Northwest Airlines Pet Travel and Shipping Information

Northwest Airlines - Pet Information

Does the airline allow pets: Yes

Advance arrangement is required: The number of carry-on pets allowed per flight is limited. When making your travel plans, inform Northwest Reservations or your travel professional that you would like to carry your pet on board. When booking online at nwa.com, contact Northwest Reservations after purchasing your ticket to make arrangements for your pet.

Does the airline allow pets as carry-on: Yes

Small dogs, cats, and household birds may travel as carry-on luggage, in addition to the carry-on allowance for your flight. The animal must be less than 15 pounds (with kennel), and must fit comfortably in a kennel placed under the seat.

Inform Northwest when you make your reservation that you will be bringing an animal in addition to your carry-on luggage. Call Northwest at least 24 hours prior to your flight to confirm your pet is traveling with you.
Your pet must be in an approved Carry-on kennel when you check in (maximum kennel size is 17" x 12.3" x 8"). In addition to standard Carry-on kennels, Northwest permits soft-sided animal carriers for animals traveling in the passenger cabin. Kennels are available through pet supply shops and a limited supply at select Northwest stations.
Northwest Airlines reserves the right to access a $20 gate processing fee for pets not disclosed prior to boarding. To avoid this additional fee please dislcose all pet-in-cabin requests prior to travel at 1-800-225-2525 or at the ticket counter at least one hour prior to departure for domestic flights, 2 hours for international flights.

Does the airline allow pets as baggage: Yes

Priority Pet incorporates the following:

Employee training at all locations.
Dedicated personnel and facilities to speed connections at our Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis/St. Paul hubs.
Written confirmation provided to you before departure that your pet is safely onboard the aircraft.
Transportation on all Northwest and Northwest Airlink aircraft equipped with heated and pressurized luggage compartments.

Dogs, cats and household birds whose size or weight prohibit carriage in the passenger cabin, and other pets like rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and monkeys (when used as service animals), may accompany you and travel with your luggage on all U.S. domestic flights and on flights between the U.S. and Canada. On international flights pets traveling with luggage are limited to dogs and cats only.

Does airline allow pets as cargo: Yes

Northwest Airlines has two (2) Cargo service options provided for this type of transportation are VIP - Same Day Live Animal Shipping and General Cargo.

Does airline have an embargo: Yes

Northwest Airlines does not accept accompanied pets traveling with your luggage between June 1 and September 15 to or from specific locations because the temperature is normally above 85oF / 29oC (for snub-nosed dogs and cats when temperatures are above 75oF / 24oC)

U.S. City: Las Vegas, NV
U.S. States: All cities in Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
International Cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Bombay (Mumbai), Busan, Jarkarta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Nagoya, Osaka, Saipan, Seoul (Incheon), Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo.
International Countries: Guam, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Embargo Exclusion: This embargo does not apply to pets traveling in the passenger cabin as Carry-on, VIP or General Cargo shipments, or pets traveling on flights operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Pet acceptance for cities/countries not listed in the embargo remains contingent upon acceptable temperatures on the day of travel.

U.K. Exceptions: United Kingdom (U.K.) regulations do not permit carry-on pets or accompanied pets traveling with passenger luggage. All animals, including service animals, must be transported using the cargo service.

Embargo dates: June 1 to September 15

Kennel / Pet Carrier Information

For the safety and comfort of your pet, please make sure your pet can fit comfortably inside your carry-on kennel. The kennel must be large enough to allow your pet to move about. No part of your pet may extend outside of the kennel. This includes long tails on some birds.

Carry-on

Two (2) small pets of the same species may share a kennel if they are between 3 months and 6 months, are comparable size not weighing over 15 lbs total including kennel, or if they are adult mother and offspring under 4 months
The maximum kennel size permitted is 17Lx12Wx8H inches (43Lx32Wx20H cm)
The combined weight of your pet(s) and kennel may not exceed 15 pounds (6.8 kg)
Pets in excess of these limits are not permitted in the cabin, but may accompany you and travel with your luggage or as cargo
Carry-on kennels must be leak proof and be ventilated on two (2) or more sides. The hard-sided Cabin Kennel® and soft-sided Sherpa® pet containers (available at most pet supply stores) meet these requirements

Checked Luggage - Construction

The kennel must be of rigid construction with a solid top, have ventilation openings on at least three sides and a door made of metal. For international travel, kennels must have ventilation openings on all four sides.
The following kennels do not meet regulations and are therefore prohibited: Soft-sided kennels, Hard-sided carry-on kennels, Knockdown or folding kennels, Kennels made entirely of welded mesh, wire mesh or wicker, Kennels with doors or ventilation openings on top, Kennels with Plastic or FiberglassTM doors
All hardware (nuts, bolts, rivets, latches, locking mechanisms, etc.) must be secure and in good repair. Each hole provided for on the kennel must be secured by a nut and bolt.
Do not put a lock on the kennel door. In the event of an emergency, your pet needs to be accessible.
A spacer bar or rim protruding at least ¾ inch (1.9 cm) must be provided on all sides with ventilation openings.
Any wheels on the kennel need to be locked or otherwise rendered inoperable. If the wheels cannot be locked, they must either be removed or taped to prevent the kennel from rolling in transit.

