Travelling with pets
Domesticated cats, dogs and small caged birds can travel as checked-in baggage on some domestic flights around New Zealand provided they fly in pet carriers suitable for air travel.
International pet travel
Flying with a service animal
National cargo pets
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Add your pet to your domestic flight booking
If you have a domestic flight booked with Air New Zealand, please complete this form to request that your pet is added to your booking. You will need the following information:
- Your six-character booking reference (found on your flight confirmation emails and itinerary)
- Pet name
- Pet age
- Pet type
- Combined weight of your pet and carrier - rounded up to the nearest kilogram (From 11 November 2025, must not exceed 60kg)
- Carrier dimensions - H x W x L (From 11 November 2025, new size limits apply)
- Your contact details
For pet greyhounds or those being re-homed, a copy of an adoption contract must be provided.
If your booking is for a regional route and includes more than one pet carrier per person, you'll need to pre-book your pets to travel as cargo through an approved pet transporter due to the space limitations of our smaller turbo-prop aircraft.
See how much it costs
A flat fee of NZD $120 is applicable. The pet carriage fee is payable at the airport and reflects the special treatment your pet will receive.
Book an extra bag (if needed)
To help us calculate and plan for your pet's travel in the hold, we consider your pet's checked-in carrier as part of your baggage allowance.
Tip: when booking your flight, look for a fare with baggage allowance.
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Check your pet's carrier before you travel
The carrier must meet our requirements and be fit for purpose, otherwise we can't accept it.
- Your pet must have enough room to easily:
- stand and sit without their head/ears touching the top of the carrier
- turn around
- lay down with their paws extended
Note: Only a single soft familiar item may be in the carrier, such as a blanket or soft toy (no collars, harnesses, clothing etc.).
- From 11 November 2025, the carrier dimensions must not exceed our size limits and a weight limit will apply.
Animal limits per carrier
If you're travelling with more than one pet in a carrier, you need to meet these requirements:
- Your pet must have enough room to easily:
- 3
On the day of the flight
Help your pet get ready to travel
After checking that your pet looks healthy and fit for travel, it's time to get ready for the flight.
Before check-in
Please arrive at the airport 60 minutes prior to your flight's departure. If you haven't checked in online already, please check in before taking your pet to either the Special Assistance or Oversized Baggage counter (depending on the airport).
Staff will check that the pet's carrier meets our carriage requirements.
Important
We will refuse your pet's travel if:
- The carrier dimensions are exceeded and/or
- The carrier does not meet the size and construction requirements and/or
- From 11 November 2025, the combined pet and carrier weight of 60kg is exceeded
After your pet has been checked in
Air New Zealand ground staff loading and unloading an aircraft are trained in pet travel and will do what they can to minimise stress for your furry or feathered friend.
Arrival and pick up
Your pet will be carried into the baggage arrival area by one of our team. Depending on the airport, this may be before, during or after other baggage has been delivered to the baggage claim area.
To be mindful of other passengers and airport regulations, please do not let your pet out of its carrier until you have left the terminal building.
Size and weight limits
To keep your pet and our people safe, from 11 November 2025, we'll no longer be able to carry:
- Any pet and carrier combined weighing more than 60kg, and
- Any carrier larger than 85cm H x 66cm W x 115 L on our smaller ATR, Q300 turbo-prop aircraft
If your pet and carrier combined weigh 60kg or more, you can still travel with them on domestic routes with our A320 or A321 jet aircraft by pre-booking your pet to travel as cargo through an approved pet transporter.
Any bookings made between now and 11 November 2025 will not be accepted.
Select the right travel carrier for your pet
Air New Zealand carries animals in accordance with the current standards published in the IATA Live Animal Regulations.
Tip: Ideally, your pet should be familiar with their travel carrier at least two weeks before travel. This will help your pet feel more secure and comfortable, and reduce anxiety levels for both you and your pet.
