Flying With Pets? Here’s everything you need to know in 2023

If this is your first time flying with pets and you’re searching online for guidance, you’ve likely read a bunch of conflicting and outdated information. And so we’ve put together this section of our website to explain exactly how pet shipping works in 2023.

We’ve outlined each of the steps below to help you understand what you need to do and what to expect at every stage.

So here is a step-by-step guide to follow when flying your dog or cat from the UK.

1. Selecting A Pet Travel Company
2. Learn What’s Required
3. Check The Country’s Requirements
4. Book Your Pet’s Flight
5. Prepare The Documentation
6. Selecting The Travel Crate
7. Checking Your Pet In At The Airport

1. Selecting A Pet Travel Company

The very first step is to find a good pet travel company to assist you with the process. It’s always a good idea to do your research on the company before contacting them, as we definitely don’t want to take any chances when it comes to the safety of our pets.

Be sure to read through third-party review websites such as Facebook, Google and Trustpilot to ensure the reviews they feature on their website aren’t just a select few customers who were happy, when the vast majority wasn’t.

The easiest way to find reviews is to type the company’s name followed by the word reviews in your favourite search engine. For example “Fetchapet reviews”.

Here’s a couple of the things people say about our services on Trustpilot:

Please feel free to read through more on our profiles:

• Facebook
• Trustpilot
• Google Reviews

2. Get A Quote & Learn What’s Required

This step is important to complete as soon as possible, as some countries take a while to get everything in place for. And the sooner you know all the facts the better!

If you’d like our help safely flying your pet, you can get a 100-percent free quote by filling out our online form.

The form will ask you for details regarding the size of your dog (if you’re shipping a dog) and the location you’re flying them to. This is because the cost is mainly determined by the size of your dog and the location.

If you’re flying your cat, there’s no need to measure them as we can work it out based on their breed.

After you fill out our online form, you’ll get a 100% free quote with no obligation. This allows you to get all the information you need for free, without the high-pressure sales tactics.

3. Checking The Country’s Requirements

The next step is for us to check whether your pet is compliant with the country’s current 2023 requirements. We’ll make this process as smooth as possible, whether you decide to use our in-house vets or you’d like us to guide your own vet through the process – whatever suits you best.

We will look into all of the vaccinations, treatments and tests required for your chosen country to ensure the safety of your pet and provide full advice on the veterinary schedule throughout.

4. Booking Your Pet’s Flight

After we have met all of the country’s requirements and set out the veterinary schedule, we will then look at the best flight options for your pet.

Oftentimes there will be a direct flight from the UK to your chosen destination, however, sometimes there can be issues with airlines not carrying certain breeds and so we’ll have to use other trusted routes.

While selecting the route for your pet, you’ll be completely involved throughout the process and we will always prioritise the welfare and safety of your pet to ensure they get there comfortably.

It is also possible to book your pet on the same flight as you in many instances. If this is something you’d like, make sure you let us know early on in the process.

5. We Prepare Your Pet’s Documentation

There’s a lot of paperwork necessary when shipping a pet to another country in 2023 and we will be there to help you with every single piece of it.

Whether you would just like us to check the validity of the paperwork you have prepared and ensure nothing’s missing, or you would like us to prepare the full documentation – we are here to help.

6. We Select The Perfect Travel Crate For Your Pet

To ensure your pet is perfectly comfortable throughout its journey, we custom build wooden travel crates (in most instances) bespoke to your pet’s measurements.

We make sure there’s enough room for your pet to be comfortable, without compromising on safety.

This is another part of the process where you will be very much involved and we will be here to help provide the best advice possible for your pet.

7. Checking Your Pet In At The Airport

Some people prefer to drive their pet to the airport to meet us there, whereas others like us to collect their pets from home.

Whichever you decide, we will do everything in our power to make sure your pet is loved and cared for while away from you.

Your pet will be delivered to the flight check-in by our staff who are familiar with all of the processes involved with each airline and every country.

How Much Does Flying With Pets Cost?

How much flying with your pet will cost will depend on the type of pet (dog or cat), their breed and the destination you’re planning to fly to. As a rough guide, we’ve put together the table below to show estimated costs you can expect to pay

Note: some routes incur a higher charge than others due to the way the pets are loaded on certain aircraft sizes, also some indirect routes incur a transit care charge. For both cats and dogs the prices vary according to the size of the pet and therefore the size of the travel kennel. There are many variables that can have a direct impact on the costs for pet travel.