The Albawings Airlines pet travel policy for 2024 includes options for flying with dogs or cats in the cabin, but not in the hold. All animals, including larger dogs and cats, are not permitted to travel in the cargo hold with Albawings. One cat, dog or ferret is permitted per passenger, but multiple small pets can travel in the same travel bag, provided that they meet size and weight restrictions. Albawings is one of the handful of pet friendly EU airlines that permits 10kg, rather than 8kg in the cabin. The cost of flying your pet with Albawings varies depending on your chosen pet friendly destination. Assistance & Service Dogs, including Psychiatric Service Dogs, fly in the Albawings cabin free of charge. However Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) aren’t accepted to fly under the Albawings Assistance & Service Dog travel policy. You can also check out pet travel reviews by other travellers for Albawings, or leave a pet travel review if you’ve flown your cat, dog or ferret in the cabin with Albawings!
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Table of contents
- Pet D ogs and Cats in the Cabin with Albawings
- Dogs & Cats in Albawings Hold as Checked Baggage
- Pets in the Hold as Cargo with Albawings
- Albawings Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
- Albawings Excluded Pet Routes
- Non-Permitted Species Flying with Albawings
- Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
- Are Pets Safe on Planes?
- Related Pages
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ❌ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ❌ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Pet Dogs and Cats in the Cabin with Albawings
Dogs, cats and ferrets are permitted to fly in the cabin with Albawings in their travel bag, up to a combined weight of 10kg. As mentioned, this is a generous allocation in comparison to the usual 8kg allowed by pet friendly airlines in Europe.
IATA Regulations for Cats & Dogs Flying in the Cabin
While you need to ensure that your pet’s travel crate meets the maximum dimensions set by Albawings to fly in the cabin, remember that you must also adhere to the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This includes calculating the minimum inner crate dimensions allowed by the IATA LAR for your cat or dog to fly in the cabin. In addition, the airline pet travel carrier must adhere to the criteria set by the IATA LAR, in terms of ventilation, design etc.
If you’re new to pet travel, check out 8 IATA Compliant Airline Pet in Cabin Carriers.
Cost of Flying a Pet in Cabin with Albawings
It cost €10 per kg of weight of your pet within their travel carrier to fly a cat, dog or ferret with Albawings.
Dogs & Cats in Albawings Hold as Checked Baggage
Albawings doesn’t accept animals for travel in the plane’s hold as checked baggage under any circumstances.
Pets in the Hold as Cargo with Albawings
Albawings doesn’t accept cats, dogs or other animals in the hold as cargo. If you’re unsure of the differences in flying a pet as checked baggage or cargo in the hold, check out our detailed explanation.
Albawings Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
Assistance & Service Dogs are those that have been individually trained to help people with a special need. To fly with one of these dogs you need an official, physical certificate qualifying them as an Assistance or Service Dog. You can fly your Assistance or Service Dog free of charge in the Albawings cabin.
You need to take a printed copy of the certificate with you to the airport, and the certificate must state that your dog has been officially trained in assistance. As Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) aren’t trained to perform a particular task, they aren’t included in the Albawings Assistance & Service Dog policy. However, if you have an Emotional Support Animal with a professional certificate stating it has been trained as your assistance animal, it will be recognised by Albawings.
In order to fly with an Assistance Dog, including a Psychiatric Service Dog, you can notify Albawings when you book your flight on their website. Select the Passenger with Special Needs option in the Passenger Details section, and indicate that you’re flying with an Assistance Dog. Travelling with Assistance & Service Dogs is free of charge.
You can also book by calling the Albawings Customer Services Centre once you have completed your online booking.
Albawings Excluded Pet Routes
Like many pet friendly airlines, Albawings doesn’t transport pets to and from the United Kingdom (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland) or Ireland. However, there are other airlines that allow small cats and dogs to fly in the cabin from the UK and Ireland.
Note that all pets flying to the UK must travel as cargo in the hold of the plane.
Non-Permitted Species Flying with Albawings
Be aware that Albawings only transports cats, dogs and ferrets in the cabin. Albawings doesn’t allow the following species:
- Rodents
- Lagomorphs (e.g. rabbits)
- Farm animals
- Birds of prey
- Reptiles
Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
Albawings is an Albanian international pet friendly airline, so for flights within the EU, your cat or dog has to meet the EU Pet Travel Scheme criteria. This means that you’ll need to arrange either a Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate, and ensure that your cat or dog is microchipped and vaccinated against Rabies.
You can also check out the pet travel laws for worldwide destinations in 2024.
Are Pets Safe on Planes?
If you’re worried about your furry travel companion’s wellbeing when flying, check out our comprehensive post regarding pet safety on planes. While in the USA, a monthly report is provided for airline pet incident rates, there isn’t an equivalent in Europe at the moment. So, there’s no data available for incidents when flying pets in the hold with Albawings. Note that even the airline pet incident reports submitted in the USA are only for cats and dogs flying in the hold, and don’t include any in cabin events.
No doubt, at some point your trip will involve a car ride, so have a look at our 12 Essential Pet Car Safety Tips too. Should your cat or dog suffer from motion sickness, we’ve also compared some of the treatments, strategies and medications for pet travel nausea.
It’s important to be aware that you can’t sedate or tranquilize your cat or dog for their flight.
In addition, to protect your pet’s health and wellbeing in a new country, be sure to keep your cat or dog safe from vector-borne diseases. In particular, Heartworm from mosquitoes and Leishmaniasis from sandflies destinations pose a serious pet threat in Southern European destinations.
You might also want to check out 10 Pet Friendly Airlines in the EU, Pets in Cabin from the UK and 7 Transatlantic Pet Friendly Airlines.
And don’t forget the all important Essential Pet Travel Accessories!
Prior to booking, always view the Albawings pet travel policy on their website for any recent changes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some airlines are frequently amending their rules for pets on planes.
Have a safe and wonderful trip, and remember to leave a pet travel review for Albawings if you fly your pet cat or dog, in the cabin or hold!
If Albawings doesn’t suit your requirements, have a look at other pet friendly airlines, and be sure to read about flying in Europe with your cat or dog. If you’re travelling with more than one pet it’s a good idea to learn about flying with multiple pets.
Always protect your pet against vector-borne diseases in a foreign country, and remember to leave a review if you fly your cat or dog with Albawings!
Related Pages
