British Airways Pet Policy (2026): Hold-Only Travel, Assistance Dogs and UK Entry Rules

British Airways does not carry pets in the cabin on any route. Under the British Airways pet policy, dogs, cats and other pets fly in the aircraft's temperature-controlled hold as cargo. Pets leaving the UK are booked through PetAir UK, and pets flying into the UK go through British Airways' sister company IAG Cargo. Recognised assistance dogs are the exception: they fly free of charge in the cabin. Emotional support dogs are not allowed in the cabin and must travel as pets.

Put simply, the British Airways pet policy is the set of rules the airline uses to decide how animals travel on flights it operates. In 2026 those rules come down to this: pets go in the hold, approved assistance dogs go in the cabin, and every animal must also meet the entry rules of the country it is flying to. This guide was last updated in October 2026 by the Animal Passport editorial team. It draws on British Airways, IAG Cargo, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the City of London's Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

What is the British Airways pet policy in 2026?

As of October 2026, British Airways' official "Travelling with pets" page says: "Your pet will travel in the hold of our aircraft. We don't carry pets in the cabin on any route." The airline does not handle pet bookings itself. Specialist partners manage them, and which partner you use depends on where the journey starts.

• No pets in the cabin. This applies on every British Airways route, short-haul and long-haul.
• No pets as checked baggage. Pets fly as cargo, which IAG Cargo handles under the IATA special handling code AVI (live animals).
• Assistance dogs fly free in the cabin. British Airways must approve the dog before the flight.
• Emotional support dogs travel as pets. British Airways says it is "unable to accept emotional support dogs for travel in the cabin on any British Airways operated flights."
• Entry rules are separate. The airline's approval does not cover the destination country's import rules.

Can you take a pet in the cabin on British Airways?

No. British Airways does not let pet dogs, cats, rabbits, birds or any other companion animal travel in the cabin, whatever its size or the route.

Flights into Great Britain are also governed by UK law. GOV.UK states in its 2026 guidance on travel routes for pets that pets "have to travel as cargo on a plane" when entering Great Britain unless you are on a chartered private plane or travelling with a guide or assistance dog. So even if British Airways changed its own rules, a pet flying into London on a scheduled flight would still have to travel as cargo.

How pets travel in the hold: PetAir UK or IAG Cargo

British Airways sends pet bookings to one of two partners, depending on where the pet is flying from. The table below compares the two routes using information published by British Airways and IAG Cargo.

According to British Airways, PetAir UK is "run and owned by fully-qualified veterinary surgeons" and has been flying pets since 2004. IAG Cargo announced the PetAir UK partnership on 5 February 2019. At the same time it opened a meet-and-greet pet area at London Heathrow and said it had shipped more than 12,000 pets the previous year.

IAG Cargo's Live Animals page also says that, except for pet bookings from North America and the Caribbean, live animal bookings must go through a freight forwarder with animal experience. To find one, it suggests the International Pet and Animal Transport Association (IPATA) or the Animal Transport Association (ATA).

What happens in the hold

IAG Cargo says pets fly in the hold "in a temperature-controlled environment" and that the hold is unlit, because "pets quickly settle down and travel better in the dark." IAG Cargo is the cargo division for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL. It says it has carried pets since the 1950s and handles every consignment under the IATA Live Animals Regulations.

How to book a pet on a British Airways flight: step by step

1. Check the destination's entry rules first. British Airways' approval does not cover import rules. Find out what microchip, vaccination, blood test and permit rules the destination has.
2. Choose the right partner. Use PetAir UK if the pet is leaving the UK. If it is coming from anywhere else, fill in the IAG Cargo pets form, or the Ireland form if it is leaving Ireland.
3. Ask about breed restrictions. IAG Cargo says some dangerous dog breeds and snub-nosed (brachycephalic) cats and dogs may not be accepted.
4. Get an IATA-compliant crate. Measure your pet against IAG Cargo's crate rules (see below). Snub-nosed breeds need a crate 10% larger than the minimum size.
5. Book within the booking window. IAG Cargo lists a booking window of up to 14 days before scheduled departure, or up to 6 weeks for bookings from the USA and Canada.
6. Finish the veterinary paperwork. Depending on the route, this means a microchip, rabies vaccination, a health certificate and, for dogs entering Great Britain, a tapeworm treatment.
7. Check in 4 hours before departure. IAG Cargo requires live animals to be checked in 4 hours before departure, though this depends on what the local station can handle.
8. Plan the collection. IAG Cargo says collection times at arrival depend on local paperwork and health checks.

Flying a pet into the UK on British Airways

Most British Airways pet questions are really about getting into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). These rules come from Defra and APHA, not from the airline. As of October 2026, GOV.UK lists these steps for pet dogs, cats and ferrets:

1. Check that your route is approved for pet travel.
2. Microchip your pet. This must happen before the rabies vaccination.
3. Vaccinate your pet against rabies, then wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before travelling.
4. Get a pet travel document from your vet. Which document you need depends on the country you are travelling from.
5. For dogs, get a tapeworm treatment from a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before you arrive in Great Britain.
6. Fill in a declaration confirming you will not sell or transfer ownership of the pet.

GOV.UK warns that a pet that does not meet these rules "may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months," and the owner pays any fees.

Is British Airways an approved pet carrier into the UK?

Yes, on specific routes. APHA's list "Pet travel: airlines and airports you can use" (2026) shows British Airways as approved to carry pets in the hold to London Heathrow (AAC) and London Gatwick (AAC). APHA updates the list when carriers report changes. The main collection page says it was last updated on 28 August 2026, while the air routes page itself shows 5 June 2026. Check the live list, and confirm with your agent, before you book.