Example of approved pet carrier for air travel
- Your pet must have enough room to easily:
- stand and sit without their head/ears touching the top of the carrier
- turn around
- lay down with their paws extended
- Water container which is fillable from the outside
- Top and bottom fixed together e.g. tightened bolt and screw at each corner. At least one on each long side if it's fewer than 60cm or two or more if the side exceeds 60cm
- Space bar fitted on three sides (not including the door)
- Floor must be lined with absorbent material such as a puppy pee pad or paper sheets
Must be ventilated on three upper sides (not including the door)
Cable ties must be attached to all four corners of the carrier door (can be fitted at check-in)
| Permitted | Not permitted | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction of cat or dog carrier | ✔ Fibreglass, metal, rigid plastic, welded metal mesh, solid wood, and plywood carriers ✔ Ventilation holes are only permitted on the upper half of three sides, excluding the door. See example ✔ The door must be open and covered with welded mesh, bars etc., nose and paw-proof ✔ The door must form the whole of one end of the carrier (can be sliding or hinged) and can't be accidentally opened ✔ The floor must be solid and leak-proof and the interior must be smooth with nothing sticking out ✔ Spacer bar must be fitted in the middle on three sides (not the door). Handles should allow easy carriage of the carrier ✔ Wheels are permitted but must be removed or inoperable when carried ✔ Water container must be fitted in the carrier | ✘ Entirely welded mesh, open wire, pop-up hatch style carriers ✘ Ventilation on the upper and lower sides of a carrier |
| Door locking and latching | ✔ The top and bottom of a plastic carrier must be fixed together using either 'bolt tightened' or another 2-step method e.g. screw & dial ✔ Minimum fasteners include one at each corner and at least 1 down each side, carriers longer than 60cm must have minimum of 2 fasteners each side ✔ Door hinge & locking pins on rigid plastic carriers must engage the carrier by at least 1.6cm beyond the horizontal extrusion above and below the door opening ✔ Cable ties must be attached to all four corners of the carrier's door to prevent it from being prised open by the animal | ✘ Latches fixing the top and bottom of plastic carrier ✘ Restraint straps etc., securing a carrier ✘ Doors that have a 'twist clip' around the locking pins |
| Inside the carrier | ✔ You must include appropriate and proportionate absorbent material e.g. paper, puppy pee pad etc. ✔ You can include a blanket in the carrier ✔ Please ensure your pet has had food and water prior to travelling | ✘ No food or toys are permitted in, or attached to, the carrier ✘ No clothing such as collars, harnesses, or coats permitted |
| Use of cable ties | ✔ Airport staff may use a cable tie as a secondary means of securing a cage and preventing accidental opening | ✘ Must not be applied through ventilation holes ✘ Must not be cut short as they pose a risk of injury to your pet |
Cat and dog carriers
Construction of cat or dog carrier
✔ Fibreglass, metal, rigid plastic, welded metal mesh, solid wood, and plywood carriers
✔ Ventilation holes are only permitted on the upper half of three sides, excluding the door. See example
✔ The door must be open and covered with welded mesh, bars etc., nose and paw-proof
✔ The door must form the whole of one end of the carrier (can be sliding or hinged) and can't be accidentally opened
✔ The floor must be solid and leak-proof and the interior must be smooth with nothing sticking out
✔ Spacer bar must be fitted in the middle on three sides (not the door). Handles should allow easy carriage of the carrier
✔ Wheels are permitted but must be removed or inoperable when carried
✔ Water container must be fitted in the carrier
✘ Entirely welded mesh, open wire, pop-up hatch style carriers
✘ Ventilation on the upper and lower sides of a carrier
Door locking and latching
✔ The top and bottom of a plastic carrier must be fixed together using either 'bolt tightened' or another 2-step method e.g. screw & dial
✔ Minimum fasteners include one at each corner and at least 1 down each side, carriers longer than 60cm must have minimum of 2 fasteners each side
✔ Door hinge & locking pins on rigid plastic carriers must engage the carrier by at least 1.6cm beyond the horizontal extrusion above and below the door opening
✔ Cable ties must be attached to all four corners of the carrier's door to prevent it from being prised open by the animal
✘ Latches fixing the top and bottom of plastic carrier
✘ Restraint straps etc., securing a carrier
✘ Doors that have a 'twist clip' around the locking pins
Inside the carrier
✔ You must include appropriate and proportionate absorbent material e.g. paper, puppy pee pad etc.
✔ You can include a blanket in the carrier
✔ Please ensure your pet has had food and water prior to travelling
✘ No food or toys are permitted in, or attached to, the carrier
✘ No clothing such as collars, harnesses, or coats permitted
Use of cable ties
✔ Airport staff may use a cable tie as a secondary means of securing a cage and preventing accidental opening
✘ Must not be applied through ventilation holes
✘ Must not be cut short as they pose a risk of injury to your pet
For other useful information about pet carrier requirements, please visit IATA's pet corner page.
Example of unsuitable pet carriers
✘ These pet carriers will not be accepted for air travel.
Travel cages and carriers for birds
Your bird/s may travel in a bird travel carrier, or size-appropriate cat/dog carrier may be used, provided the required perch/perches are fitted.
Perches
For birds that rest by perching, the carrier must include round perches that:
- are large enough for the birds to grip firmly and comfortably (relevant to the species)
- allow for all birds (if more than one) to perch comfortably at the same time
- are placed so droppings do not fall into food or water troughs
- are placed at such a height that the birds can leave the perch without their heads contacting the roof, nor the tail with the floor while perching
- are not placed too high within the carrier for the birds to become upset during transport.
For parrots (psittacine), that do not rest by perching, suitably sized smooth rails fixed to the floor must be provided so that the birds can feel secure.