Taking Pets to Spain

hello gary,

we are taking our dog to palma on a ba flight in april and wonder if you answer or help us with the following questions:
where do we collect her from?
How far is it from arrivals?
How long will it take to collect her?

If you have any english speaking contacts that can help us if you are unable, we would be really grateful.

Look forward to your reply

The martin family.

My reply...

This is all the information I can find from the Main Spanish Airport Website AENA.

"Pets accompanying their owners on a trip can be accepted as luggage when the corresponding tariff has been paid, regardless of the class in which the passenger is to fly.
As a general rule, these animals must be checked in and loaded into the hold of the aircraft, where they will be placed in a container which some airlines can provide.Sometimes they are allowed to fly with their owners in the passenger cabin, provided that the pet does not cause any bother to nearby passengers. The owner must fulfil certain requirements and is responsible for the pet's care and transport during the flight.

For this, the maximum measurements of the container must be respected, as well as the conditions of the maximum permitted weight of the animal with its container or cage, as applied by the airline and that should be previously consulted.

Animals must travel properly documented, through a pet passport or veterinary certificate, identified by way of a microchip or tattoo and with all required vaccinations (in some countries with an evaluation of antibodies). You can find more information at:http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/index_en.htm.It is wise, when booking or purchasing the ticket either at the airline or the travel agency, to express your intention of taking a pet on board and to be informed of the specific conditions for transportation.

Guide dogsDogs trained as guides to accompany a passenger with a disability will, in general, travel in the cabin, unless prohibited by national regulations or the airlines. The dog's transport, whether in the hold or in the cabin, will not be charged. It is not necessary to carry out any special procedure, but the dog must wear a muzzle, collar and lead. If the dog is to travel in the cabin, it will be placed next to the passenger in a place indicated by the crew."

Then this was something that my friend wrote for me who brought her cats over.

Hi Jo,

Pet transport is a minefield! It depends on where you are flying in from. For example, if you are coming from Gatwick then only Monarch and British Airways will transport the animals and then only on certain flights (which tend to be a couple mid week) because they need to be on aircraft which have a special area between the passenger section and hold.

Also the airline will not necessarily guarantee that your pet will travel on the same flight and will probably ask you to check with the carrier. Both Bev and I had to do this and then they took 24 hours to get back to me. The person concerned needs to check with the airline they are using - www.ba.com is the best and this website has some pretty detailed information on transporting pets abroad like size and approved carrier type, etc.

When I brought the cats over from the UK they were checked in with me at the normal check in desk then taken away to the vet centre until they were ready to board. At Malaga they are meant to be left at cargo for you to collect, but mine were put on the luggage carousel in the arrivals hall! Bev has been told that she has to take her cat to cargo when she checks in so maybe the system has improved since I arrived.
So the short answer to your question is that it is up to the owner to make sure the airline carrier can accommodate the pet and book it on because the agents will not guarantee it. And the dog should be collected from the cargo section at Malaga but they should double check with the staff when they arrive here.

Hope this is not too muddled and answers your question!

I hope this gives you some idea.

Gary Ingram