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Pets in the cabin
A small cat or dog can be taken into the Economy Class cabin of all KLM flights, and in Business Class on KLM flights within Europe:
- In a hard shell kennel no higher than 20 cm (7.9 in). Your pet must be able to stand up and lie down comfortably.
- Total weight of pet + travel bag or kennel may be no more than 6 kg (13 lbs).
- The kennel must be put under the seat in front of you.
Always make a reservation by telephone or through My Trip at least 48 hours in advance. Please note that we have room for a limited number of kennels in the cabin. It is not possible to reserve a seat in the Economy Comfort zone when traveling with your pet in the cabin.
Contact KLM Telephone Reservations
Pets as check-in baggage
Your cat or dog may travel as check-in baggage in a ventilated part of the aircraft:
- In a non-wooden kennel that complies with IATA rules – for example those of the 'Sky' and 'Vari' brands. You can purchase such a kennel at larger pet shops or specialist shipping agents. Read more on www.iata.org.
- Total weight of your pet and kennel combined may be no more than 75 kg (165 lbs).
- On all KLM flights (and on KLM Cityhopper flights of less than 2 hours). Between 1 November and 31 March each year, pets cannot be taken in the hold of Fokker aircraft because it cannot be heated.
Always make a reservation by telephone or through My Trip at least 48 hours in advance. Please note that each passenger may bring up to 3 pets but that we have room for a limited number of kennels in the hold.
Snub-nosed animals such as pugs, boxers, bulldogs, Pekinese and Persian cats can have trouble breathing during the flight due to high temperatures and stress. To ensure their well-being, snub-nosed animals may therefore only be transported as cargo. Unfortunately, we do not transport English and French bulldogs, Boston terriers and pugs in the hold or as cargo.
Pets as freight
Your pet should be transported as freight by AIR FRANCE-KLM Cargo if:
- Your pet and kennel weigh more than 75 kg (165 lbs).
- The kennel is larger than 292 cm/115 inches (l + w + h). On some types of aircraft, the kennel must not be larger than 247 cm/97 inches (l + w + h). Contact your travel agent or call us for advice.
- Your pet is not traveling on the same flight as you are.
- Your pet is traveling to a country whose authorities allow the transportation of pets as freight only.
To transport your pet as cargo you should contact a specialized cargo agent. You can find a list of cargo agents in the Netherlands at the AIR FRANCE-KLM Cargo website.
Go to AIR FRANCE-KLM Cargo (in English only)
Travel documents and health certificates
To find out which documents are required and which rules apply to transporting your pet, we recommend consulting the embassies of the country of departure and the country of destination.
Find more information on the following websites for travel:
- To, from or within the European Union: read the European Commission regulations
- To the United Kingdom (only possible via AIR FRANCE-KLM Cargo): visit the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Between other countries: visit www.iata.org
Special rules apply to service animals which have been trained to assist passengers with disabilities, or to assist rescue teams. You can request more information from KLM Cares. At the airport, we will use a checklist to make sure that your pet, travel documents and kennel are in order.
Read the airport checklist for pets
Read more about KLM Cares
Before departure
Prepare your pet for travel:
- Start getting your pet used to its kennel at least five days before the flight
- Withhold food and water for 4 hours before departure.
- Do not sedate your pet. Doing so will increase the time it takes for the animal to acclimate to its new surroundings and may cause its temperature to drop during flight.
The check-in process for pets may take some time. We recommend arriving at the airport 3 hours before your scheduled departure time , and bringing a filled out form for transporting your pet as check-in baggage.
Download the form for transporting your pet as check-in baggage(PDF, 72KB) (in English only)
Read the airport checklist for pets
Costs
The costs depend on the destination. An additional charge of EUR 150 (or USD/CAD 200) will be made if your pet is traveling as check-in baggage and the transfer at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport lasts 2 hours or longer. This charge covers the animal’s care during the transfer.
Always make a reservation by telephone or through My trip at least 48 hours in advance.
View the fee for transporting your pet
