Pet Connect™ Guidelines

• ​Reservations are required, and we recommend booking 24 hours in advance. Shipments involving transfers to another airline must be booked at least three business days in advance, but no more than seven days before travel.
• Pets must be accepted and all paperwork processed at least two hours before scheduled departure.
• For all Hawai'i departures, all live animals must be accepted and all paperwork processed at least two and a half hours before scheduled departure.
• Pets are not accepted more than four hours prior to scheduled departure.
• Your pet will be available for pickup within one hour of flight arrival and must be picked up within four hours or kenneling charges may apply.
• Food and water must be offered within four hours of flight departure.
• We recommend feeding your pet a small meal before travel.
• You are allowed to include one comfort item and a small amount of food in your pet’s carrier.
• Ensure there is a food and water dish clipped inside your pet’s kennel.

• Pet Connect animals are not accepted to or from Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Pet Connect shipments are transported airport to airport service only (courier pickup/delivery service is not available). 
• Shipments on a collect basis are allowed when the shipper guarantees all charges. Interline shipments of live animals must be prepaid by the shipper.
• Live animals are not accepted for transport on Airbus aircraft.
• In the event of flight diversions, delays or cancellations, our cargo support team monitors our pet travel around the clock and will notify you in the event of a schedule disruption. 

Animal Health and Safety

• Combined animal and kennel weight is limited to 150 pounds. Other restrictions may apply depending on aircraft type.
• Animals will not be accepted in an agitated or hostile condition.
• Muzzles or restraints impairing respiration or injuring the animal will not be accepted.
• The shipper must provide written instructions concerning the handling, feeding and watering requirements for the animal(s) in the shipment. See the Labeling and Preparation of animal containers section for more information.
• Shipping containers must be clean and must not have an offensive odor.
• Dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks of age and weaned.
• The shipper must provide applicable health declarations and permits required by authorities of countries of export, transit and import.
• Animals traveling as cargo must have a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. See the Health Certificate Requirements section for more information.
• No more than two puppies or kittens, eight weeks to six months of age, that are of comparable size, and weighing 20 pounds or less each, may be transported in the same kennel. See the Live Animals in the Same Container section for more details.
• Copies of health certificates need to be signed and dated by a veterinarian no more than 10 days prior to travel.
• A rabies certificate is required for interstate transport (between states) in the Continental U.S. and Hawaii as well as all travel to, from or within the state of Alaska. Dogs and cats under three months old do not require a rabies certificate.

Certificate Requirements

Health Certificate

All warm-blooded animals traveling as cargo must have a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian that certifies the animal:

• Was inspected no more than 10 days prior to travel.
• Appears healthy for travel and free of infectious, contagious and/or communicable disease.

Proof of parvovirus vaccination is required for animals traveling to the cities of Nome or Kotzebue. Contact the Alaska Air Cargo service center for more information.

Rabies Certificate

A rabies vaccination certificate is required for transport between the Lower 48 states to/from Alaska, as well as within the state of Alaska. A combined health/rabies certificate is acceptable. Dogs or cats less than three months old do not require a rabies certificate.

Certificate of Acclimation

We allow pets to travel when the weather at both the departure and arrival city is between 45 and 85 degrees (Fahrenheit). We can make exceptions for greater temperature variances if your pet has a certificate of acclimation from your vet specifying temperatures to which your animal is accustomed.