Etihad Airways flying with pets

Am I allowed to travel with my pet on Etihad Airways flights?

Etihad Airways allows passengers to travel with small cats and dogs, falcons, and Service Animals.

How can I travel with falcons on Etihad Airways flights?

Small cats and dogs are accepted in the passenger cabin as long as all pet travel rules are complied with.

Falcons are accepted for transportation in the cabin or as checked baggage.

Traveling with Pets

Cats and Dogs

Cats and dogs are accepted on Etihad flights to/from Abu Dhabi. Pets are not accepted on flights operated by partner airlines. For all other destinations, you should check if your pet is accepted for travel in the cabin by the regulations of the countries on your itinerary.

Pregnant pets are not accepted for travel. Dogs posing a danger, such as the following, are not accepted on Etihad flights: Pit Bulls, Mastiff Dogs, Japanese Tosa, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Canario Presa, Boxers, and any mixed breed of these breeds of dog or their hybrid.

Only passengers at least 18 years old may travel with only one pet on board. You may bring two pets, provided that the pets are from the same household and known to each other, and you are traveling with another passenger. When traveling with two pets, a separate booking form for each pet must be submitted.

You must register your pet for carriage in the cabin and receive confirmation of pet acceptance. At least 72 hours before your flight, you must submit a pet booking form.

Your pet must be at least 16 weeks old and weigh no more than 8 kg, including their carrier. Your pet must stay in the travel bag or carrier for the entire flight, and the pet carrier must be ventilated on at least three sides and be escape-proof (a rigid door for kennels / secure entrance for pet travel bag) and leak proof. ​Different rules apply for the pet carrier depending on the travel class:

  • Economy:
    • The pet carrier can be stored under your seat and must not exceed 40 x 40 x 22 cm (L x W x H) to fit under your seat.
    • You can reserve and pay for an adjacent seat for your pet to sit in their carrier next to you, and the pet travel bag must not exceed 50 x 43 x 50 cm (L x W x H).
  • Business & First:
    • You must reserve and pay for an extra seat for your pet to sit in their carrier next to you, and the pet travel bag must not exceed 50 x 43 x 50 cm (L x W x H).

You must report for check-in at the airport 3 hours before departure. At check-in, you will be required to present the veterinary and official documents for your pet. You must bring enough absorbent sheets for your pet to relieve itself, including for connecting flights and at the transit airport, if applicable. You can only carry dry pet food in a sealed container in your cabin baggage. Sedation of pets is not recommended, except under certain conditions and carried out under veterinary supervision.

If there are passengers allergic to animals traveling on the same flight, the crew may require you and your pet to change your seat. In rare occurrences, you may need to re-book your flight. If a passenger with an allergy statement and a passenger with a pet booking are traveling on the same flight, the request of the passenger who made the first reservation will be confirmed. If a passenger wishes to travel with a trained service animal and a passenger wishes to travel with a pet in the same class on the same flight, the request of the passenger wishing to travel with a trained service animal shall always take priority regardless of the time of reservation.

The additional cost of traveling with a pet in the cabin is:

  • Economy:
    • Under the seat:
      • $150 for flights six hours or less.
      • $250 for flights over six hours.
    • When an adjacent seat is booked – the normal fare applies.
  • Business & First – the normal fare applies for the extra seat that must be booked.

If you are transiting, the combined price will apply.

Falcons

Falcons are accepted for transportation in the aircraft cabin and as checked baggage on all Etihad flights. To ensure smooth travel, you must call Etihad Airways to book in advance, and all necessary documents and permits should be obtained in advance.

You can travel with a falcon for free, as part of your hand baggage allowance, or you can buy an additional seat:

  • Economy – one falcon per passenger or two falcons per additional seat.
  • First & Business – two falcons per passenger or three falcons per additional seat.

Transporting falcons on Etihad flights as checked baggage incurs an additional fee of $500 per cage.

Guide Dogs

Trained Service Animals are defined as dogs, regardless of breed or type, that are trained to help with a qualifying physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or mental disability. Other animals (e.g., emotional support animals, comfort animals, etc.) are not accepted as Service Animals.

Trained Service Animals are permitted for free on all Etihad flights, in the cabin or the baggage hold in addition to the checked baggage allowance. One passenger can travel with one trained Service Animal or two on flights to/from the US. Service Dogs must behave properly in public and not display any form of disruptive behavior, such as growling, biting, jumping, or causing damage to the cabin. Etihad may refuse carriage of the Service Dog or transfer the  Service Dog to the hold at additional costs if the dog does not behave appropriately. The Service Dog must sit within the passenger’s seat space and be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times on the flight.

Etihad recommends you contact the Call Center at least 48 hours before your flight when traveling with a trained Service Dog. 

More information here >>