Pets As Cargo
Policy Statement
With effect from 11 October 2006 British Airways will no longer carry pets as checked baggage on their mainline services. Pets will only be carried as manifested cargo under the unaccompanied pets service.
Policy Scope
Affects airports worldwide.
Is applicable to British Airways (mainline), BA Connect and BMED.
Included in this chapter:
1. Carriage of Pets
2. Bookings
3. Assistance Dogs
4. Pet Travel Scheme
5. Additional Sources of Information
6. Appendix 1 - Franchise Carriers
Carriage Of Pets
All pets, with the exception of certified Assistance Dogs, must be carried as manifested cargo under the unaccompanied pets service. The pet must be checked in by the passenger/livestock shipper at the cargo facility at the airport of departure and collected from the cargo facility at the airport of arrival by the passenger or a nominated representative.
The passenger must be made aware that there are a large number of factors that would prevent him/her travelling on the same service as their pet. These include:
· Flight not open to cargo at time of booking
· Flight not open to livestock at time of booking
· Ground capacity full for livestock shipments (currently a maximum of 4 per hour at LHR)
· Flight change from open to cargo to closed for cargo between the time of booking and the flight date
· Incorrect presentation of pet by passenger
Bookings
Bookings for the unaccompanied pet service must be made prior to the day of travel. The passenger should contact their local British Airways world cargo reservations office (in the UK call 0845 222 777). The reservations office will check flight availability and advise of check-in times. Contact details may be found at www.baworldcargo.com
A BAWC call centre can accept requests for bookings for unaccompanied pets up to 6 weeks prior to departure. Flights are confirmed a maximum of 14 days prior to departure, subject to available capacity. Pets must complete the check in procedure no later than 2.5 hours before flight departure.
For pets travelling from LHR the minimum presentation time is 4 hours prior to departure. BA may store pets for up to 4 hours prior to flight departure. Any animals that are stored for a period longer than 4 hours will incur charges for storage and transportation to the Animal Reception Centre where longer storage is allowed.
For passengers who are travelling on the same flight as their pet it is recommended that they arrive in time to complete the presentation transaction for their pet a minimum of 4 hours prior to departure. This will ensure that they have sufficient time to transfer to the terminal for their flight. Presentation of their pet can take about an hour.
At the time of booking the passenger will need to provide the following details:
· Dimensions of container
· Weight of container and pet
· Breed of dog (if applicable)
· Contact details of person responsible for collection of pet on arrival at final destination
It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that his/her pet is presented in a, ’ready for carriage state’. BA recommends the use of a recognised livestock shipper.
In order to be ready for carriage the pet must be:
· Booked
· Have licences and health certificates completed
· Have customs entries completed
· Be in a correctly sized container that meets IATA standards and that is labelled ready for carriage
Failure to comply with the above will result in the pet being refused carriage.
Pets travelling from the UK to Australia or New Zealand
Any pet traveling from the UK to Australia or New Zealand must be handled through a recognised livestock shipper. The shipper or agent must remain on site until the veterinary checks have taken place.
Assistance Dogs
Certified Assistance Dogs that have been trained by an accredited organisation are allowed to travel in the cabin of the aircraft on DEFRA approved routes (please refer to CSM A8 for details).
However if carried as cargo Assistance Dogs will be handled in the same way as other pets. The passenger must deliver his/her dog and container to the BAWC office for shipment and will be required to collect his/her dog from the BAWC facility on arrival at their final destination.
There is no freightage charge for Assistance Dogs carried as cargo, however the passenger will be required to pay a handling charge.
Pet Travel Scheme (Passport for Pets)
British Airways will carry pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) into the UK as manifested cargo under the Pet Travel Scheme (Pets).
The scheme allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets to enter/re-enter the UK without quarantine restrictions, providing that they comply with the stated requirements.
The passenger is responsible for ensuring that the regulatory requirements for bringing a pet into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme are fulfilled.
The following are the requirements for pets traveling under the Pet Travel Scheme.
Each pet must have been:
· Fitted with a micro chip
· Vaccinated against rabies (confirmed by a blood test taken 6 months prior to travel)
· Issued with an official pets certificate (confirming the rabies vaccination and blood test)
· Treated against tapeworm and ticks a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 48 hours prior to travel (certified by a veterinary surgeon on an official form).
Note: The Pet Passport replaces the previous requirement for the Pets Certificate
Additional Sources of Information
DEFRA
www.defra.gov.uk/animal/quarantine/pets |
