Flying with Animals

At ANA, we will handle your pet with the utmost care so that your companion can travel as comfortably as possible. However, as the conditions on an aircraft are very different from a pet's everyday environment, transporting your pet by air may affect their health. There is a possibility of pets being left in a weakened physical condition or even dying. Please only consider using ANA to transport your pet after thoroughly reading the information below. (See ANA’s pet mortality report.)

Some pets are more susceptible to stress or temperature changes and could subsequently fall ill.

If any of the following apply to your pet, we strongly recommend discussing the option of transporting your pet by air with a veterinarian prior to making a reservation.

• Your pet is not used to being separated from its owner for extended periods of time.
• Your pet is not used to being in a cage for extended periods of time.
• Your pet is a short-nosed dog breed.
• Your pet has a chronic condition.

Pets in the following health conditions cannot be transported:

• Your pet is ill and/or not in a condition fit for air travel.
• Your pet is pregnant.
• Your pet is very young (younger than four months old).
• Your pet has a heart problem or a respiratory disease.

Please note that the transportation of short-nosed dog breeds is suspended between May 1 and October 31. This is because they are more affected than other breeds by hot temperatures and may suffer from heatstroke and respiratory difficulties.

After check-in, your pet will be held in an air-conditioned room before making his or her way to the cargo room, located underneath the customer cabin. The cargo room’s temperature is kept the same as the customer cabin. In the cargo room, your pet will experience the following conditions.

• The lights will be off, and the room will be dark.
• The cargo room is air-conditioned and has humidity control, but outside temperatures may affect the cargo room’s environment in a way that differs from the customer cabin.
  • The cargo room might become hot in the summer due to high temperatures outside and reflected heat from the tarmac.
  • Your pet will be in an open-air environment during the loading and unloading processes, so there may be significant temperature and humidity changes during both summer and winter.
• Your pet may hear wind and mechanical noises when the aircraft is in flight, or when the plane takes off, lands or unloads/loads.

Please make the necessary preparations prior to travel to ensure your pet is as relaxed and calm as possible. We recommend you talk to a veterinarian if this is your pet's first time traveling by air or if you have any concerns about using this service.

Here are some helpful tips to ensure that your pet experiences a smooth journey to your final destination.

• Accustom your pet to their carrier before your journey to help eliminate stress.
• Install a watering device (with nozzle) to the pet carrier—ensuring it is firmly closed and attached securely—to prevent heat stroke or dehydration.
  • Saucer-type watering devices are not accepted due to potential spillage.
  • For customers boarding a domestic flight in Japan, we offer a service in which we can attach cooling packs and watering devices to pet cages between May 1 and October 31. Please speak to an ANA staff member if you wish to use this service.
• Prepare cooling mats or cooling packs when traveling in the summer.
  • If your pet has a thick undercoat, we recommend that you trim the undercoat before traveling in the summer.
• Prepare blankets or heat packs when traveling in the winter.
• Your pet is more likely to experience sickness and/or health problems if traveling on a full or empty stomach—please be sure to give your pet sufficient food or drink before checking in.
  • Your pet cannot be fed during the flight and at-transit locations. However, a cage that is equipped with a water pot and a food container can be used.
• On departure day, help your pet relax by interacting with them as you normally would.

After arrival, your pet may fall ill because the flight environment is so much different than his or her everyday environment. As a result, please make sure your pet rests well once you have arrived at your destination. We recommend taking your pet to see a veterinarian if any of the following symptoms are present after arrival:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Raspy breathing
• Shivering or shaking
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of interest in going for a walk or going outside
• Remains anxious
• Behaves abnormally

Before traveling with your pet, please familiarize yourself with the conditions and limitations below.

• No more than three pet carriers are allowed on any flight.
• Only one animal or one pair of birds (male-female) may be allowed in one carrier
• The total linear dimensions of each container cannot exceed 115 inches (292 cm) and total weight of pet and container cannot exceed 100 pounds (45 kg).
• Dogs, cats, birds and other small animals (e.g., rabbits, hamsters and ferrets) are allowed.
  • The transportation of short-nosed dog breeds is suspended between May 1 and October 31.
• Cold-blooded animals (e.g., turtles and lizards), reptiles and fishes are not accepted.

