Pet Travel Question: Can My Dogs Fly in the Plane Cabin?

Hi PetRelocation,

Is there any way I can travel with my dogs in the cabin of an airplane from Canada to Australia?

Thanks,

Doreen

Hi Doreen,

Thank you for your question, we're happy to help! The short answer is that you can expect to fly your dogs via cargo, as they are too large to go in cabin and routes to Australia do not allow even small pets to fly in cabin. 

The general rule for pet air travel is that only pets who are small enough to fit into a carrier that can fit under the seat in front of you on a plane are able to fly in the cabin, and for many international routes, in-cabin travel is not an option for any size pet. 

Only tiny pets (toy dogs, kittens, etc.) tend to meet this size requirement, so the majority of pets end up flying as cargo no matter what. Based on the average size of Wire Fox Terriers, it is pretty safe to assume that your dogs would need to ride as cargo on domestic flights and certainly as cargo when going to Australia. 

That being said, flying as cargo is quite safe and comfortable for pets, as cargo holds on pet friendly airlines are pressurized and climate-controlled just like the cabin. Additionally, flying with a pet-friendly airline (we often use KLM, Lufthansa, and United) ensures that your pets will be handled by specialized professionals and will be loaded onto the plane last and taken off first. Check out our post where we answer questions about flying pets in cargo.

If you have any more questions about moving your dogs to Australia, feel free to contact us for a consultation.

Thanks again for your question and good luck with your move!

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Doreen
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Dogs
Pet Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
From: Canada
To: Australia

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in July 2013 and has been updated with new information.