Checked Luggage - Size

The kennel must be large enough to permit your dog or cat to stand and sit erect, turn around and lie in a natural position.
Your dog or cat's head (including its ears) must not touch the top while sitting or standing inside the kennel. A good rule-of-thumb is to stand your pet next to the kennel. If its head or ears extend beyond the top of the kennel, a larger kennel will be required.
Kennels for pets other than dogs or cats must be large enough to allow the animal to stand, sit and lay.
Kennels whose combined length, width and height are less than 45 inches (114 cm) are not permitted; they are not of sufficient size or strength to safely contain your pet.

Checked Luggage - Food and Water

Your kennel must have two (2) empty dishes - one (1) for food and one (1) for water, securely fastened to the inside of the kennel yet accessible from the outside without opening the door.
A one-piece dish is allowed provided it is divided into two (2) separate compartments.

Checked Luggage - Absorbent Material

The kennel must contain absorbent material or bedding. Towels, blankets, and shredded black and white newspaper are good choices.
Do not use colored newspaper. The inks used in color printing may be toxic to animals.
Organic materials, like straw, hay, or wood shavings are prohibited outside of the U.S. Mainland and Alaska.

Checked Luggage - Required Labels and Markings

The words "LIVE ANIMAL" at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) high, on the top and on at least one side.
Indicate the top with arrows, or the words "THIS END UP" on at least two sides.
Your name, address and phone number at both your origin and destination. It is recommended that you also include the pet's name.
If your pet requires feeding during transit, indicate feeding instructions on top of the kennel.
If food is necessary, is must be securely attached to the outside of the kennel.
If no food or water is to be given, a signed statement from a veterinarian is required.
You must certify in writing that warm-blooded animals tendered for transportation have been offered food and water within four (4) hours prior to check in with Northwest.
Allowing your pet to travel on a full stomach can be uncomfortable for your pet, so it's suggested that you feed your pet at least two (2) hours prior to check-in.
If your pet has been sedated or tranquilized, you must indicate (on top of the kennel) the generic name of the drug used, the weight of each pet, the dosage, how the drug was administered (oral, injection, etc.) and the time your pet was medicated.
Caution: Routine sedation or tranquilization of pets is strongly discouraged as the drug's effects at high altitudes are unpredictable and may cause serious illness. Contact your veterinarian for more information.
Print a copy of our live animal information label and attach the completed label to the top of the kennel.

Documentation Requirements

Northwest Airlines does not require a health certificate for carry-on pets. However, it is your responsibility to comply with all local, state and national entry requirements which may apply.

Many states and foreign countries require that pets be accompanied by a health certificate. Additional requirements may also apply

Note: When traveling internationally, failure to comply with all requirements may result in your pet being refused entry, placed into quarantine or returned to origin at your expense. For the most up-to-date information, contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate General office for each country on your itinerary at least four (4) weeks prior to departure.

Restrictions

When making your travel plans, keep in mind that extra large and giant kennels will not fit on some aircraft.

The maximum weight (pet + kennel) for the Priority Pet service is 150 pounds (68 kg).

If your travel plans include a connection to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines or another member of our SkyTeamSM Global Alliance, please note the weight and size limits for these airlines may differ from Northwest's. More information is available on the individual SkyTeam member airline's web site.

Northwest personnel will determine if temperatures are within acceptable limits at time of check in. If your pet cannot be accommodated due to temperature limitations, a Northwest personnel will work with you to arrange alternate dates for your pet to travel. Please remember, if Northwest determines that temperatures are unsuitable for transporting your pet, it is for the safety and health of your pet.

Temperature guidelines are based on the actual or forecasted temperature upon departure or arrival for each airport location on the itinerary. The temperature guidelines shown in the table below will apply to all accompanied pets traveling with your luggage:

85^oF / 29^oC	Maximum for all pets (except snub-nosed dogs and cats)
75^oF / 24^oC	Maximum for snub-nosed dogs and cats*
10^oF / -12^oC	Minimum for all pets

*Snub-nosed pets include:
Dogs: Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffin, Bulldog (all breeds), English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Spaniel (Japanese Chin), Pug (all breeds), Pekinese and Shih-Tzu.
Cats: Himalayan and Persian

A full list of restrictions can be found at Limitation and Restrictions for Pets Traveling with Your Luggage

Notes

Save time at the airport: Pay your carry-on pet fee over the phone before you travel. Contact Northwest Reservations for more information.

Avoid unnecessary fees: Northwest Airlines reserves the right to assess an additional $20.00 gate processing fee for carry-on pets not disclosed prior to boarding. To avoid this fee, you must inform us of your carry-on pet request when making your reservations or at the ticket counter at least one (1) hour prior to departure for domestic flights or two (2) hours for international flights.

Animals escorting passengers with disabilities and certified animals traveling with trainers for law enforcement or search and rescue are welcome on board all Northwest and Northwest Airlink flights (subject to government restrictions). There is no cost for for service animals traveling with you in the passenger cabin.

Airline Fees

Northwest Airlines now allows customers to pay pet transportation fees over the phone prior to arriving at the airport. Please read the following rules and guidelines about pet travel fees. Pet fees can then be collected over the phone - limited to travel on Northwest/Pinnacle/Mesaba operated flights for travel in the United states or Canada only. Call 1-800-225-2525.

Carry-on:
Within the U.S., and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean:
USD $80.00 or CAD $123.00 per kennel.
International travel:
Carry-on pet fees will vary depending upon the origin and final destination

Checked:
Travel within the U.S., and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean:
The pricing for the Priority Pet service is based on the combined weight of your pet and its kennel.
International travel: Priority Pet fees will vary depending upon your origin and final destination.