NEWS & OPINIONS
Flying with a Dog: Everything You Need to Know about Akasa Air Pet Travel Policy
Akasa Air has started allowing dogs in flight. Read this article to know more about their pet travel policy, how to book, what to expect and things to keep in mind
Table of contents
As of November 1st 2022, India’s newest airline Akasa Air has started allowing passengers to travel with their Pet Dogs and Cats in flight cabins. This makes Akasa the second airline after Air India to allow pet dogs and cats in the cabin. Traditionally, the experience of booking tickets and getting permissions for your pets with Air India has always been a hassle, at least before the Tata takeover. We sincerely hope that Akasa can make the process and the journey a lot more seamless and simple for pets and parents. With that in mind, we decided to dig deeper into Akasa Air’s pet travel policy to declutter the process for you. In this article, we share everything you need to know about who can travel, how to book, things to keep in mind and what to expect on the day of travel.
Jet, Set, Bow!
Who Has Been Allowed to Travel?
Currently, Akasa is allowing only dogs and cats on their plans. Thay have identified three different categories of travel (in-flight, in-baggage, in-cargo) for pets and put restrictions on who can travel in which category basis the weight of the dog
1 Only domesticated dogs and cats above 3 months of age are allowed by Akasa. All pets must travel in their own crates (or containers as the airline calls them)
2. Pets below 7 kg in weight (including the weight of crate/container)
1 Only domesticated dogs and cats above 3 months of age are allowed by Akasa. All pets must travel in their own crates (or containers as the airline calls them)
2. Pets below 7 kg in weight (including the weight of crate/container)
- Only small dogs are allowed in-flight cabins, i.e. in the space where passengers sit and travel.
- It is mandatory for pets to be carried in an IDA-approved container, the size of which should not exceed 18 x 13 x 13 (inches).
- A label must be affixed on the container showing the type of the pet (dog/cat etc.).
- Small dogs have to be in their crate/container and the total weight of the dog and its crate must be less than 7 kg.
- We believe only small breeds like Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Chihuahuas will make the cut in this weight category.
- Hence, it is important to check your dog’s weight before planning your trip. The last thing you want is to have your dog bumped into cargo without preparation.
Typical look and feel of dog crates for in cabin travel
3. Pets weighing between 7-32 kg in weight (including the weight of crate/container):
4. Pets weighing more than 32 kg (including the weight of crate/container):
- Pets in this weight bracket can travel in the cargo compartment of the flights in which the parents are travelling.
- A label must be affixed on the container showing the type of pet.
4. Pets weighing more than 32 kg (including the weight of crate/container):
- Large dogs and cats can travel as per cargo regulations and Akasa mandates that parents must drop them off at the cargo terminal of the airport.
- Carriage in the cargo compartment is permitted only in rigid containers with a secure door that cannot be damaged by the pet.
- Crate size should not exceed 28 x 28 x 36 (inches). The container should be large enough to permit the pet to stand properly, turn around and lie down
- Each crate must be provided with a water container.
- A label must be affixed on the container showing the type of pet.
- No food items are permitted inside the container.
What Are the Requirements for Pets Traveling in the Flight Cabin?
For pets travelling in the cabin, Akasa has made it mandatory for pet parents to:
- Muzzle their pet dogs at all times, even inside the crate.
- A moisture-absorbent mat (like a pee mat) should be placed under the pet.
- Keep the crates below the seat, in front of them. Parents are not allowed to keep their pets on the passenger seat, even in case the seat is empty or blocked by them
- Parents are not allowed to keep food items inside the container.
All dogs in cabin must be muzzled as per Akasa
How Can Pet Parents Book Their Pet’s Travel with Akasa?
As per their pet travel policy, Akasa Air asks all parents who want to travel with their pets to: -
- Get in touch with the airline at least 48 hours before your flight and let them know about your dog’s travel plans and ideally while booking their own tickets.
- This should be done through the Akasa Air Care Centre at +91 9606 11 21 31 or by speaking to the Akasa folks at their Airport Ticketing Office, in person.
- For pets travelling on their own, parents may be asked to book through the Cargo Terminal Office.
What Will Be the Charges Like?
As per their website, Akasa Air has mentioned that parents will be charged for their pets as per excess baggage rates. This is regardless of whether or not the parent is falling within the prescribed baggage limit of 7kg in the cabin and 15 kg in the cargo.
What to do on the day of travel: Check-in and In-flight experience
For pets travelling with their parents, the expected travel experience as mentioned by Akasa on their website is mentioned below.
Please note that the requirements for pets above 32 kg, travelling without their parents in cargo, is more sophisticated and parents are advised to get in touch with the airline directly
- Arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight time. Make sure that your dog or cat is on a leash at all times in the airport.
- Your pet does not need to be in their crate at this time.
- The airlines have allowed priority check-in and boarding for people flying with a dog so make sure you go straight to the priority check-in booth.
