Airlines restrictions for pet travel

Amazebalz

Hi,

After 11 years in Irland i am finally moving back to Germany and want to bring my cat with me.

My friend recently travelled with her cat with KLM and after some research I decided to book with them too.

My cat is a large breed (he is a mix but there is Norwegian forest cat in there) and he's a little on the heavy side which means between him and the carrier he is 0.2kg over the allowed 8kg weight limit.

I'll try to get his weight down if I can but just wanted to know what happen if he was a tiny bit over

I will be flying from Dublin.

Does anyone have any experience?

Thanks in advance!

Graces7

Amazebalz wrote: »

Hi,

After 11 years in Irland i am finally moving back to Germany and want to bring my cat with me.

My friend recently travelled with her cat with KLM and after some research I decided to book with them too.

My cat is a large breed (he is a mix but there is Norwegian forest cat in there) and he's a little on the heavy side which means between him and the carrier he is 0.2kg over the allowed 8kg weight limit.

I'll try to get his weight down if I can but just wanted to know what happen if he was a tiny bit over

I will be flying from Dublin.

Does anyone have any experience?

Thanks in advance!

Can you not call the airline and explain? It surely will not be the first time someone has had this problem. How heavy is his blanket?

AndrewJRenko

How about getting a slightly smaller carrier, that might shave you back under the limit?

Graces7

Also surely they must carry animals eg bigger cats and dogs that are over 8 kg? Maybe there is a higher bracket?

josip

Friend of ours was bringing a Schnauzer by plane from Budapest and the dog was slightly over the carry on board weight limit.
It had to go in the hold for the 3 hour flight.
Was fairly upset afterwards by all accounts.
I'd recommend a weight loss program for your cat, pedicure, haircut, colonic irrigation on the day, whatever it takes to get it under the limit.

CelticRambler

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

How about getting a slightly smaller carrier, that might shave you back under the limit?

The size and construction of carriers for permitted for transporting cats and dogs on an aircraft is very tightly defined - you can't turn up with your pet in any old container.


Thinking of putting a cat through colonic irrigation, though, is just plain stupid, bordering on animal abuse.

Graces7

CelticRambler wrote: »

The size and construction of carriers for permitted for transporting cats and dogs on an aircraft is very tightly defined - you can't turn up with your pet in any old container.


Thinking of putting a cat through colonic irrigation, though, is just plain stupid, bordering on animal abuse.

That post.. When I came here from the UK it took three flights and on each one my cat in its flight module, was in the hold. I thought that was standard. The first was a tiny Islander plane and that had a dire effect (!) but the other flights were fine

josip

CelticRambler wrote: »

The size and construction of carriers for permitted for transporting cats and dogs on an aircraft is very tightly defined - you can't turn up with your pet in any old container.


Thinking of putting a cat through colonic irrigation, though, is just plain stupid, bordering on animal abuse.

Sorry, I thought that a cat getting a colonic irrigation was sufficiently ridiculous that I didn't need to include a note that I wasn't serious about that suggestion.
What I was trying to get across was, that bearing in mind how traumatic the experience could be to an animal of going in the hold versus carry on board, then the owner should do everything possible to get it to make the weight cut.

Graces7

josip wrote: »

Sorry, I thought that a cat getting getting colonic irrigation was sufficiently ridiculous that I didn't need to include a note that I wasn't serious about that suggestion.
What I was trying to get across was, that bearing in mind how traumatic the experience could be to an animal of going in the hold versus carry on board, then the owner should do everything possible to get it to make the weight cut.

I thought all critters travelled in the hold unless you paid for a second seat? And that that is why weight is so crucial?

josip

Graces7 wrote: »

I thought all critters travelled in the hold unless you paid for a second seat? And that that is why weight is so crucial?

I think most airlines allow under 8kg to travel in the cabin, either for free or as an additional baggage charge.
But you don't have to buy an extra seat, unless you want to.

eg Lufthansa
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/travelling-with-animals

We chose our breed of dog with this in mind.

