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Rules and guidelines for your pet
Questions to consider when your pet travels
The safety and welfare of your animal is important to us. The following rules and guidelines have been established to ensure safe travel for your pet.
Is your pet old enough?
USDA requires that your pet must be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned before traveling.
Is your pet acclimated to his kennel?
Animals travel under less stress when they become accustomed to their shipping container before they travel.
Is your pet healthy?
Check with a veterinarian to be sure that your pet is fit to travel. You will need a health certificate in order to comply with state and federal laws, and your veterinarian will be able to supply this. To be valid for your trip, it should be issued no more than 30 days before departure if your pet is traveling with you. If your pet is traveling via cargo, the certificate should be issued no more than 10 days before departure.
Have you selected your flight to make the trip as easy as possible?
Whenever possible, book a direct, nonstop flight and avoid holiday or weekend travel. Consider schedules that minimize temperature extremes— for example, try to avoid travel during excessively hot or cold periods. Morning or evening flights are preferable during the summer. Normally cargo is not shipped on specific flights. If you wish to ship your pet as cargo in conjunction with your own United air travel, please contact United Cargo at 1-800-UA-CARGO prior to making your air reservation.
Making travel arrangements for your pet
New summer embargo - breed restriction
For the safety of your animal, United Airlines does not accept the following short-nosed dog breeds as either checked baggage or cargo from June 1 - September 30. This restriction does not apply to animals traveling with you in the cabin.
- Boston Terrier
- Boxer
- English/French Blildog
- King Charles Spaniel
- Lhasa Apso
- Pug
- Shar-Pei
- Shih Tzu
Make advance arrangements
When booking a flight on which you will bring your pet, please advise us. Be sure to reconfirm 24 to 48 hours before departure that you will be bringing your pet. Extreme weather guidelines will apply, preventing cargo shipment of any live animal when the temperature is forecast to exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit at any point in the animal's journey.
Please note that advance arrangements are not guarantees that your animal will travel on a specific flight. To be as humane as possible, airlines reserve the right to refuse to transport an animal for reasons like illness, poor kenneling, or extreme temperatures at origin, transfer, or destination airports. Airlines have the right to refuse carriage of any animal that demonstrates aggressive and/or violent behavior.
If your trip is outside the continental United States
If you are flying abroad to a foreign country or Hawaii, find out whether there are quarantine or other health requirements at the destination. A full-service travel agency or pet travel service should be able to assist you with this information. You should contact the appropriate embassy or consulate well in advance of your travel date.
Travel to the European Union (EU)
All dogs and cats importing into and transiting the EU will be subject to regulations. Besides an anti-rabies vaccinations certificate, all dogs and cats must have an implanted microchip or clearly readable tattoo. Pets not meeting these requirements will not be permitted entry. Pets are not accepted in the cabin or as checked baggage to the United Kingdom.
Travel to Hawaii
The State of Hawaii has restrictions, which may include a quarantine period, for all pets entering the state as either checked baggage or cargo. United Airlines does not allow pets in the cabin to Hawaii except for certified guide dogs. The quarantine period for dogs and cats can range from less than 5 days, 30 days and up to a maximum of 120 days. Direct release, and the 5 and 30 day quarantine, mandates special health requirements for the pet that can include microchipping, special documentation and a 6 month prep period.
Travel is permitted to Honolulu, Kona, Lihue, and Kahului, Hawaii. Owners of dogs and cats that desire direct flights from the U.S. mainland to arrive at Kahului, Kona or Lihue must receive pre-approval by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
To arrange pet entry into Hawaii, it is the responsibility of the customer to contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture Quarantine Service (808-483-7151) for all specific details.
For international flights, there are additional airline requirements. More kennel ventilation is required for international flights than is required by the USDA for domestic flights. Labeling and a shipper's certificate are also international conventions. It is important to contact United in advance if your pet is making an international trip.
Food and water
The USDA requires that your pet be offered food and water within four hours before you check in with us. You must certify with a signature the time that your pet was last offered food and water.
Tranquilizers
The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and United do not advise sedation, because the effects of tranquilizers on animals at high altitudes are unpredictable. Your veterinarian should decide if a tranquilizer should be prescribed for your pet. The AVMA also advises that brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds should not travel during adverse weather conditions which include high heat and humidity as the stress of travel might exacerbate the condition. As United Airlines is concerned about the safety of your animal, we are unable to accept short-nosed breeds as either checked baggage or cargo from June 1 - September 30.
Arrival and check-in
Arrive at the airport early. Be sure to check for the acceptance cutoff time for your flight. You cannot check in your pet more than four hours before the flight (six hours by special arrangement).
Acceptance of animals
Airline responsibility
Important considerations for acceptance of animals include their health and disposition, since an airline cannot transport an animal that is violent or dangerously ill. A health certificate will help to minimize questions. We must also determine whether all kennel marking and sizing is in order. This is especially important because the USDA assigns airlines final responsibility for the safety and compliance of the kennels they accept.
Finally, we must assure that facilities are able to handle animals at transfer airports or the final destination. The USDA has clear guidelines on allowable temperature limits for animal-holding areas, which airlines must obey.
Passenger responsibility
Passengers are required to make sure all health and pet travel documents are current and compliant with local, state, federal and international entry requirements and regulations. The passenger will assume full responsibility for penalties assessed by agencies for non-compliance of pet health and entry requirements.
Travel tips
- Carry a leash with you so you can walk your pet before you check in and after you arrive at your destination. Do not put the leash with the animal, either inside or attached to the outside of the kennel.
- Do not take your pet out of its kennel inside the airport. Let your pet out only after you leave the terminal building.
- Mark the kennel with your pet's name.
- Mark the kennel with the telephone number of a person at the destination who can be contacted about your pet. This is especially important if you are sending your animal unaccompanied through the cargo system, because you will not be at the airport to claim your pet upon arrival. It may be helpful to contact a pet travel service to handle unaccompanied shipments since these services manage pickup and delivery, and can advise you about quarantine requirements for international travel.
- If your pet is traveling unaccompanied, remember that after the arrival at the destination there is a processing period for cargo which may vary by airline and airport.
- If you would like your pet to have water during travel, you may want to freeze the water in the pet's dish before you leave.
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