Traveling With Your Pet on a Private Jet
You’re not the only one who benefits from chartering a private jet—your fur baby does, too. Commercial flights require you to keep your pet in a carrier and stowed under your seat during take-off and landing. And if your pet exceeds the weight limit, they must fly in the cargo hold. Even worse- in recent years many airlines have placed restrictions on pets in the cabin and banned emotional support animals entirely.
But when you fly private, your pet flies with you, with few constraints. You can let them out of their carrier and join you in the cabin, giving you both peace of mind. They’ll get the chance to receive some great pets and chin scratches. The two of you can stretch out and enjoy the added personal space that comes with a private charter. Most private charters are pet friendly so you’ll both be treated like VIPs! In some cases a small pet cleaning fee may be added to the cost of your trip.
Traveling with your pet on a private jet does require some planning beforehand. Here are some helpful tips to make the journey more enjoyable.
Legal Requirements
There are a few legal requirements your pet must meet before boarding any aircraft flying domestically. All pets should be at least eight weeks old and weaned from their mother. They must be in good health and have a current rabies vaccination. Before taking off, you’ll need to have a health certificate issued by your vet within 30 days of flying. But you won’t otherwise need to present any paperwork as long as your flight is domestic. If traveling out of country make sure you have contacted the relevant government agency, such as the USDA, in order to receive an endorsement for them to fly. Take your pet to see your veterinarian and make sure all health certificates are up to date. Certain pets such as birds will even need to be inspected by the US Department of Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife upon return to the United States. Quarantine periods may be required depending on the animal.
Veterinarian Visit
When you take your pet for their travel certificate, talk to your vet about your pet’s overall health. During the appointment, discuss how you think they’ll react to flying, especially if they haven’t before. Your veterinarian can give you your options and tips on keeping them comfortable during the flight, recommend how much food and water they’ll need, and discuss the pros and cons of medication.
Medication
Lots of pets hate change, so new circumstances—like flying—can give them anxiety. It’s important to consider your pet’s well-being while they’re in the air. Think about they handle unexpected situations at home or while on a walk. Will they be comfortable in a cabin for a few hours with changing air pressure and even occasional turbulence?
If you think they might have a hard time while flying, talk to your veterinarian about medication. Veterinarians usually discourage tranquilizers and sedations for flying; it has side effects such as giving animals respiratory distress or heart problems.
Your vet can prescribe other medications for your beloved fur baby such as anti-anxiety meds, holistic treats, and probiotics that keep them calm.
Traveling with your pet on a private jet takes the same amount of preparation as you would need for a commercial flight, but you’ll both be all the happier for the experience.
Let the pros help!
Our good friends over at Pet Express, the pet travel experts, can help make your next international trip a breeze, paws down. Planning a trip abroad, contact Pet Express to learn about international requirements by country, assistance with paperwork, and so much more!
Charter Empty Leg Flight
Did you know? Private jet empty leg flights are sometimes available at a lower cost if you have flexible plans. Learn more about empty flights by exploring the ELEVATE blogs and subscribe to our empty leg updates!