Graces7

josip wrote: »

I think most airlines allow under 8kg to travel in the cabin, either for free or as an additional baggage charge.
But you don't have to buy an extra seat, unless you want to.

eg Lufthansa
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/travelling-with-animals

We chose our breed of dog with this in mind.

Ah thanks. I am (thankfully) out of date! When I came to Ireland nearly 20 years ago, Edinburgh airport was very security conscious and no one knew how to put a cat through Customs. RyanAir kindly held the flight up. And the cat went in the hold.. At Dublin they just left her by the shop!

bertiebomber

fat people dont have to be weighed and they all vary hugely on the plane your cat should be allowed without a single thought anyway there are fewer people on the planes so the difference in weight should be ok & not cause you problems ring them first though.

Strumms

A 737 can weigh up to 79 tonnes thereabouts at takeoff. Be guaranteed that .2 kgs won’t be an issue...

You’ll eat more than .2 kgs of food in the restaurant before you fly.

Graces7

Strumms wrote: »

A 737 can weigh up to 79 tonnes thereabouts at takeoff. Be guaranteed that .2 kgs won’t be an issue...

You’ll eat more than .2 kgs of food in the restaurant before you fly.

Not a safe recommendation given that rules is rules.

Not sure what that statement has to do with it!

JustAThought

I remember with dogs it used be really tricky and you used have to use a specific external
company. I’d ve checking and getting the detail by email as its shocking how often organisations just shrug and say the website is/was out of date. If the plane is delayed or cancelled having a pet in the hold could be a nightmare - I’d do anything to avoid this. My (dog) crate had an inner sliding (double) floor - it weighted more than 0.2 of a kg - maybe worth checking your crate or a substitute one - is the cats weight alone or the combined weight of cat and crate they count?

Also pet passports....
Do cats need them - and all the palaver that goes with them. Dogs now do.

con747

bertiebomber wrote: »

fat people dont have to be weighed and they all vary hugely on the plane your cat should be allowed without a single thought anyway there are fewer people on the planes so the difference in weight should be ok & not cause you problems ring them first though.

"fat people dont have to be weighed", very informative.

scilover

don't forget the important things too. the passport, certificates, visa so that there will be no more problem in the future.

bobbyy gee

https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/travelling-with-animals

Graces7

bobbyy gee wrote: »

https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/travelling-with-animals

That is very comprehensive. So over the weight and it is cargo hold. It would be quieter than the cabin if the cat is nervous?

Amazebalz

Thanks for all the comments. He is now on a diet and workout regine so hopefully he will be under the weight limit and I can amend the carrier if I really have to. If at all possible I want to avoid him flying in the cargo hold because I think he will be more stressed without me, especially seeing that we need to transit. Also the trip would be longer because layover with animal travelling in cargo needs to be at least 3 hours.

I was actually getting him ready to move to Australia with me (which obviously isn't happening due to Covid) but that means that he has all vaccines and documentation he could possibly need.

Just in case anyone is wondering. The airlines flying animal in the cabin from Ireland to Germany are Lufthansa, KLM and Swiss Air. Unfortuanetly, I will need to transit somewhere because the ones that fly direct (Aerlingus and Ryanair) do not allow pets.

Graces7

Amazebalz wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments. He is now on a diet and workout regine so hopefully he will be under the weight limit and I can amend the carrier if I really have to. If at all possible I want to avoid him flying in the cargo hold because I think he will be more stressed without me, especially seeing that we need to transit. Also the trip would be longer because layover with animal travelling in cargo needs to be at least 3 hours.

I was actually getting him ready to move to Australia with me (which obviously isn't happening due to Covid) but that means that he has all vaccines and documentation he could possibly need.

Just in case anyone is wondering. The airlines flying animal in the cabin from Ireland to Germany are Lufthansa, KLM and Swiss Air. Unfortuanetly, I will need to transit somewhere because the ones that fly direct (Aerlingus and Ryanair) do not allow pets.

Safe travel and happy landings!