Air Canada Is Banning Pets In Baggage Compartments Due To 'Longer Than Usual Airport Delays'

If you were planning on taking your pet with you on a trip with Air Canada, the airline is now banning pets from travelling in the baggage compartment on flights.

On July 6, 2022, the carrier announced that changes have been made to the Air Canada pet policy, which means passengers are temporarily not allowed to bring their pets on trips if they can't be in the cabin.

"Animals will no longer be able to travel in the hold of the aircraft," Air Canada said on Twitter.

In a notice posted on Air Canada's website, the airline cited "longer than usual airport delays" along with "the safety and comfort" of pets as reasons why the change was made.

"We will not be accepting new requests for pets travelling in the baggage compartment," the Canadian carrier said.

This new rule banning pets from the cargo hold will be in effect until September 12, 2022.

In a statement shared with CBC News, Air Canada said all current bookings for pets "will be honoured," and only new bookings won't be allowed.

So, if you want to travel with your pet between now and September 12, 2022, the only way you can do that is by bringing them onto the airplane with you.

Air Canada allows dogs and cats in the cabin as long as they stay in a closed carrier the entire flight and are small enough to stand, turn around and lie down in the carrier under the seat in front of you.

That carrier will count as the one standard carry-on item you can bring on board, and you have to give the airline advanced notice because "space is sometimes limited."

Also, the cost of bringing your pet for one-way travel within Canada or between Canada and the U.S. (except Hawaii) is $50.

For one-way international flights, the charge is $100.

When it comes to travelling with animals, an Air Transat passenger said her dog was left in a crate for almost 24 hours at Pearson Airport.

Jenna Butts told Narcity that she landed at the airport recently, then went to get her suitcases and the two dogs she was travelling with, but one of the dogs was missing.

The pup was found at the airport around 21 hours later by someone who works with customs. The dog was still in his crate at the back of a room mixed in with other lost baggage.

A spokesperson for Air Transat told Narcity that the issue is being taken "very seriously," and a full investigation into what had happened has been launched.