An animal in the baggage hold

Travel with your pet!

You can take a dog, a cat or a ferret on board our planes. Please note that the number of animals on any given type of aircraft is limited. Check the availability of the service by booking your ticket on lot.com or later, up to 12 hours before departure, in Manage My Booking.

Remember that if your pet is travelling in the baggage hold, the temperature inside will be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, you do not need to be afraid of travelling with your beloved pet like that!

Pets in the baggage hold

If you are transporting an animal in the baggage hold, make sure it has comfortable conditions during the travel. The transporter must meet the requirements set forth in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations. Only one adult animal is allowed in one transporter, except for animals at the age of max. 6 months, and then the number may not exceed three animals in one transporter.

Remember that the container in which your animal is to be transported must be:

big enough for the animal to move freely and be able to stand, turn and lie down,
clean, tight and securely closed, and the bottom has to be lined with absorbent from the inside,
equipped with a water and feed container,
ventilated on at least three sides,
made of fibreglass, metal, rigid plastics, solid wood or plywood, without any wheels attached (if it has such wheels, please remove them at check-in).
NOTE! The containers must not be made entirely of welded mesh or wire mesh. Such containers are not suitable for air transport.

Please, note that if the container is too small or does not meet the IATA requirements, we reserve the right to refuse to transport the pet at check-in.

Charges for the transport of animals in baggage hold

Prices for transporting an animal over 8 kg (the weight specified in a gross weight, i.e., including the transport bag or container) in the baggage hold start from:

280 PLN on domestic flights within Poland (+ VAT 8%),
600 PLN/150 EUR/180 USD on short-haul flights within Europe and the Middle East,
1200 PLN/290 EUR/300 USD/380 CAD/40 000 JPY/370 000 KRW/25 000 INR on long-haul flights to/from North America and Asia (including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).

You will see the exact fee when you create your reservation or via Manage My Booking tab. The prices do not apply to the transport of animals in the baggage hold as cargo.

Because we have several types of machines in our fleet, pet carrier dimensions vary. Accepted pet carrier dimensions:

for B787 Dreamliner: 125/96/64 cm*;

for B737, 7M8: 137/114/86 cm*;

for E70, E75, E90: 120/102/71 cm*;

for DH4: 170/70/143 cm*.

*length/width/height
Before the travel, remember to prepare the following:

up-to-date vaccination record (against rabies),

special passport (issued by a vet) with a description of the colour, breed and sex of the animal together with a microchip number or tattoo,

suitable transport container,

microchip implant.

It is only allowed to transport animals which are at least 3 months of age and when at least 21 days have passed since the last valid vaccination against rabies.
Our hints:

a few days before the flight get your pet used to its travel transporter so that it will be easier for it to bear the journey,

before the journey attach to the side of the transporter a label with the name of your pet and feeding instructions,

the check-in process for pets may take longer. We recommend arriving at the airport at least 3 hours before your scheduled departure time,

walk your animal before the journey,

don’t give any food or water to your pet a few hours before departure,

give your pet a little water just before departure,

to ensure safety of your pet, place the leash and muzzle outside the transporter or in your carry-on baggage,

giving tranquillisers to your pet should be consulted with a veterinarian.

For more information visit the website of the General Veterinary Inspectorate.
Before booking a flight familiarise yourself with relevant regulations on import and export of animals in the country of your destination, as well as general rules on animals' well-being. You can find such information e.g. in consulates of the country concerned. Prepare the certificate of vaccination (against rabies or distemper) and valid veterinary certificate for your animal confirming compliance with the regulations of the country of departure, the country of destination and any transit airports.

For flights to the Unites States, you should read the information on the import of animals into the United States and the details of the transport of dogs and cats:

» Import of dogs into the United States

» Import of cats into the United States

For flights within the UE, prepare a special passport with a description of the colour, breed and sex of your animal, and the number of its microchip or tattoo (issued by a veterinarian),

For travelling to the United Kingdom, animals may be transported only as cargo. For detailed information please contact our Cargo and Mail Bureau (at telephone number +48 22 606 77 77).

For flights to Canada, it allowed to transport cats and dogs, but not ferrets.

For travelling to Dubai, animals may be transported only as cargo.

For traveling to Japan, animals must undergo import quarantine inspection. Animals which don’t meet import requirements including certification deficiency will be subject to quarantine and isolation for the necessary period up to 180 days. Read more about required documents on the offcial website of Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries in Japan. If you have any questions, please contact Narita International Airport. Phone number: +81(0)476-32-6664; email: aqs.nrtr1@maff.go.jp.

For flights to Egypt, it is not possible to transport animals in the baggage hold.
Animals with a shortened and/or flattened muzzle, due to the high temperature and stress, can have considerable problems breathing freely during the flight, leading to hypoxia and circulatory disorders. Concerned about the health and safety of your pet, we have decided to limit the possibility of transporting brachycephalic dogs and cats under the aircraft.

Transportation of these animals in hold (AVIH) will not be possible as of October 1, 2022. You can still take your pet into the passenger cabin, provided you meet the weight and cage size criteria.

Animals of brachycephalic breeds can be transported as cargo, find more information here.

Make sure your dog or cat's breed is on the list we have prepared before you book.

Brachycephalic dog breeds:

American staffordshire terrier (staffordshire bull terrier).

American pit bull terrier

boxer

boston terrier

brachycephalic

bulldog (all breeds)

bull mastiff

cane corso

cavalier king charles spaniel

chihuahua

japanese chin

chow chow

American cocker-spaniel

dogue de bordeaux

belgian gryphon

brussels spaniel

king charles spaniel

lhasa apso

mastiff (all breeds)

pugs (all breeds)

Pekingese

pinscher monkey

shar pei

shih tzu

Japanese spaniel

tibetan spaniel

Brachycephalic cat breeds:

Persian

exotic

Himalayan

British shorthair

Scottish fold
The restriction of transport below deck also applies to crossbreeds of the listed breeds and animals with characteristics of brachycephalic breeds (short muzzle).

An animal in the baggage hold

Travel with your pet!

Pets in the baggage hold

Charges for the transport of animals in baggage hold

*length/width/height

Before the travel, remember to prepare the following:

Our hints:

Learn more about travelling with animals

An animal in the cabin

Guide dogs and emotional support animals

Transport of animals as cargo in the baggage hold

About LOT

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Additional services

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An animal in the baggage hold

Travel with your pet!

Pets in the baggage hold

Charges for the transport of animals in baggage hold

*length/width/height

Before the travel, remember to prepare the following:

Our hints:

Learn more about travelling with animals

An animal in the cabin

Guide dogs and emotional support animals

Transport of animals as cargo in the baggage hold

About LOT

For business customers

Additional services

Follow us on

Download our app

We are part of

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