Customers Traveling with Animals
If you’re traveling with a pet or service animal on an ANA-operated flight, we are happy to provide you with assistance.
Traveling Internationally with Pets
We welcome dogs, cats, small birds, and other small animals (e.g., rabbits, hamsters and ferrets) but cold-blooded animals (e.g., turtles and lizards), reptiles and fish are not allowed.
- All pets will travel in the area of the plane, not in the cabin on international flights.
- For codeshare flights, you should check with the operating carrier.
Safety Considerations
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.
Flight Conditions
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.
Preparing Your Pet
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
Reservations and Check-In
Reservations and Check-In
Advance reservations are required via telephone.
- Customers using ANA-operated flights reserved with an ANA flight number are eligible.
- Before traveling with your pet, you must first fill out a Consent and Release Form.
- Please print out the form and bring it with you to the airport: Please allow extra time and arrive at the check-in counter at least two hours prior to your departure.
Service Fee
Pets are not included in the free baggage allowance and a service fee will apply. Please note that the fee will be calculated into the departing country/region's currency at the time of check-in. In the below chart, Area 1 includes North America, Latin America and Hawaii. Area 2 includes Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Lastly, area 3 is Asia (including Japan) and Oceania.
Price Per Cage
| Sectors operating across two of the areas above Example: United States - Japan |
Sectors operating within one of the areas above | Japan domestic sectors |
|---|---|---|
| JPY40000 / USD400 / CAD400 / EUR300 | JPY25000 / USD250 / CAD250 / EUR200 | JPY5000 (Consumption tax may also be applied) |
Quarantine Regulations
Each country/region has its own regulations governing the import/export of live animals. Prior to travel, please make sure to contact the quarantine office, embassy or other similar authorities of your departure and destination countries/regions to determine the required needs for your pet.
- This may include an export quarantine certificate, import/export permit, health certificate, and import certificate. Please confirm that you have obtained and completed the required forms in advance.
- Please note that ANA is not liable for any trouble related to insufficient necessary documentation for import and export.
- Since regulations vary across countries/regions, customers may not be able to check in their pets as baggage at the airport due to the relevant country/region's laws and quarantine system.
- Customers on flights to the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, or Australia cannot check their pets in at the airport.
- In this instance, customers must contact a cargo agent regarding the possibility of transporting their pets as cargo.
When traveling to Japan with your pet, the animal import procedure and required documents will vary based on what kind of animal you have. If you do NOT go through immigration of Japan, the import quarantine in Japan will not be applied for the pets. In this case, the airline staff of the inbound flight will carry out the procedures (submit a copy of a health certificate of your pets) instead of you. However, if you and your pets enter Japan (regardless of staying time), your pets must fulfill import requirements in Japan. For those customers with dogs and cats:
- You must submit advance notification to the Animal Quarantine Service of Japan (AQS) at least 40 days prior to arrival in Japan.
- For dogs or cats imported from rabies-free countries or regions, the quarantine period will be completed within 12 hours if you have an export certificate that the animal is fitted with a microchip of ISO standards.
- Please note that the maximum quarantine period will be 180 days in case the conditions does not meet the regulations.
- For more information, visit the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) website.
For those customers with rodents (e.g., rabbits, hamsters and ferrets) and birds:
- The notification document and the health certificate are required to be submitted to Quarantine Station of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare upon arrival of the animal.
- The Health certificate should be issued by the authority of the exporting country.
- For more details, please check the MHLW website.
Checking In with Your Pet
The check-in process you (and your pet) will experience at the airport will include the following steps.
STEP 1: COUNTER CHECK-IN
Please prepare documents required for importing/exporting your pet in advance and arrive earlier than usual to the check-in counter. If your pet is subject to quarantine inspection at the departure airport, please come to the counter after completing inspection.
- If you plan to go through inspection on the day of departure, please check the acceptance time of the quarantine station and make sure you have plenty of time for check-in.
STEP 2: SUBMIT FORMS AND PAY ANY FEES
Bring your printed Consent and Release form.
- Once you’re all checked in, your pet will be held in an air-conditioned room before being loaded onto the plane.
STEP 3: BOARDING
- Your pet is delivered to the aircraft by a truck.
STEP 4: CARGO ROOM
- Your pet is carried into the air-conditioned bulk cargo room.
