Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How does the process work?

    1. Complete your Pet Air shipping account online. This needs to be completed by the person physically bringing the pet to the airport. All information must match exactly with the person physically bringing the pet to the airport.

     
    2. Book your Online Reservation. Be sure to book the exact dimensions of your kennel.
     
    3. Once the order is submitted, we will call you to verify the details of the reservation.
     
    4. We will call you again before we finalize your reservation and process shipping charges. This call will be to confirm that, what we believe is the best flight schedule for the pet will work for you as well.
     
    5. Once your payment is processed we will send you your pet's shipping information. Shipping packets are sent to our out of town clients. This packet contains shipping labels for the kennel, flight plans, shipping instuctions, pickup and dropoff locations, air waybill and a business card with our emergency 24-hr telephone number.

  2. What does the customer provide?

    1. Kennel

     - Hard Plastic
     - Ventilation holes on all sides
     - Metal front opening door
     - No doors on the top
     - No wheels on the bottom
     - No collapsible kennels
     - No clamp together kennels
     - No metal cages or kennels 
     - Pets must have room to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably.
     - Dogs and cats must have 2 inch clearance above the top of their head/ears to the top of the inside of the kennel while  standing on all four legs with head held erect. 
     - Snub nose breeds must have 3 inch clearance above their heads/ears.
     - One food and one water cup. Cups must be securely fastened to the inside on the kennel. 
     
    UNDERSIZED KENNELS WILL NOT BE SHIPPED BY PET AIR OR ACCEPTED BY THE AIRLINES
     
    SEVERAL AIRLINES REQUIRE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE KENNEL TO BE FASTENED TOGETHER WITH METAL NUTS AND BOLTS.
     
     
     
    2. Health Certificate
     - Two copies no more than 10 days old on arrival date
     - Provided by your veterinarian
     - Attach one copy to the kennel
     - One copy give to the airline 
     

  3. What does Pet Air provide?

    1. Shipping Lables for the kennel

     
    ALL KENNELS MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE SHIPPER'S NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. THE CONSIGNEE'S(RECEIVER'S) NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED AS WELL.
     
    ALL KENNELS REQUIRE A LIVE ANIMAL LABEL ON TOP OF THE KENNEL. THEY ALSO MUST HAVE A LIVE ANIMAL LABEL WITH ARROWS POINTING UP ON THE BACK OR SIDE OF THE KENNEL.
     
    ALL KENNELS MUST BE MARKED WITH THE LAST TIME AND DATE THE ANIMALS WERE FED AND WATERED.
     
     
    2. Air Waybill aka Boarding Pass

  4. What is the shipping age requirement?

    Dogs and cats must be at least 8 weeks old in order to be shipped.

  5. What is the vaccination requirement?

    1. If your dog or cat is under 12 weeks old, airlines don't require any vaccinations to fly. Be sure to consult and follow your veterinarian's advice and recommendations on vaccinations. Some states may require certain vaccinations be given before pets are allowed into the state. Be sure to check the states regulations before shipping. 

     
    2. If your dog or cat is 12 weeks old or older, airlines require a rabies vaccination in order to fly. Vaccine type and date given must be on the health certificate or seperate vaccination form and copies must be provided to the airline your pet is flying on.

  6. Does Pet Air provide the kennels?

    Kennels and supplies are only available for pickup or delivery at our Kansas City Pet Air office, MCI airport or at any of our MO-KAN-IA pickup locations. If you are not able to pickup from one of these locations, you will need to provide your own shipping kennel.

  7. How much notice does Pet Air require?

    Pet Air requires reservations to be made at least 3 business days in advance. A shipment can be processed with less than 3 business days notice, but rush fees will be added to those shipments. Business days are considered over at 1:00PM Central Time.

  8. What is an Acclimation Statement?

    If temperatures are below 45 degress or above 85 degrees anywhere along the shipment route, you may need an acclimation statement provided by your veterinarian. Pet Air will let you know if you need an acclimation statement, and will provide you with the exact wording that it must contain.

  9. How do the animals travel?

    We only use airplanes with temperature controlled, pressurized cargo environments to ship your pets.

  10. Should I sedate my pet for the travel?

    Sedation is prohibited. It can be very dangerous, and even lethal. Any animal appearing to be sedated will not be allowed to travel.