10 Days Before Your Flight
Your pet should be completely comfortable with its kennel or carrier that it will be traveling in. Trying to escape from a kennel is another common cause of pet injury during transport by plane.
Make sure you pet has a health certificate from your veterinarian not more than 10 days in advance of your trip.
Most airlines and veterinarians don’t recommend tranquilizers for your pet when you fly. Tranquilizers can adversely affect your pets breathing and ability to regulate body temperature. Be sure to discuss tranquilizers with your vet before deciding to go this route.
Call the airline a few days before your scheduled departure to make sure you have everything in order and there are no scheduling or other changes that may adversely affect your pet’s travel.
Make sure you have all required paperwork and documentation in order.
Make sure that your pet’s tags are current and that you have current contact information on file with your vet or microchip vendor.
Take a picture of your pet and tape one copy to the kennel, and keep one with you should your pet become lost.
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As you plan for your flight with your pet
Choose the most direct flight to your destination. This will help reduce the stress on your pet. If warm temperatures are a concern, book an early morning, evening, or overnight flight when the temperatures are cooler. If cold weather is an issue, book your flight for the middle of the day.
What Does AVIH Mean?
Traveling with pets can be stressful, especially when you need to transport them by air. There are various regulations and procedures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of animals in transit. One term that often comes up in this context is **AVIH**
2025 Airline Pet Travel Summary
In 2025, U.S. airlines reported 8 pet-related air travel incidents — down 33% from the 12 recorded the prior year. The year's incidents spanned four carriers: Alaska Airlines led with 3 incidents, including 2 deaths, followed by American Airlines with 3 incidents including the year's only reported pet loss. Delta and United Airlines each recorded 1 incident. Deaths fell sharply from 8 in 2024 to 3 in 2025, though the year closed on a somber note with the December death of Meli, a three-year-old Golden Retriever, on an Alaska Airlines flight in Seattle.
March 2026 Airline Pet Travel Report
Happy to report there were no pet incidents for the travel month of January 2026!
2024 Airline Pet Travel Summary
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) documented 12 pet-related air travel incidents, comprising 4 injuries and 8 deaths, with no reported losses.
CDC announced final rule to its dog and cat importation regulation
On May 13, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its final ruling associated with the importation of dogs into the United States to provide clarity and safeguards that address the public health risk of dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV). This final rule addresses the importation of cats as part of overall changes to the regulations affecting both dogs and cats, but the final rule does not require that imported cats be accompanied by proof of rabies vaccination and does not substantively change how cats are imported into the United States.