Every connection,
part of their journey.

1. Put every flight and transfer in one plan

Start with the proposed itinerary, including any return journey. For each flight, record the date, flight number, airline actually operating it, airports and terminals, and the proposed travel format: cabin, accompanied checked baggage or manifest cargo.

For every connection, add:

• Scheduled arrival and departure times, including overnight stays.
• Whether the pet transfers with the airline or must be collected.
• Who is responsible for the animal between flights.
• Any terminal change, airport change or ground journey.

Keep questions that still need an answer visible. A passenger booking alone does not confirm your pet’s place on each flight.

Sources: Lufthansa: traveling with animals.

2. Confirm pet acceptance with every operating airline

A flight sold under one airline’s name may be operated by another. Lufthansa, for example, says its pet rules apply to its own operated flights and asks travelers using several airlines to obtain confirmation from each.

Give each operator your pet’s species, breed, weight and measurements, plus the loaded container’s weight and dimensions. Confirm the travel format, available pet space and any aircraft or route restrictions. Check that the container works throughout the journey using our carrier guide.

For brachycephalic dogs, Pets Delivery Expert considers cabin-only arrangements on individually assessed commercial or private journeys. Any proposed connection needs to preserve the agreed cabin plan.

Sources: Lufthansa: traveling with animals.

3. Establish whether you must collect the pet

Ask specifically whether the pet will be transferred to the next flight without collection, including when two airlines are involved. A through-checked suitcase or shared booking reference does not answer that question.

If a self-transfer requires collection and check-in, identify the collection point, person receiving the animal, onward check-in location and deadline. Separately check the traveler’s immigration requirements and the pet’s entry formalities. An airport change needs its own ground-transfer plan.

For pets traveling in the hold, KLM’s published guidance identifies Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly as airports where pets must be collected and checked in again. Confirm the procedure for your exact booking; see our KLM guide.

Sources: KLM: pet reservations and transfer restrictions.

4. Check the transit country as well as the destination

Give the relevant authority the complete route, species, travel format, country history and proposed collection arrangement. Ask which transit permissions, entry documents or inspections apply. Remaining inside an airport does not establish an exemption.

Singapore: AVS requires a transhipment licence for dogs and cats transiting Singapore. Its guidance also requires advance notice to the relevant border control office.

United States, dogs: CDC’s layover exemption requires all four conditions: cargo or checked-baggage travel, no U.S. customs clearance, remaining in airline custody and continuing to another country. Cabin travel does not satisfy that exemption. Other applicable agency rules still need checking.

For onward travel to the U.S., clearing customs in a dog-rabies high-risk country during a connection can change which CDC requirements apply. Review the U.S. dog-entry guide before choosing the route.

Sources: Singapore AVS: transhipping dogs and cats · CDC: dog layovers and connecting flights.

5. Check the connection against the pet’s process

Ask the airline or cargo booking team to approve the actual connection duration for the animal and travel format. Add any collection, border checks, ground transfer, care appointment and onward check-in deadline to the schedule.

A longer stop can introduce another restriction: KLM publishes a maximum transfer condition for pets traveling in the hold and directs longer transfers to a separate cargo service. Do not apply a cargo arrangement to an accompanied checked-baggage booking.

Before adding an overnight hotel stay, establish whether the pet can legally leave the airport and be accepted again for the onward flight.

Sources: KLM: pet reservations and transfer restrictions.

6. Agree who looks after the pet between flights

For a cabin pet, check where you can wait with the animal, any accessible relief area and whether reaching it requires border clearance. For checked-baggage or cargo travel, ask the handling team:

• Where will the pet wait, and who has custody?
• What water, cleaning or other care is included?
• Can the animal leave the container, and under what conditions?
• Are owner visits or updates available for this booking?

Frankfurt Airport’s FAQ describes different arrangements by travel format and transfer duration. An animal facility’s existence does not establish what an individual booking includes. Agree any additional service in advance, and discuss your pet’s travel needs with your veterinarian.

Sources: Frankfurt Airport: animal travel and transit FAQs.

7. Prepare for a delay or changed flight

Save the airline or cargo contact, local handler and receiving person’s details. Agree who makes decisions if the first flight is late, the pet cannot board, or the onward flight changes.

Before accepting a replacement, recheck pet space, operator, aircraft, travel format, transit permissions and document dates. Confirm where the animal will wait, who will provide care and how additional costs are approved.

Include the final handover: collection hours, release arrangements and onward delivery. A new passenger itinerary still needs a workable pet booking.

Related cabin-travel guidance: IATA: operational recommendations to airlines.

Bring the whole itinerary to the route review

Send the departure and final destination cities, travel dates, every proposed connection, each pet’s species, breed, age and weight, and whether the owner will travel. Include any tickets already booked and the travel format requested.

Request a route and quote

Questions before booking a connection

Related reading: Airline pet-travel guides · Destination entry guides · Pet travel carrier guide · Pet transport without the owner · Private-jet pet travel · Pet shipping cost guide.

Official sources and scope

• Lufthansa: traveling with animals
• KLM: pet reservations and transfer restrictions
• Singapore AVS: transhipping dogs and cats
• CDC: dog layovers and connecting flights
• Frankfurt Airport: animal travel and transit FAQs
• IATA: operational guidance for in-cabin pet transport