Qantas Pet Travel

The Dogtainers team can assist with pick up and drop off and ensure your pet safely arrives at their destination. You may also choose to pick up and drop off your pet at the various Qantas freight areas.

Australia has a list of “dangerous dog breeds” that are prohibited from flying in Australia. They cannot be imported into Australia, and if they’re already here, they can not fly domestically.

These breeds are not allowed to fly in Australia:

• American Pit Bull and other Pit Bull Breeds
• Fila Brasileiro
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino
• Perro de Presa Canario

Some domestic/non-domestic hybrids (e.g. dog-wolf crosses) are also prohibited under the “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999”.

• Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak
• Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound
• Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog
• Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.

We don’t judge a dog by its breed, we know each dog has their own personality, and just because they’re a ‘dangerous breed’, it doesn’t mean they’re dangerous. So long as your dog isn’t aggressive, we can transport all dog breeds by road in one of our specialist pet transportation vans.

Maybe. Different states and countries have varying requirements for pet transport, including the need for a permit. Unfortunately, the airlines won’t tell you which ones apply to you. Luckily, we will. As part of our service, we ensure you’re informed about any and all vaccines, permits, and other requirements your pet must meet in order to travel to their destination.

Pets travel in a pressurised, temperature-controlled, dimly lit compartment which is usually at the rear of the plane. In this section, travel crates are safely strapped into position by trained airline staff. The captain of the aircraft sets the temperature to around 18 degrees Celsius. With the gentle hum of the aircraft, pets often spend the time dozing before reaching their destination.

Qantas can transport pets and non-pet animals. Pets include dogs (not racing greyhounds), cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, domestic fish with no aeration requirements that aren’t intended for resale, and domestic birds that don’t need a permit to travel (maximum four birds per cage).

Animals that aren’t pets include, but are not limited to: reptiles, crocodiles, race horses, zoo creatures, racing pigeons, mice, day old chicks, live coral/rocks, marine animals for aquariums and research purposes, and racing greyhounds.

Delayed – The airline must notify us if the delay is a few hours long. Our team then goes to the airport to check on the animal and ensure they’re doing well.

Cancelled – If a Qantas domestic flight is cancelled, Qantas automatically offers the next available spot. Our team will contact you to confirm if you’d like to proceed. Depending on what you want to do, we can go pick up your pet and bring them back to our office, to boarding, or back to your residence.

For safety reasons, animals are first to be loaded off the aircraft. Pets are then brought to the Qantas Freight Terminal and are usually ready for collection around 45 to 90 minutes after flight arrival. For regional ports, please collect your pet 10 – 30 minutes after the inbound flight has departed. Owners need to have their ID and airway bill (digital or printed) to collect the pet.

Unfortunately, airport staff only send updates for international flights. If you’d like to track your pet’s domestic flight, you can Google their flight number, or check on their Qantas flight status. If you’ve elected to have Dogtainers drop off or pick up your pet from the airport, we can send you updates personally, so you know how your fur baby is doing.

Dogtainers and Qantas have a strong relationship, and in 2021, we arranged Qantas flights for more than 11,900 pets.

Airline regulations state that we cannot send food with your pet when they travel. We can send medications with your pets if they are identified by the vets and clearly state the content. However, the airline reserves the right to refuse the medication.

Be sure to weigh and measure your pet correctly. If at the time of lodgement there are any weight discrepancies, or a larger crate is required, your pet may be offloaded, and additional charges will be incurred. Learn more about crates and measuring your pet.

We recommend not feeding your pet within 8 hours of travel as this can cause them to have an accident inside the crate. Although it is natural for your pet to answer nature’s call, if your pet has an accident in their crate before their flight, the airline will refuse to put them on the flight until a Dogtainers representative can clean the pet and inside the crate. This can then result in flights being missed, and additional charges may apply.

A firmly fixed water bowl that your pet can drink from with a funnel on the outside is mandatory for your pet to fly.

You can place absorbent material in your pet’s crate, such as deluxe vet bedding or a puppy training pad, but no straw, kitty litter or newspapers are allowed. If the material is soiled during the flight, it will not be returned after the flight.

Qantas lets you add one small toy to your pet’s crate. However, Qantas and Dogtainers take no responsibility for any lost items during transport. Any items you send are at your own risk.

Do not put any food, leads, or harnesses in your pet’s crate, as these are not allowed by Qantas.