Selecting the correct travel crate size for your pet is crucial. The crate must not only allow your pet to comfortably stand, sit, and turn around, but it must also comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations to ensure their safety throughout the journey.
When booking your pet’s travel with Jetpets, it is essential to provide accurate measurements of your pet—particularly if you are hiring or purchasing a Jetpets travel crate. Supplying incorrect dimensions may result in the airline refusing to check in your pet, which can lead to delays, cancellations, and costly changes to your travel plans.
To assist with this process, we’ve developed a user-friendly Pet Measurement Tool. Simply upload a photo of your pet and draw a few simple lines to determine accurate dimensions and the recommended crate size. For best results, we recommend using a tablet or desktop browser when accessing the tool.
Selecting the correct crate size for your pet is very important. Not only must the crate be a good size for your pet to stand, sit and turn around, it must also be IATA (International Air Transport Association) complaint to ensure your pet’s safety during its travel. We can provide a quote to include a stay-dry fleece mat at the bottom of the crate to keep your pet comfy and dry throughout their travels.
It is important to make sure your pet is comfortable in the crate, as having incorrect crate sizing can lead to airlines refusing to check in your pet and, leading to delays, cancellations and costly re-booking travel plans.
Our Pet Travel consultants will be able to advise you on the most appropriate crate size for your furbaby, taking into account its weight, size and breed, and will discuss this with you to ensure animal welfare is of prime consideration for your pets travel. You can also use our Pet Measurement Tool to gauge which pet travel craze size you may need for your pet!
When preparing your furbaby for a domestic or international move, one important aspect that is often overlooked is crate training your pet. Teaching your pet to enter its travel crate on command plays a vital role in helping reduce anxiety and making them feel more secure and comfortable ahead of their journey.
For international pet moves, we recommend collecting your travel crate several weeks in advance, where possible. This allows ample time to gradually introduce your pet to the crate in a familiar environment, easing the adjustment process.
Many pet owners find success by placing familiar items such as treats, toys, or bedding inside the crate to encourage voluntary entry. Positioning the crate in a well-known area of your home also helps your pet associate it with safety and comfort. During the initial phase of crate training, we suggest leaving the crate door off to allow your pet to explore freely and at their own pace. It is important not to force your pet into the crate, as this may create negative associations and increase anxiety. You can find more helpful tips here on how to familiarise your pet with their travel crate.
Unfortunately, pets are not permitted to travel with their favourite toys in their crate. Most airlines will have strict rules in place for what can be sent with your furbaby in their crates due to animal welfare regulations. It is important that we comply with airline regulations and ensure the ultimate welfare of your furbaby during transport so they get to their destination safely.
As such, the airlines will also not permit any pet belongings such as bowls, food, brushes or shampoos in their travel crates. All personal items should be sent separately in advance of travel.
Food can be left at the origin station for pets going into boarding but food is NOT permitted on flights. Occasionally, belongings that are sent with your pet (collars, leads, documents or light blankets) can get lost or damaged in transit. Jetpets do not take responsibility for the loss or damage of any personal items.
When planning your pet’s travel from NZ, it is essential to consider their size, as this directly impacts the crate size required for transport. Depending on your destination and travel route, certain airlines may have restrictions regarding the acceptance of larger crates. These limitations are often influenced by the aircraft type and the specific route being operated.
To ensure a smooth travel experience, we recommend speaking with your dedicated Pet Travel Consultant, who will assist in determining the appropriate crate size and confirm whether it is accepted by the chosen airline for your destination. In some cases, we may need to coordinate multiple flight segments and offer a multi-sector travel option. For travel to and from regional areas, a combination of air and ground transportation may be required, depending on the locations involved.
For domestic pet travel within New Zealand, you can purchase an airline approved travel crate from Jetpets for your pet’s travel which will be yours to keep. We highly recommend purchasing one of our airline approved travel crates to ensure they are compliant with the Airline’s regulations. There are many on the market that claim to be “Airline Approved” but do not meet specific IATA (International Air Transport Association) requirements, so if you do purchase your own, one of our Pet Travel Consultants will review your crate to ensure the specifications are as they need to be for domestic travel within New Zealand.
Jetpets include the cost of the new travel crate in all international quotations to ensure full transparency and to prevent any unexpected expenses when choosing us as your pet transport provider. If your pet is travelling from New Zealand to Australia, there may be some instances where you could hire your pet’s travel crate from us.
