The relationship to our pets has changed a lot in the last decades. For animal lovers, it has partly become a habit to take their pets everywhere. This also includes holidays.
However, there are a few points to consider when travelling with pets. It is important to find out in advance which airline is best suited for the trip and the animal.
Good-to-know
In principle, Swiss, Edelweiss, Helvetic Airways and Chair allow dogs or cats to be taken along, either in the cabin or in the cargo hold. However, the passenger is responsible for all information. The passenger must inform himself in detail about the import, export and transit regulations of the destination and must have all the health and vaccination certificates of the animal.
Swiss and Edelweiss allow dogs and cats up to a weight of 8 kg (incl. transport box) to travel in the cabin. For Helvetic Airways the weight limit is 7 kg, for Chair only 6 kg. Animals that exceed this limit or travel in a larger transport box are transported in the cargo hold. The dimensions of the transport boxes vary depending on the airline and the weight of the animal, so this should also be clarified in advance.
Combat dogs are not allowed to travel in the cabin of Swiss and Edelweiss regardless of weight and size.
Costs
Swiss and Edelweiss charge the same costs for the transport of animals. In the cabin the charges within Europe are 69 CHF and for long intercontinental flights 126 CHF. In the cargo hold within Europe, the charges are 115 – 230 CHF, for long intercontinental flights 218 – 437 CHF, depending on the size and weight of the animal.
Helvetic Airways offers all-inclusive prices. In the cabin, the fee is 80 CHF per flight route. For transport in the cargo hold, the fee per leg is calculated according to the size and weight of the animal (including transport box). Helvetic Airways charges 15 CHF per kilogram.
Chair Airlines also offers all-inclusive prices. In the cabin, the fee per route is 70 CHF. For transport in the cargo hold, the fee is 120 CHF per kilogram up to a weight of 20 kg. If these 20 kg are exceeded, the price is 150 CHF.
Important changes for the year 2020
Animals that belong to the snub-nosed breeds are transported by many airlines only with restrictions and generally no longer in the cargo hold. These animals are considered to be particularly sensitive to temperature and stress, so a journey can have serious health consequences. Swiss, Lufthansa, Austrian and Eurowings count the following breeds as well as hybrids of these breeds among the snub-nosed animals:
Dogs
Monkey Pinscher, Bull Dog (all breeds except American Bull Dog), Pug (all breeds), American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Grifffin, Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Chow Chow, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Japanese Spaniel, Lhaso Apso, Pekingese, Pit Bull
Cats
British Shorthair Cat, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan Cat, Persian Cat, Scottish Folded Ear Cat
Conclusion
In line with the new provisions for snub-nosed animals, animal welfare must be the top priority for all breeds. In principle, long flights should be avoided if the animal is to be spared unnecessary stress. If a flight is unavoidable, it is important to inform oneself in detail about all aspects in advance and to buy the right transport box, so that animal and human arrive at their destination as stress-free as possible.
By the way, should a flight irregularity occur, since 2020 it is not impossible that the pet is also entitled to compensation under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. Our team has explained this issue in detail in our Air-Blog article Dog receives compensation payment according to EU passenger rights regulation.
Image Source: Dog photo created by ArthurHidden – www.freepik.com