The proper carrier/kennel is key to your pet’s comfort and safety during the journey. Your pet must be able to sleep, sit and turn around freely. The carrier must also have a leak-proof bottom (in the case of household birds, the standard fiberboard tray may be used) and be equipped with a security lock to prevent escape or physical contact. Please ensure that your pet’s cage also meets these additional standards.

The carrier must have a suitable container or dish for food/water attached to the inside of the door can be easily accessible to staff without opening the kennel door.

It should be constructed of hard material (e.g., metal, rigid plastic, solid wood or material of comparable strength with solid roofs).

• No cardboard kennels, soft containers or bags will be accepted.
• If your kennel has wheels, those wheels must be removeable or made inoperable.
• The carrier must have a door opening, ventilation openings on three sides and functional handles.

Assistance dogs including guide dogs, hearing dogs, and mobility assistance dogs can be brought on board free of charge.

Please see Customers with Assistance Dogs for more on traveling with service dogs.

All service dogs can be brought into the aircraft cabin. Emotional Support Dogs are not allowed in the cabin, it can be politely checked as a pet for charge in cargo hold.

Please follow the instructions regarding the documentation below and send the relevant document no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight to the ANA Disability Desk (Japan) or the North America Reservation and Customer Service Center (US) by email or fax.

U.S.Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form

• * A service dog must be trained to perform specific work and provide support for a person with a disability.
• * The aforementioned service dogs are accepted on ANA flights and codeshare flights with United Airlines, but not on other codeshare flights.

All service dogs can be brought into the aircraft cabin. Emotional Support Dogs are not allowed in the cabin, it can be politely checked as a pet for charge in cargo hold.

You must submit an attestation that certifies that the Service Dogs have been trained at a training facility or by a trainer specializing in training for assisting people with disabilities. Please use the designated ANA Service Dog Behavior and Training Attestation Form.

Service Dog Behavior and Training Attestation Form

Please send the Service Dog Behavior and Training Attestation Form and either an ID card or Service Dogs certificate by email or fax to either the ANA Disability Desk (Japan) or the North America Reservation and Customer Service Center (US) at least 96 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the first flight in your itinerary.

All service dogs can be brought into the aircraft cabin.

Please follow the instructions regarding the documentation below and send the relevant document no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight to the ANA Disability Desk (Japan) or the North America Reservation and Customer Service Center (US) by email or fax.

You are required to submit a valid document* on the letterhead of the relevant medical health institution in which the medical professional who treats your mental or emotional disability (e.g., psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, licensed clinical social worker) states the four requirements below.

• * The document must be issued within the year prior to the departure of the first flight in your itinerary.

1. The customer has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders – Fourth or Fifth edition(DSM-Ⅳ or Ⅴ),
2. The customer needs emotional or psychiatric service dog as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the customer's destination,
3. The individual providing assessment is a professional mental health professional, and the customer is under his/her professional care, and
4. The date and the type of mental health professional’s license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued,

Instead of the above, you may use the designated "Psychiatric Service Dog/Emotional Support Dog Application for Mexico" below.

Psychiatric Service Dog/Emotional Support Dog Application for Mexico

In Japanese airports, it is prohibited to walk with a dog inside the airport terminal due to airport management regulations. A passenger must provide a hard, leak proof container for transferring the dog through the terminal area from the airplane exit. A small dog can be fitted in soft carrier.

As a general rule, assistance dogs are not allowed to accompany a passenger into the aircraft cabin on flights to/from countries other than the US, Canada, or Mexico, and will instead be transported on such flights in a pet container (cage) in the aircraft's cargo hold.

E.g. From Los Angeles to Singapore via Tokyo

Service dogs are allowed to accompany the passenger into the aircraft cabin on the Los Angeles to Tokyo sector, but will be handled as a pet and transported in the cargo hold on the Tokyo to Singapore sector.

Your understanding and cooperation would be appreciated.