Guide: travelling with animals
To make the journey with Lufthansa as pleasant as possible for both you and your pet, we have put
together some important advice for you here.
1. Animals in the cargo hold
Transport container
If your animal has to travel in the hold, please ensure that its container corresponds to the current IATA
(International Air Transport Association) regulations.
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The transport container must be large enough for the animal to stand in its natural position, to
turn around and to lie down.
The transport container must be designed to be leakproof, e.g. lined with absorbent material
such as blankets.
The container must be escape proof. We recommend sturdy plastic or wood containers made
from harmless and non-toxic material. Wire-mesh cages are not allowed.
To prevent the animal from injuring itself, the interior of the container must not have any sharp
corners, edges or nails.
If the container has castors, these must be removed.
Food and water bowls (empty) must be attached to the inside or the outside of the container.
The material must be harmless and non-toxic.
Transport containers must have ventilation holes on at least three sides.
The animal’s lead, harness or tether does not belong in the transport container – it must be tied
or affixed to the top of the container. You can also carry it in your hand luggage. This ensures
that there is no risk of your animal strangling itself in the container.
The welfare of the animal
Here are a few tips to ensure the welfare of your animal during its journey:
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Put a soft ‘comfort blanket’ with your scent on it and your pet’s favourite toy in the transport
container; the familiar scent will help to calm your pet.
Get your pet used to the transport container at home: put the animal in the container for an hour
or two at a time and then reward it with a treat.
Many pets are very nervous before and during a flight. Nevertheless, you should think carefully
about whether you want to give your pet a sedative. An animal’s reaction to sedatives cannot
be foreseen because it can lead to circulation problems during the flight. Please speak to your
vet about this.
If you wish to take more than one animal per cage, please note the following:
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Each individual animal must be able to move in the cage, i.e. stand up and lie down.
The animals must be used to being together.
For adult animals the following applies: a maximum of two animals of comparable size and
weighing up to 14 kg each in one cage.
For young animals (up to 6 months old) the following applies: a maximum of three animals per
cage.
2. Dogs classified as fighting dogs (dangerous dogs)
The following breeds and crossbreeds are classified as fighting dogs:
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American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier (Miniature Bull Terriers are not considered fighting dogs)
American Bulldog
Caucasian Ovcharka (Caucasian Shepherd Dog)
Dogo Argentino
Karabash (Kangal Dog) (Anatolian Shepherd Dog)
Rottweiler
Please note that bringing the following breeds into Germany is forbidden:
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Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
Export and transit are not affected by this ban.
Breeds which are classified as fighting dogs may only be transported in special containers/crates. This
does not apply to puppies between 3 and 6 months old. The following illustration shows the
requirements for containers for breeds classified as fighting dogs (in line with the IATA Live Animals
Regulations Container Requirement 82):
The containers for breeds of fighting dogs should have the following features:
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The container or crate must be made of wood, metal, synthetic materials, welded wire mesh
(weld mesh) or wire mesh.
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Additional design principles also apply to the container’s frame, sides, floor, top and opening
hatch or doo.
No part of the container or crate may be made of plastic
The opening hatch or door must be made of heavy-duty wire mesh, metal or reinforced wood
and should have a secure fastening that cannot be opened accidentally.
3. Advice on transporting pug-nosed dogs and cats
Dogs and cats which belong to the pug-nosed breeds are especially sensitive to temperature and stress.
We therefore recommend that you do not transport your dog or cat if the temperature at your departure,
transfer or destination airport exceeds 27 °C (80.6 °F), otherwise your pet’s health could be seriously
affected or they could even die during the journey.
The at-risk dog breeds include:
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Boston Terrier
Boxer
Bull Dog (all breeds except the American Bulldog)
Chow Chow
Brussels Griffon
Japanese Chin
English Toy Spaniel
Pugs
Pekinese
Shih Tzu
This recommendation also applies to crossbreeds.
4. Dogs or cats in the cabin
If your pet is travelling with you in the cabin in your container, please ensure that the animal has enough
space to stand up in its natural position, turn around and lie down.
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Your pet must remain in its container throughout the entire flight.
During take-off and landing or if the aircraft is affected by turbulence, the container must
either be stowed under the seat in front of you or secured with a lead to your seat belt.
Please note that, should your travel planning include other airlines, you must also obtain
approval for travelling with your pet from these other airlines.
5. Information on changing flights with United Airlines
Please note that if you are changing to a Lufthansa flight at Frankfurt Airport, you must collect your pet
from the Animal Lounge. You should allow a transfer time of at least 3 hours for this.
6. Animals in Lufthansa lounges
Generally we allow dogs or cats to be taken into the Lufthansa lounges. Please note that, out of
consideration for our other guests, the animals should not be allowed to wander around freely in the
lounge.