Travelling on a plane with a pet (cat).
So as you might have figured out by now, Jennie my cat went on the plane with me to Invercargill. I thought it might interest some of you what the procedures are for traveling with a pet on a plane are. Now NOTE I traveled with a CAT with AIR NEW ZEALAND. So these will be their policy and how they do it.
First step is when you book your ticket (online) you have to book the pet in as an extra check in bag. This costed me another $30 since my ticket came with 2 checked in bags and I was going to use both of them I had to pay for an extra, but if you do not need extra luggage then its included in your ticket. Well it all depends on what type of ticket you get but that is self explanatory.
After that you have to call up their 0800 number and register the pet with them. They will note down what type of pet it is and how heavy it is. Also they will tell you what you handling fee will be depending on the weight of the pet. Mine was $75 since my cat was under 25kgs, if she was over it would have been $100. This you will pay when you check in.
Step two would be getting a caged that meet Air NZ regulations. They have recently updated what type of caged are acceptable and which are not. Here is a list on what a acceptable cage must have:
- It has to be made of ridged plastic material with no cracks etc
- The side of the cage must be bolted together so cages with just latches that keep the cage together is a no go here.
- The lock has to have a secure two way mechanism.
- Within 3cm of the door, either a bolt/screw or cable tie must be applied to ensure the robustness of the door.
- Pop up hatches in the cages are no acceptable on Air NZ flights.
- Check what type of plane you are going with, because each plane has a maximum cage size they accept.
I will put up some photos bellow to show what cage is ok
ACCEPTABLE:
UNACCEPTABLE:
Here is also a link where you can read all the info about the cage requirements:
Step 3 would be check in. Now the Vet I went too as well as the cattery recommended nil by mouth from the nigh before travel and a few drops of rescue remedy so the pet is not as stressed out. I choose not to give Jennie rescue remedy because it was just too strong for her and she was really drugged up after just 2 uses. But I did do nil by mouth.
When I went to check her in, they weighed her and also put a big sticker saying LIVE ANIMAL so the people who loaded the bags etc knew to be extra careful with her. She also go to stay with the check in people until the last bags were put on the plane. So they made sure she was not left outside in the cold or their warehouse.
I had 2 flights from Rotorua to Invercargill. And Jennie got transferred straight away in between flights. All and all it took just over 5 hours with being p in the air, check ins and waiting.
Air Nz do not put live animals on the convener belts so you have to pick them up from the information desk. But because the airport in Invercargill was under construction she came on a little trolley with the other animals that had been on the flight.
I recommend traveling with pets on planes because its fast and they get taken care of well. The Vet I talked to said that research have shown that flying is the safest and best way for travelling pets.
Remember to give your pets heaps of love, cuddles and treats when you land! We got Jennie some new toys, cozy blankets, treats and a new scratching pole with a cubby hole for her. She did soil herself during flight even tho I did nil by mouth but I guess its something that you can not control. We gave her a nice bath to get the worst of her and the rest she cleaned herself off.