The 5-day rule matters for hold travel

A pet booked as cargo may not fly on the same flight or day as its owner, so this rule is easy to trip over. GOV.UK says stricter "Balai" rules apply if your pet arrives more than 5 days before or after you. They also apply if you plan to sell or rehome the pet, or if you bring more than 5 pets for a reason other than a competition, show or sporting event. Plan the pet's flight within 5 days of your own.

Leaving Great Britain for the EU

For travel from Great Britain to an EU country, GOV.UK says you need an animal health certificate (AHC) from your vet. It is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU and for 6 months for onward travel within the EU and for coming back to Great Britain. GOV.UK also says residents of England, Scotland or Wales "cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU - even if it was issued in the EU." Residents of Northern Ireland can still use an EU pet passport.

British Airways pet crate requirements

IAG Cargo points owners to the IATA Live Animals Regulations, which IATA calls "the worldwide standard for transporting live animals by commercial airlines." IATA says the latest edition of the LAR took effect on 1 January 2026. IAG Cargo's crate rules say:

• Cats flying from the USA and Canada need at least a series 200 kennel (L68 cm x W50 cm x H48 cm). Series 100 kennels are accepted from other countries.
• Snub-nosed dogs and cats need a container 10% larger than the minimum.
• The pet must be able to stand and sit upright without touching the top, and turn around comfortably. The listed sizes are internal minimums, so allow extra room for bedding.
• The crate needs ventilation on all four sides, and the pet's nose and paws must not fit through any opening.
• The door must not be able to open by accident or be opened by the pet.
• A secured water pot must be reachable from outside the crate.
• Fibreboard, wire-mesh and wicker containers are not accepted.

IAG Cargo also suggests giving your pet only a light meal before the journey and a chance to relieve itself before it goes into the crate. It recommends asking your vet to check that the microchip still scans, because microchips sometimes move around in the body.

Assistance dogs and emotional support dogs on British Airways

British Airways says it can carry an assistance dog "free of charge in the cabin on the majority of our flights." Its assistance dog guidance says the dog must have been trained by an accredited member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), or accredited by the Assistance Dog Assessment Association, or trained to an equivalent standard with evidence. The dog must also behave appropriately in public and on board. British Airways recommends registering the dog for approval before you book.

An emotional support dog does not qualify. British Airways says that if a dog does not meet its assistance dog guidelines, or is an emotional support dog, "it will need to travel as a domestic pet and cannot be in the cabin."

Arriving at Heathrow with an assistance dog

The City of London's Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC) says on its service dogs page (updated 30 March 2026) that you need a HARC pre-approval letter to arrive at or transit through Heathrow with a service dog. The process works like this:

• Email HARC at least seven days before departure with your itinerary, proof of airline acceptance (for British Airways, a PDF acceptance letter), proof of service dog status and the dog's health paperwork.
• HARC aims to reply within 72 hours.
• Service dogs that are not trained to recognised standards pay a £462 checking fee, and HARC can only pre-approve them if they arrive direct from the USA.
• A HARC representative meets you on the jet bridge, and the final checks take about five minutes.

How much does it cost to fly a pet with British Airways?

British Airways does not publish a fixed pet fare, and neither does IAG Cargo. Prices come as quotes. PetAir UK offers several commercial flight packages, and its mid-tier option includes collection, airport transport, veterinary arrangements and paperwork support. For flights from outside the UK, IAG Cargo passes your details to a partner agent, who sends a quote. The price usually depends on crate size, route, the agent's services and the veterinary paperwork, so get written quotes from more than one agent.

Where the sources differ

• Route-list dates: APHA's collection page says it was last updated on 28 August 2026, while the air routes page shows 5 June 2026. Treat the live GOV.UK page as the authority on the day you book.
• Booking channel: British Airways says IAG Cargo "can help" with pets coming to the UK. IAG Cargo's Live Animals page says most live animal bookings must go through a freight forwarder, except pet bookings from North America and the Caribbean. In practice, expect to deal with an agent.

Pet travel documents vs Animal Passport: not the same thing

People often mix up airline and government pet documents with digital animal ID products, so here is the difference. The documents in this guide, such as the animal health certificate, the EU pet passport and the GB Health Certificate, are official veterinary travel documents. A vet issues them under government schemes, and the relevant authorities set their rules, including Defra and APHA in Great Britain, EU member states, and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) for US exports.

Animal Passport is something else. It is a digital animal and livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics: an animal's nose print is as unique as a fingerprint. A phone captures the print, and the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photo, with a confidence score), body condition score (1 to 5, from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history. During livestock flood rescues in Pakistan in August 2025, it helped farmers reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace a microchip, an animal health certificate or an airline booking, and British Airways and APHA do not accept it as such. You can find more guides on animal identity and travel on the Animal Passport blog.

Quick checklist before you book

• Accept that your pet will fly in the hold. Only approved assistance dogs fly in the cabin.
• Leaving the UK: contact PetAir UK. Arriving in the UK or flying elsewhere: use IAG Cargo's pets form or an IPATA agent.
• Check that British Airways is listed by APHA for your arrival airport (Heathrow or Gatwick).
• Microchip first, then the rabies vaccine, then wait at least 21 days.
• For dogs entering Great Britain, schedule the tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival.
• Make sure your pet lands within 5 days of you to avoid Balai rules.
• Buy an IATA-compliant hard-sided crate, 10% larger for snub-nosed breeds.
• Check in 4 hours before departure.