The British Airways pet travel policy 2024 includes options for flying with dogs or cats in the cargo hold, but pets can’t travel in the cabin. On all British Airways (BA) operated flights, only Assistance & Service Dogs are permitted to travel in the cabin of the plane. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not recognised as Assistance Dogs by British Airways, therefore ESAs must fly in the hold as cargo. The cost of flying a pet in the cargo hold with British varies depending on the route, as well as the size and weight of your cat or dog in their travel kennel. For flights from the UK, British Airways use PetAir UK to transport cats and dogs to and from the plane, while IAG Cargo manages BA pet flights to the UK. Comair, a franchise partner of BA, operates flights in South Africa under the British Airways brand. They have a similar pet travel policy to BA operated flights, as only recognised Assistance & Service Dogs are allowed in the cabin on Comair flights. SUN-AIR of Scandanavia is also a partner of BA, with the unique trait of allowing dogs and cats to fly in the cabin. Hurrah! You can also check out British Airways pet travel reviews before you book. And, remember to leave a British Airways pet travel a review if you’ve flown your cat or dog in the hold with British Airways cargo! Read on for full details of the British Airways pet travel policy for 2024.
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Table of contents
| 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 | ❌ |
British Airways Pet Policy for Dogs and cats in the cabin
British Airways pet travel policy 2024 only permits dogs and cats in the cabin on flights operated by SUN-AIR of Scandinavia. SUN-AIR is a partner of BA, operating flights within Europe under the British Airways brand, therefore pets must comply with the EU Pet Travel Scheme.
Comair manages flights for the BA brand in South Africa, and doesn’t permit pets to fly in the cabin.
On British Airways flights, trained and registered Assistance & Service Dogs are the only pets permitted to fly in the cabin.
Be aware that no commercial airlines allow pets to fly in the cabin when entering the UK (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland), due to local rules. The same regulations apply for pets being imported to Ireland. But, if you’re looking for a pet friendly airline to fly your pet in the cabin from the UK, check out Air France, Iberia, KLM and Luthansa.
Dogs and cats in the cargo hold
British Airways uses, Pet-Air UK, a third party company, to handle pet flights from the UK. Since Pet-Air UK began their operations in 2004, they have flown over 12,000 pets worldwide. Peace of mind in the volume of pets they have flown, as well as the fact that they are run by fully qualified veterinary surgeons.
For pet flights to the UK, BA uses their sister company IAG Cargo, with decades of flying animals around the globe.
For the safety of your cat or dog, the kennel must meet the legal requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Also, if your pet kennel has wheels, make sure that the wheels can be dismantled or locked before travel so that the kennel is not able to roll around in the hold.
Cost of flying a pet in the cargo hold with British Airways
The price of flying a pet as cargo with British Airways through Pet-Air UK and IAG Cargo varies depending on the route, as well as the size and weight of your cat or dog in their travel kennel.
Non-permitted dog breeds
Dogs considered to be potentially dangerous, may not be permitted for travel with AIG Cargo. Please check with the cargo company at the time of booking.
British Airways Policy for Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
If you’re flying with a trained and registered Assistance or Service Dog, they can fly with you free of charge in the cabin of your British Airways flight. Psychiatric Service Dogs are included in the BA Assistance & Service Dog pet policy.
This service can’t be booked online, it must be done by phone, and BA may need to limit the number of dogs that they can allow in the cabin.
All other pets, including Emotional Support Animals, need to travel in the hold as organised by Pet-Air UK.
If you’re travelling to a foreign country with your pet, be sure to check out the best ways to protect your cat or dog abroad.
Remember to leave a review if your cat or dog flies as cargo with British Airways!
