When moving within New Zealand, the national carrier is Air New Zealand. Jetpets are an approved pet transporter partner with Air New Zealand, that regularly carry pets to all capital cities and many regional locations around NZ.
When travelling to more remote areas, there may be some alternatives and it is best to speak with your pet travel consultant for more information on these locations.
Please note that Jetstar does not facilitate pet transportation across New Zealand or Australia.
Depending on your destination and airline carrier, many pets may travel directly to their destination on flights for both domestic and overseas travel. Where longer haul flights are required there may be a stopover, often referred to as a “Comfort Stop” and this will be discussed with you at the time of quoting with our specialist Pet Travel Consultants.
Our Pet Travel Consultants will design a specific travel itinerary for you, taking into account factors such as the age, breed and destination you are travelling to ensure pet welfare is the number one priority for your furbaby during their travel.
When travelling within New Zealand, most pets can be collected within an hour upon arrival. This may vary from time to time depending on the weather, ground crew operations, airport taxi timings and the location of the designated collection point from the arrival aircraft terminal.
For international arrivals, the process can take several hours due to customs and quarantine procedures, and the timeframe may vary depending on your destination. Given the complexity of international pet travel, we highly recommend speaking with our pet travel consultants, who can guide you through the process and explain the clearance requirements specific to your destination.
Airlines provide a designated area specifically for pets to ensure they are safely housed before their flight. These spaces are kept separate from the cargo area and are generally in covered and sheltered areas. Airline staff regularly monitor the pets’ well-being and will refill water bowls as needed to keep them comfortable and hydrated prior to their flight.
To minimise exposure to weather conditions, pets are carefully loaded onto the aircraft shortly before departure. Upon arrival, they are among the first items to be unloaded and are either reunited with their owners or collected by Jetpets Pet Handlers for safe delivery to their new home.
While pets are placed in a dedicated area within the aircraft’s cargo hold, they do not have direct access to the flight crew during the journey. Airlines have their own internal systems to ensure your pets are safely boarded into their aircraft. Our team will liaise with the airlines to ensure your pet is booked for its flight and have all the documentation that they require. We’ll also provide you with a personalised pet travel itinerary, ensuring you have all the essential details for your pet’s journey.
Pets travel in a specially designated section of the plane and both the captain and ground crew are informed that your furbaby is on board. The dedicated cabin is air pressure controlled, climate controlled and dimly lit, just like the main cabin. Your pet will experience the same sounds and feelings as us, except they have a lot more leg room! Their travel crate is securely fastened to avoid movement.
When moving your pets from New Zealand, pets must travel in dedicated airline travel crates in the cargo section of the plane. The travel crates are designed to ensure your pet is comfortable and has adequate space to sit, stand and turn around in their crate for their journey. They also have a water bowl and stay-dry fleece mat for their comfort during longer overseas flights.
There are several airlines such as Air New Zealand, QANTAS Airways, Malaysian Airlines and Air Canada, to name a few, that allow pets to travel as cargo on international flights, depending on the time of year and certain flight routes that may be in operation.
It is extremely important to check with your Jetpets Travel consultant on the availability, restrictions and seasonality of flights as these can change regularly.
Jetpets work with all airline partners to ensure the number one priority is the welfare of your pet, no matter which airline you may choose to fly with. Our Pet Travel Consultants will guide you on the best airline available to you depending on the breed, location and individual requirements, as the costs will vary depending on the airline being used.
The carriage of live animals by air is regulated by various Government authorities as well as by IATA (International Air Transportation Association). Along with this, airlines have their own standards and regulations that are required to be followed.
We work closely with airlines and Government to ensure we have the latest up to date travel information to ensure a smooth transition of your pet moving overseas.
