The rules for pet travel on Qantas are simple, compared to most other airlines. That’s because you have few options. Service dogs are the only animals allowed to ride in the cabin. All other animals travel as cargo, through Qantas Freight. This is true whether your pet is traveling domestically within Australia or internationally to or from the country.
Qantas is currently requiring you to use a professional pet shipper to book with them. Think of this as a benefit, because working with an expert will save you a tremendous amount of time and help you acquire all the necessary paperwork for your pet’s travel. Every country has different requirements for this, and it can be surprisingly complex and nerve-wracking trying to find out what is needed and when.
The documentation your pet will need could include one or more health certificates, special blood tests, vaccinations or treatments, an import permit and quarantine reservations if required by your destination country.
Revised Pet Policy
Qantas has temporarily suspended pet bookings between Australia and London, Australia and Vancouver, and from Hong Kong to Australia (effective 4 Jan 2022). All other destinations required bookings to be done by a professional pet shipper.
They are not allowing pets to travel as accompanied baggage.
The complete pet travel rules and regulations on Qantas can be found here.
Qantas observes all the requirements of the International Air Transport Association. That means your pet will need an IATA-approved kennel, sized to assure they can comfortably stand, sit, turn around and lie down.
Breed Restrictions
If your cat or dog is a snub-nosed breed, Qantas requires that they ride in a kennel that is one size larger than recommended for breeds that are not snub-nosed. That way, they will literally have more breathing room.
Qantas has limited flight availability and will only accept snub-nosed breeds domestically within Australia between the following cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Cairns, Coolangatta, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Townsville.
Snub-nosed breed bookings cannot include transfers from another airline and the minimum age for any pet to travel with Qantas, including brachycephalic breeds, is 12 weeks old.
If you are traveling to Australia, keep in mind that certain breeds of dogs cannot be imported into the country. The following breeds are considered "dangerous animals" under federal legislation:
- Pit Bull and American Pit Bull terriers
- Dogo Argentino
- Japanese Tosa
- Brazilian Fila and Mastiff
- Presa Canario
Qantas requires that American Staffordshire Terriers (full or crossbreeds) must travel in a CR-82 reinforced travel kennel or an airline approved guard dog kennel.
Greyhounds or dogs traveling with military or correctional facilities officers are considered working dogs and are required to travel in a guard-dog approved travel kennel.
Weather
Qantas recommends avoiding mid-day flights for your pet when weather is hot in summer and avoiding early or late flights in winter - however, this is dependent on the current limited flight schedules. If the temperatures are forecast to exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), Qantas will rebook or cancel any pet booking on the next available flight.
Flying to Australia
There aren’t many countries in the world that are considered rabies-free, but Australia is one of them. To remain protected, the country has strict health requirements for any pets entering the country. It is imperative that you understand and follow these rules, because failure to do so can have dire consequences. There are no exceptions, as the actor Johnny Depp learned the hard way.
Since you’ll be working with a professional pet transport company, you can rest assured that they know the rules and will help ensure your pet is properly prepared and ready to arrive in Australia.
Starwood Animal Transport has rebranded to Starwood Pet Travel. We are still the same great company with the best team, just now with a slightly different name.