If you’re planning on heading out on your summer vacation on an Air Canada flight with your furry friend soon, you might have to hit pause before booking your plane tickets — Air Canada has stopped taking new requests for pets that need to travel in the cargo hold, effective until September 12, 2022.
The largest airline in Canada has been in the news recently for its cancellations and flight delays. “Due to current airport delays, for the safety and comfort of pets, we will not be accepting new requests for pets travelling in the baggage compartment until Sept. 12, 2022,” Air Canada told CBC News in an email.
However, if you’ve already booked a spot for your pet, that booking will be honoured according to the airline.
Related: Dreaming of travelling to Europe solo this summer? These 5 tips may help.
What pets can still travel on Air Canada flights?
If you’ve already booked your flight but have a small cat or dog, they are likely still able to travel with you in the plane’s cabin if they are small enough to be stored in a carrier under your seat. Air Canada has guidelines on pets travelling in the cabin and the requirements that must be met — if you are an unaccompanied minor or seated in an exit row, for example, then your pet cannot travel with you in the cabin.
The ban on pets travelling in the cargo hold does also not apply to trained service animals.
See also: Here is your summer destination guide for LGBTQ2S+ travellers.
What airlines in Canada are accepting pets in the baggage hold?
Of course, always be sure to check what applies to your situation before booking or heading out for any flight if you want to travel with a pet. If you need to fly with your pet and they don’t meet the cabin requirements, WestJet Airlines has confirmed it will still take pets in the cargo.
Air Canada announced it was cutting its flights by 15 per cent in both July and August as travel continues to ramp back up for the summer.
