Five Things We Didn’t Know About Lufthansa’s Pet Friendly Program
As pet travel specialists, we work with Lufthansa on a regular basis to safely transport our customers' pets all over the world -- so you'd think we'd know everything there is to know about Lufthansa! However, in the process of interviewing them for our Pet Friendly Airline Spotlight, we found out some surprising facts about the Lufthansa pet program that even we didn't know before.
1. Lufthansa cares about animal conservation.
Lufthansa Cargo works closely with international zoos and also supports programs dedicated to animal conservation and re-settlement of threatened species. For over three decades, Lufthansa has worked to protect cranes by donating 10,000 euros every three years since 2004 to help the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. They also show the environmental documentary "Fascination Nature" on numerous long-haul flights, which provides information on conservation and biodiversity to their passengers, making Lufthansa both pet-friendly and eco-friendly.
2. A funny thing happened on the way to the terminal...
When asked if they'd ever had a funny incident with a pet on a flight before, Lufthansa told us that in October 2008, on a flight from Dubai to Frankfurt, a passenger carried a pregnant dog onto the plane. About thirty minutes before the plane landed, the dog started giving birth to several puppies! A veterinarian was called right away and "the birthday party was remembered by all," said Martin Riecken, Head of Corporate Communications for Lufthansa.
3. Pricing depends on your destination.
On Germany and European routes, as well as on flights from the US and Canada, pets traveling with their owners are charged a flat rate depending on the pet's crate size. On intercontinental routes, pets are charged according to their weight. See How to Book a Flight on Lufthansa for Your Pet for more pricing information.
4. Everything is under one roof.
Many airports have their live animal facilities spread out over several terminals or offices, but thanks to Lufthansa's smartly designed Animal Lounge, everything, including pets, quarantine officers and animal handlers, are all located under one central 40,365 square-foot building. There, the motto is "fast lane," pets are the first ones on and off planes, which helps speed up their transit times.
5. A lot of furry friends fly Lufthansa.
By their count, over 110 million animal passengers pass through Lufthansa each year!
Learn more about how things work at Lufthansa's Animal Lounge. Ready to discuss your pet's travel plans? Contact us for a consultation.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2010 and has been updated with new information.