Lift, an airline based in South Africa, announced that four-legged canine friends are now allowed on flights. Dogs will now be able to travel in a pet-friendly carry bag placed under a blocked window seat allocated to the passenger’s booking.
According to the Lift, which describes itself as South Africa’s most flexible airline, only a limited number of pets are allowed to travel per flight‚ adding that a rigorous cleaning schedule is conducted in between flights.
As for the requirements, unfortunately passengers with bigger dogs will not be able to fly the South African skies. Only one dog is allowed in a carrier bag and the dog may not exceed 8 kg in weight (approximately 17.6 lbs).
The traveling dog will also not be permitted to occupy a seat‚ and the dog carrier bag must fit completely under the seat in front of the window seat reserved and remain at all times.
“Many ‘paw-rents’ can’t always make use of kennels, family or friends to look after their pets,” Lift Airlines co-founder Jonathan Ayache told SA People. “And they want their four-legged family members to be included when they travel. Until now, this hasn’t been possible when travelling by plane.”
When booking the flight with your pooch, the airline asks that you do not book the flight first, rather passengers should fill out a dog-in-cabin request form to request seat availability.
The cost of the dog booking will be equal to the fare paid by the accompanying adult (less taxes). Once a quote has been accepted‚ the airline customer support team will complete the booking and send booking confirmation.
The dog-in-cabin form must be submitted no later than seven days before your intended date of travel. Following strict airport safety protocols‚ the dog must remain in the carrier bag throughout the entire journey, including entry in the airport until exit from the airport.
Here are the requirements to travel with your furry pal on the plane:
- Only one dog is allowed per adult passenger
- Your dog must be at least 10 weeks old to fly
- A dog travelling in the cabin must be carried in an approved purpose-built soft-case dog carrier bag that is well ventilated‚ at all times
- The dog carrier bag may not exceed dimensions of L – 55cm x W – 35cm x H – 28cm.
- Puppy training pads/absorbent sheets must be placed in the dog carrier bag
- Only one dog is allowed in a carrier bag and may not exceed 8 kg in weight. They must be able to stand up‚ lie down‚ and turn around comfortably
- A dog will not be permitted to occupy a seat‚ and the dog carrier bag must fit completely under the seat in front of the window seat reserved and remain there at all times
- Dogs must travel on the same flights as the traveller responsible for them
- Dogs can’t travel with unaccompanied minors.
It should be noted that your dog should also be current on vaccinations. By law‚ all dogs in South Africa must be vaccinated against rabies.
As for service dogs, the airline noted there are different rules from those travelling with small pet dogs. Service animals‚ including emotional support dogs and psychiatric dogs‚ are allowed to accompany qualifying travellers with disabilities in the cabin.
For more information on traveling with your dog on a Lift plane, click here.