Air Canada Bans Pets From Traveling In Cargo Until September 12, 2022

Canada’s largest carrier, Air Canada, announced via Twitter that if will no longer allow pets to travel in the cargo or baggage compartment on any of its flights until at least Sept. 12. The tweet stated that: “Until September 12, animals will no longer be able to travel in the hold of the aircraft.” The announcement comes in the midst of stories about unprecedented amounts of lost and delayed baggage from Air Canada flights. The ban does not affect those traveling with service animals.

The airline has said that it will honor reservations already made for pets in cargo but won’t be accepting any new reservations. Pets will still be permitted to travel in the cabin with a passenger for most domestic and international flights. For flights to and from Hawaii, however, pets are not accepted in the cabin or the baggage compartment. The fee for traveling with a pet in the cabin will cost $50 to $59 for flights within Canada and the U.S. (excluding Hawaii) or $100 to $118 for international flights.

According to Air Canada’s rules for pet transportation:

Passengers are allowed to bring a cat or small dog in the cabin with them, provided the pet is small enough to stand, turn around and lie down in its carrier under the seat in front of the passenger.

Your pet cannot travel with you in the cabin if you:

• Are an unaccompanied minor
• Are seated in an exit or bulkhead row
• Require the use of a medical device that needs to be stowed underneath the seat
• Are travelling in our Premium Economy cabin, as the layout of Premium Economy seats does not allow for the safe stowage of a pet carrier.
• Are travelling in the Business Class cabin of Air Canada’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 (7M8) aircraft

It’s important to note that:

• Only one cat or small dog in the cabin is allowed per passenger.
• Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old and fully weaned
• You’ll need to arrive a full 30 minutes prior to the recommended check-in time for your flight as you must see an agent at check-in. When travelling with a pet, it is not possible to check in online or at an airport self-service kiosk.
• Because not all the aircrafts are equipped with temperature controlled and ventilated baggage compartments, it may not always be possible to accommodate a pet when summer temperatures exceed 85°F (29.5°C).

Maximum number of pets allowed:

Customers can send up to two pets in the same kennel in the baggage compartment following these conditions:

• Only fully weaned puppies or kittens from 12 weeks to 6 months can be placed together in the same kennel;
• Both animals must be of the same species (no cat and dog mixed together)
• Two pets travelling in one kennel are counted as two pets regardless of combined weight.

You’ll need to contact Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals) no more than 30 days or less than 7 days prior to your anticipated travel date if you’re travelling with more than two pets.

More information and details about restrictions on traveling with pets can be found on the Air Canada website.