Flying With Pets: What It Actually Involves

Pet air travel is doable but it rewards planning months ahead, and the details change, so treat everything here as a starting point to verify with the airline and the state veterinary service rather than a final answer.

Domestic flights

South African carriers generally carry pets in the hold in an approved crate, booked in advance, with limits on numbers per flight. Some allow small pets in the cabin and some do not, and policies change — confirm directly with the airline when you book, not at check-in. Expect to arrive well ahead of a normal check-in time.

Costs vary widely by airline and crate size. Budget for the crate itself as a separate expense.

The crate

Must be IATA-compliant: rigid plastic or wood, metal door, ventilation on multiple sides, bolted rather than clipped together, water bowl accessible from outside, and large enough for the animal to stand fully upright, turn around and lie naturally. Undersized crates are the single most common reason animals are refused at check-in.

Buy the crate weeks ahead and let the animal sleep in it at home. An animal meeting its crate at the airport has a far worse journey.

International travel

This is where the complexity lives. Depending on destination you may need a microchip that meets a specific standard, a rabies vaccination given after the microchip, a rabies titre blood test with a waiting period that can run to months, an import permit, and a state veterinary health certificate issued within a narrow window before departure. Some countries have quarantine.

Start six months before you plan to move. Many people use a professional pet relocation agent, and for complex destinations that is money well spent.

Sedation

Most airlines and veterinary bodies advise against sedating animals for flights. Sedatives affect breathing and temperature regulation at altitude and can be dangerous in the hold. Discuss anxiety options with your vet rather than assuming a sedative is the answer.

Who should not fly

Flat-faced breeds — bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Persians — are at significantly elevated risk in the hold and many airlines refuse them outright or restrict them by season. Very young, very old, pregnant, or medically unstable animals should travel by road where possible.