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Why does my airline require an IPATA member to book my pet’s travel?

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It seems simple.

You book your flight and call your airline to arrange for your pet’s travel.  Then you realize how much is involved with pet travel and the steep learning curve that comes with it.

More and more often airlines are looking out for their pet customers by requiring their families to make their booking through IPATA (International Pet and Animal Travel Association) members, like PenderAIR.

While this may seem like an extra step in an already stressful and hectic schedule, there is good reason for this requirement. No one wants to arrive with their traveling pet only to discover one seemingly small piece of the pet travel puzzle has been missed or the required documents are out of date by just one day.

Traveling with pets to and from foreign countries is complicated.  PenderAir assists clients and their valued pets in arranging for safe and smooth travel from start to finish.  The PenderAir Team is well versed in the ins and outs of the travel and health requirements of both airlines and various nations.

Did you know?
  • Some countries accept a 3-year rabies vaccine, some require that the rabies vaccine be administered less than 12 months and more than 30 days, and some require the last rabies be as recent as 6 months.
  • Often, a microchip is required for travel, and must be reflected, on the Rabies Certificate of Vaccination, and must have been implanted prior to the most recent rabies vaccine, and even in rare cases prior to the last two rabies vaccines.
  • Many countries require that a rabies titer (FAVN) be performed.
  • There are very specific guidelines for your pet’s travel crate, both for construction and sizing.
  • Some travel plans require six months of preparation.
  • It is not always possible to fly on the same flight as your pet.
  • Many airlines have breed restrictions.
  • Some tests required for certain countries do not have laboratories in United States authorized to run them.
  • Sometimes everybody is ready to go but there is a change in temperature that prevents a pet from traveling on a scheduled flight. The human’s may have to fly, but their pets may have to wait a day or more.

The PenderAir team is well versed in these diverse requirements and is able to navigate them on behalf of you and your pet.

Airlines began to require professional pet travel agents in order to save all travelers from grave disappointment due to innocent errors and ever changing conditions. Early planning combined with critical timing will make both your travel and your pet’s travel a lot less stressful.

Please contact us via our online request form, email info@penderair.com, or give us a call (703) 364-5810 about your furry, or feathered, family members relocation.

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