Austrian Airlines flying with pets

Does Austrian Airlines accept passengers traveling with pets?

Austrian Airlines accepts passengers traveling with pets. Pets may travel in the passenger cabin (as hand baggage), or in the baggage compartment (as checked baggage). The pet owner must be booked on the same flight.

On flights to the UK, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong, and South Africa, pets may only be transported as cargo.

Which pets are allowed on Austrian Airlines flights?

Austrian Airlines only accepts healthy cats and dogs under the following conditions:

• Puppies/kittens with a minimum age of at least 12 weeks (16 weeks to/from the US) must be fully weaned.
• In one transport container may be transported a maximum of 2 adult pets that are used to each other, each weighing a maximum of 14 kg.
• From January 2020, Austrian Airlines no longer accepts the carriage as checked baggage of dogs and cats of brachycephalic breeds.

Pets on Austrian Airlines flights

Austrian Airlines requires advance notification by telephone at the time of booking when you wish to travel with your pet. After checking the applicable transport conditions, Austrian Airlines will confirm the transport of your pet as soon as possible.

In the passenger cabin, only small dogs and cats are allowed. The pet must be placed in an adequate, soft, leak-proof pet container, which must comply with Austrian Airlines regulations with regard to hand baggage:

• The pet container must weigh no more than 8 kg (combined weight of the animal and container).
• The maximum size for the pet container is 118 cm (length + width + height) – 55 x 40 x 23 cm for easy storage under the seat.

Larger animals must be transported only in appropriate (according to IATA standard) transport containers, in the cargo hold. Upon notification at the time of booking about the weight and dimensions of the pet container, Austrian Airlines will check the possibility for loading in the aircraft compartment.

There are a few requirements for the pet container:

• There must be enough space for the pet to move and stand with its head extended.
• It must be provided with feeding and watering facilities.
• It must be escape-proof and leak-proof.
• It must be solid and ventilated on at least 3 sides.

When traveling with their pets, passengers must check in at the check-in counter. At the time of acceptance, Austrian Airlines reserves the right to check the animal’s behavior and that the container meets the requirements for safe transport throughout the whole journey.

Fees

Based on the itinerary and the size of the container, Austrian Airlines will charge an additional fee for pets transported on its flights:

Additionally, a ticket service charge, which depends on the departure airport, is applicable. Also, if you and your animal are traveling via Vienna (VIE), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH), or Brussels (BRU), an additional transfer surcharge of EUR 150 (or CHF 175 or USD 175) will be added to your booking.

Service Animals

On Austrian Airlines flights, Assistance/Guide Dogs are carried free of charge and allowed to travel in the passenger cabin provided that all safety requirements are met. Due to safety reasons, acceptance of Assistance/Guide Dogs in the cabin is subject to size and weight restrictions. Therefore, advance notification is required. Also, proof of the animal’s status as a Service Animal must be provided at the time of check-in.

Austrian Airlines no longer accepts in the passenger cabin Emotional Support Animals. As Emotional Support Dogs are no longer classified as Service Dogs, they may travel only as pets if all conditions are met.

More information here >>