Delta Airline Pet Policy
For domestic travel within the United States with your pet, you must book with Delta at least 48 hours before departure.
International departures must be booked at least 3 days in advance but not more than 14 days prior to travel. Please note you cannot take animals as checked baggage with Delta to the following countries:
- Australia
- Cayman Islands
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- United Kingdom (U.K.), excluding service animals
Checked Baggage vs. Cargo
Delta does not accept pets as checked baggage from May 15 through September 15. You can, however, ship your pet as “cargo” with the Delta Pet First program. If travelling as cargo, your pet can be accepted at most Delta Cargo facilities and at select ticket counters. Fees will be charged at the arrival at the destination airport (terminal handling charges, customer’s clearance fees, veterinarian services, and/or kennel storage fees, and cargo shipping rates).
Age Restrictions
Dogs and cats must be at least 8 weeks old. For other pets, call Delta Cargo at 1-800-352-2746.
Weather
Delta will not accept animals as checked baggage if the temperature is expected to be below 10°F (-12C) or above 85°F (29.4C).
Animal Health Certificate
A health certificate is required when shipping your pet as cargo. It must be issued within 10 days of travel.
Live Animal Checklist
You must complete a live animal checklist when checking in your pet. This confirms that your pet has been offered food and water within 4 hours of check-in. You should also include feeding and watering instructions for a full 24-hour period, and also food in case your pet needs to be fed while in transit.
Tranquilizers
Though it is not recommended that you sedate your pet, if you must, please attach a written consent form from your veterinarian on the kennel. Delta staff cannot administer medication.
Kennels
You must use a kennel approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). If your pet is travelling in the cabin with you, the kennel should be ventilated on at least 2 sides and leak-proof. To transport your pet as checked baggage or cargo, the kennel must provide enough room for your pet to move around in comfortably. It should also be made of rigid plastic, wood or metal with ventilation openings on 3 sides and closed securely. Be sure it contains bedding as well as food and water dishes attached to the inside of the kennel door.
Reptiles, amphibians and fish are accepted only as cargo, not as carry-on or checked baggage. These animals need to be in containers made of wood, plastic or corrugated metal.
All animal kennels must display the following:
- Live Animal Checklist (includes feeding and watering instructions)
- Live Animal label
- Directional arrows
- Wild Animal label, when applicable
If you do not have a kennel, approved kennels are available for sale to booked Delta passengers and shippers at most Delta Cargo locations, but you must book one in advance.
Restricted Animals/Breeds
Prohibited dogs include: American Bulldog; American Staffordshire Terrier; American Pit Bull Terrier; Boston Terrier; Boxer; Brussels Griffin; Bulldog; Chinese Pug; Chow Chow; Dutch Pug; English Bulldog; English Toy Spaniel; French Bulldog; Lhasa Apso; Japanese Boxer; Japanese Pug; Japanese Spaniel (Chin); Mastiff (all breeds); Pekinese; Pit Bull; Pug; Shar Pei; Shih Tzu; Staffordshire Bull Terrier; and Tibetan Spaniel.
Prohibited cats include: Burmese; Exotic; Himalayan; and Persian.
For more details on Delta’s pet policies, click here: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets/pet-requirements-restrictions.html#
Sources:
Delta Airlines: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets.html
Delta Cargo Pet First: http://www.deltacargo.com/ProductsRates/Specialty/LiveAnimals.aspx
United States Dept. of Agriculture: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_import_export%2Fsa_animals%2Fsa_pet_travel
International Air Transport Association: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live-animals/pets/Pages/index.aspx