STEP 5: PET PICKUP
- Your pet is carefully handled by our staff and returned directly to you.
Please note that if you have a connecting flight, each airline has individual handling requirements for the carriage of animals. When using different airlines during a connecting transit point, be sure to check with each airline directly about handling procedures and fees.
Acceptance Policies
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.
Pet Carrier/Kennel Conditions
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.
Traveling with Assistance Dogs
Customers who have vision, hearing, or mobility impairments can request to be accompanied onto the aircraft by their guide dog, hearing dog, or assistance dog.
Please see Travelers with Disabilities for more on traveling with service dogs.
Information about Assistance Dogs specifically on US, Mexico, and Canada Routes
This page provides information about assistance dogs specifically on US, Mexico, and Canada routes.
US and Mexico routes
Customers who accompany Emotional support dogs, Psychiatric service dogs, Alert dogs can be allowed to carry service dog into aircraft cabin.
Requisite Documentation and Procedures
Alert Dog: A dog that detects epilepsy attacks, hypoglycemic shock, etc.
Alert dogs are allowed into the aircraft cabin.
Psychiatric service dog/ Emotional Support Dog: According to the US Air Carrier Access Act, customers wishing to board with a psychiatric service dog/emotional support dog must provide documentation that is current (no older than one year from the date of the flight) and written on the official letterhead of a licensed mental health professional or a medical doctor specifically treating the customer’s mental or emotional disorder.
It should state the following:
- 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).
- The customer needs an emotional or psychiatric service dog as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the customer’s destination.
- The individual providing assessment is a mental health professional or medical professional, and the customer is under their care.
- The date and type of the mental health professional’s or medical doctor’s license and where it was issued.
You also can download and use the designated Psychiatric service dog/Emotional Support Dog Application.
Canada Routes
Customers who accompany Alert dogs or Psychiatric service dogs can be allowed to carry service dog into aircraft cabin.
Emotional support dogs are not accepted to carry into aircraft cabin on Canadian routes.
Requisite Documentation and Procedures
Customers must submit an attestation form to verify that their assistance dog was trained at a specialist training facility or by a trainer for the purpose of assisting people with disabilities.
Please use Service Dog Behavior and Training Attestation Form.
We also request that you submit the ID card issued by the assistance dog training facility / trainer or another piece of documentation certifying your dog's status as an assistance dog.
It's required to be issued by the dog training facility accredited by Assistance Dog International (ADI) or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), otherwise to be issued by Canadian State government.
Please either email or fax your completed Service Dog Behavior and Training Attestation Form and ID Card or other piece of documentation to the ANA Disability Desk (Japan) or Customer Service Center (US) at least 96 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the first flight within your itinerary.
For the customer who sends this document by fax, please be aware of the accurate indication of your Email address since we can reply to your proposal by Email only.
Email inquiry
Notes
To assist an individual with a disability, a dog must be trained to behave appropriately in a public setting. If the dog’s behavior indicates that it has not been trained (i,e., running freely, barking and growling, jumping or biting, urinating or defecating), the dog will only be accepted in accordance with ANA pet policy (i,e., carried in cargo hold with crate), and subject to other applicable ANA rules; Customers traveling with pets (Japan Domestic Flights / International Flight) for more information.
Attention for customers who accompany with the Alert Dogs and Psychiatric service dog/Emotional Support Dogs
In Japanese airports it’s prohibited for the customer to walk the dog other than service dogs approved by Japanese accredited organization in the terminal complex due to government order. A Customer 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.
Notes for customers traveling with the above assistance dogs via international airports in Japan on routes other than US, Mexico & Canada routes
Basically these above service dogs will be carried in cargo hold with crate on Non U.S., Mexico & Canada portion flight since it’s not allowed to accompany any service dogs into airplane cabin other than U.S., Mexico & Canada portion. (It’s not applied to US DOT rules, Guidelines in Mexico and ATPDR in Canada.)
E.g. From Los Angeles (US) to Singapore via Tokyo
Psychiatric service dog/Emotional Support Dogs and Alert Dogs would be able to fly in cabin from Los Angeles to Tokyo but then be checked in from Tokyo to Singapore as a pet in cargo hold.
Your understanding and cooperation would be appreciated.