from cabin transport on certain routes, due to the risk of respiratory difficulties related to their airway conformation. Minimum age also matters: airlines generally require that the animal be at least 8-12 weeks old; for international travel to the EU, moreover, rabies vaccination cannot be given before 12 weeks of age, and a 21-day waiting period is then required before travel, so in practice a puppy is not ready for an international flight before 3-4 months of age.

Destination and individual airline policies

Travel within the European Union follows simpler rules (microchip and European passport) compared to travel to non-EU countries, which often require additional health documentation and timelines of weeks or months. Each airline then applies its own policies on maximum quotas of animals per flight, costs and further restrictions: for details on hold transport see also our dedicated guide.

The most practical advice is to verify these four variables directly on the website of the chosen airline, not from generic sources: weight limits, excluded breeds and minimum age vary from one airline to another and are often the cause of avoidable boarding refusals.