- They will ask for your dog’s latest health and rabies vaccination certificates. They will also ask you to submit an Indemnity form. More on the same below.
- Once accepted to fly, you can proceed towards security check-in.
- At security, you should place the crate on the tray for the x-ray. All pet containers are subject to being searched.
- Hold your pet and walk through the screening device while the container is X-rayed.
- Once everything is checked and security clearance is received, you can now transition your pet into the crate and proceed towards priority boarding with them. In case your pet is above 7 kg, airport officials will carry them off for boarding into cargo at this point.
- Pets need to remain inside their crate during the entire flight. Dogs must be muzzled during the flight
Please note that the requirements for pets above 32 kg, travelling without their parents in cargo, is more sophisticated and parents are advised to get in touch with the airline directly
Airports are stressful, remember to keep your dog on leash
Who Is Not Allowed by Akasa Air?
- Pets that are more than 4 (four) weeks pregnant are not allowed or puppies below 3 months of age are not allowed.
- Akasa does not allow brachycephalic dog breeds (snub-nosed/flat-faced) in cargo, as they are considered to be at risk to fly in the cargo compartment
- Parents with infants are not allowed to travel with a pet in the cabin, they can however be carried in the cargo compartment.
- Each passenger can only carry a maximum of 1 pet in-cabin and 1 pet in the cargo compartment on the flight.
Things to keep in mind -
Air travel is stressful for our pets. That along with the fact that they need to be muzzled at all times while in the crate can result in extremely anxious few hours for our dogs and cats during the flight. Please make sure that you have crate trained your pet and practised with a muzzle on for the flight duration at home, before travelling. This will ensure your pet is calmer and more comfortable during the flight.
Akasa mentions that the crates or containers must be IDA-approved. At this point, we are not sure who IDA is and what kind of approval process they have. Typically, international airlines require the crate to be IATA (International Air Transport Association) approved. We are not sure at this moment if this was an error on the part of Akasa or if there is another competent authority by the name of IDA. Parents are advised to speak to the airline directly and check beforehand.
Akasa mentions that the crates or containers must be IDA-approved. At this point, we are not sure who IDA is and what kind of approval process they have. Typically, international airlines require the crate to be IATA (International Air Transport Association) approved. We are not sure at this moment if this was an error on the part of Akasa or if there is another competent authority by the name of IDA. Parents are advised to speak to the airline directly and check beforehand.
Flying with a dog comes with its risks and Akasa realises that. The airline has made it mandatory for parents to sign and submit an indemnity form before accepting their pet on a flight. The form absolves the airlines of any loss, injury or death of pets on their flights, thus putting the risk of travel on parents. While the chances of this happening are low- considering past records of other airlines, we do advise parents to do thorough veterinary checks, speak to the airline officials and make sure their dogs and cats are as comfortable in the crate before travelling as possible. If you have the slightest doubt about safety, it is better to consider travelling via train or car than risking the lives of your family members on the flight. You can click here to read the indemnity form.
List of brachycephalic breeds mentioned by Akasa is not exhaustive. There are a lot of breeds that have been left out such as the French Bulldog (Frenchie), King Charles Spaniel, Boxer etc. Please make sure that you speak to your vet and get a thorough check-up done before planning travel. The safety and comfort of our pets is in our hands, so prior research is a must.
The crate size limits do not feel adequate to us. We know dogs such as medium to large-sized dogs such as Labrador Retrievers need a 32-inch crate or even more if they are to be comfortable in it. Please check crate sizes thoroughly and double-check with the airline if the same is allowed before travel.
List of brachycephalic breeds mentioned by Akasa is not exhaustive. There are a lot of breeds that have been left out such as the French Bulldog (Frenchie), King Charles Spaniel, Boxer etc. Please make sure that you speak to your vet and get a thorough check-up done before planning travel. The safety and comfort of our pets is in our hands, so prior research is a must.
The crate size limits do not feel adequate to us. We know dogs such as medium to large-sized dogs such as Labrador Retrievers need a 32-inch crate or even more if they are to be comfortable in it. Please check crate sizes thoroughly and double-check with the airline if the same is allowed before travel.
Make sure you help your dog become comfortable in crates
Hope this was helpful. We will be doing more research on the topic and also be weighing in with expert opinions from behaviourists and veterinarians in subsequent articles. Stay tuned for more information on the same.
Happy Parenting!
Further resources shared by Akasa are mentioned below -
Happy Parenting!
Further resources shared by Akasa are mentioned below -
- Full Akasa Pet Travel Policy
- Akasa requires all dogs to meet their conditions of carriage.
- An indicative list of Brachycephalic breeds by Akasa
- Akasa Air Indemnity Form
Keywords:
About the author
Get daily pet parenting tips to your Whatsapp
thePack.in
Happier together
with dogs
Copyright Interspecies Caretech Private Limited 2023