Your dog will love South Africa, but be prepared. |
People
fly for all different reasons. Some individuals need to make a business trip,
others are visiting friends or family, others are going on vacation, and some
are making a cross country move. If you
are moving, there is a good chance that you may need to bring your pet along
with you. If this is the case, you will find that you are subject to a whole
new set of air travel rules. Before
leaving for the airport, with your pet or pets in tow, you are advised to familiarise
yourself with those rules. This also
applies if you want to bring your pet to South Africa on holiday.
The
first step in travelling, in the air, with a pet is to make sure that they are
even allowed. Certain pets are allowed
to be on airplanes, but that does not mean that all airlines will allow
it. If you are planning on travelling
with your pet, you will need to inform your airline of this information
upfront . This is vital because not all
airlines will allow you to bring a pet onboard. Therefore, if you do not ch eck
with your airline before heading to the airport, you may be unable to board
your flight.
If
you want to travel to South Africa with your pet it will have to be quarantined
for a period of 14 days when you are travelling from Brazil, China, India,
Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. This does not apply to cats. It is, however,
also important to check with your country what regulations will apply if you
return with your pet from South Africa.
When
travelling with a pet to South Africa, you will need to keep that pet
contained. That means that if you are travelling with an animal, such as a dog
or a cat, that animal will likely need to be in a carrier. When purchasing an animal carrier, it is
important to know that not all carriers are permitted on-board and you should
check with your airline. If you fly with
South African Airways, the pet will be kept in a container in the cargo
department. If you will be keeping your animal in the cabin with you, as
opposed to having your animal treated as checked baggage, you will need to make
sure that your pet carrier will not negatively affect other passengers. Your
pet carrier must not block aisle ways or encroach on another passenger seating
space. In addition to these general
rules and restrictions, you may find that each airline has their own set of pet
carrier rules.
Almost
all airlines require that your pets have the proper documents before being
allowed on their airplanes. These
documents most commonly include information on your pet’s health. Most airlines require that your pet undergoes
a medical evaluation before being transported by airplane. This information is not only used to ensure
that your pet is healthy enough to fly, but is also used to ensure that they
are protected with the proper vaccinations.
Proper vaccinations will not only protect your pet, but other
passengers, as well as airline staff.
Once
you have received clearance from the airline, which you wish to fly on,
purchased the appropriate pet equipment, and obtained the proper health checks
for your pet, you will need to wait until your day of travel. On that day, you
may want to arrive at the airport a little bit earlier than recommended. This
will help to ensure that you could quickly straighten out a problem, without
having to miss your flight, should one arise.
When
you and your pet arrive at the airport, whether it be early or not, you will
both be required to go through airport security. Your pet will be required to
pass through a metal detector, just like everyone else. If you are using a pet carrier, it is also
likely that your pet carrier will be subject to examination. This examination most commonly includes being
sent though the x-ray machine with your carry-on luggage; however, it is important
to note that your pet will not have to go through the x-ray machine; the metal
detector should be enough.
As
previously mentioned, not all airlines allow their passengers to fly with their
pets, even in the cabin or below deck.
That is why it is advised that you determine whether or not your pet can
fly with you, ahead of time. In addition to different air travel rules, you may
also find that some airlines charged extra fees for pet passengers. In the event that you are charged, you will
be notified of this charge ahead of time.
South
Africa is a beautiful country and your pet dog will love it here, but keep in
mind that it will have to acclimate to African weather conditions.
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