Pets on Finnair flights | Finnair United States
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Pets on Finnair flights

Are you travelling with your pet? To make your travel smoother, we compiled all the needed info for you to prepare for your journey with a pet.

Can I travel to my destination with a pet?

Different countries have different regulations regarding travelling with pets. Some countries may have entry limitations for certain animals or breeds. We recommend that you find out the specific regulations and required documents for your destination from the nearest consulate or embassy.

When travelling to or via certain countries, you can only ship pets as cargo, meaning that your pet is not travelling with you. Such countries are, for example, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Australia.

As of November 2023, we only accept dogs, cats and ferrets to be transported on our flights from countries outside of the European Union. All other animals, including pet rabbits, tortoises and hedgehogs, can only be shipped as cargo from outside of the EU.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure your pet has all the needed documents and meets the destination country's entry requirements. The airline is not responsible for checking this.

Travel options for pets

Pets in cabin

Small pets, including cats, small dogs, pet rabbits, tortoises and hedgehogs*, can travel with you in the cabin on our flights if the total weight of the pet and the pet carrier is:

  • Max. 8kg (17lb).
  • The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you.

Assistance and service dogs can travel in the cabin on all our flights free of charge regardless of their size. Learn more about travelling with assistance dogs.

Learn more about pets in cabin

*Rabbits, tortoises and hedgehogs allowed in cabin only from EU countries.

Pets in aircraft hold

Bigger dogs and ferrets can travel in the hold on the same flight with you, if the total weight of the pet and its container is: 

  • Max. 75kg (165lb) on Finnair-operated flights 
  • Max. 50kg (110lb) on Norra-operated flights.

Learn more about pets in hold

Pets as cargo

Your pet will need to be shipped as separately cargo if the total weight of the pet and its container is: 

  • over 75kg (165lb) on Finnair-operated flights 
  • over 50kg (110lb) on Norra-operated flights. 

Cargo shipping is the only option also when: 

  • Travelling from outside of EU (except dogs, cats and ferrets)
  • Travelling to/via certain countries 
  • Transporting rodents and more exotic pets, such as snakes, lizards, birds or insects 
  • transporting unaccompanied animals and animals brought by a third person from outside the EU.  

To book the transportation, please contact a forwarding company.  

Learn more about shipping pets as cargo. 

Pets travelling in the cabin

Booking flights for pet in cabin

  • We recommend booking your journey well in advance. 
  • You can purchase transportation for your small pet online at the same time when booking your flights. If there is availability on your flight, you will see the Pet in cabin option in the Travel extras step.  
  • If you have already made a booking and decide to take your pet with you, you can add your pet to your booking and pay the fee online via Manage booking. 
  • If you are flying in Business Class on short-haul flights within Europe, please contact our customer service to add transportation for your pet. 
  • Please note that pets cannot travel in Business Class on our long-haul flights, since there is not enough room under the long-haul Business Class seats. 
  • The maximum number of pet carriers per customer is one. Usually, we can accept two customers with pets in cabin per flight. However, the aircraft type, weather in the destination or allergic passengers on the flight may limit the number of pets. 
  • Different airlines have different policies for travelling with pets. If your ticket includes flights operated by other airlines, please check also their policies as each operating airline will need to confirm the pet booking on their flight sector. 
Book flightsAdd a pet to your booking
  • Please choose an IATA-approved pet carrier or box with a solid bottom and appropriate ventilation. A soft pet carrier should be waterproof and have a breathable mesh at the front. Other types of soft bags may not be used for transporting pets. 
  • The pet must be able to stand straight and lie down comfortably also when the bag is closed. If we notice during check-in that the pet carrier is too small, we cannot accept your pet on the flight. 
  • A soft pet carrier is the most convenient choice for cats, dogs and rabbits, as it is flexible enough to fit under the seat in front of you.  
  • In one pet carrier or box, you can carry a maximum of two pets, as long as the total weight does not exceed 8kg (17lb). 


Maximum pet carrier sizes (length x width x height)

Flights operated by Finnair

Flights operated by Norra

Soft pet carriers

55x40x23cm (22x16x9in)

55x40x20cm (21x15x8in)

Hard pet carriers

35x30x20cm (14x12x8in)

35x30x20cm (14x12x8in)

  • Your pet needs to travel in its own pet carrier or box that is placed under the seat in front of you. The pet needs to stay in the carrier or box throughout the journey from the departure gate to the arrival terminal at your destination. 
  • When travelling with your pet, you will board the flight normally with the group mentioned in your boarding pass. 
  • Flying can be an exciting experience for pets. It is good to offer them food and water well in advance before the flight. However, feeding the pet just before the flight is not recommended, since flying can cause nausea for animals. You can also bring a diaper for your pet just in case. Most pets fall asleep on the aircraft. A familiar blanket often calms a restless pet. 
  • Customers with pets are usually seated in the rear of the aircraft. 
  • When travelling with your pet, you can use the online check-in, self-service check-in at the airport or check-in desk at the airport. 
  • If you check in online or use the self-service check-in, you will still need to go to the check-in desk at the airport to pick up your boarding pass. 
  • When you arrive at the check-in desk, we will weigh your pet and check that the pet carrier or box fulfils the IATA (International Air Transport Association) requirements and is big enough for your pet. We will also go through all the necessary documents with you, including, for example, the pet passport, export/import/transfer permits and health and vaccination certificates. 
  • After completing the check-in and getting your boarding pass, you can take the pet through the security control. 

Pets travelling in the hold of the aircraft

Booking flights for pet in hold

  • We recommend booking your journey well in advance. 
  • Please make your flight booking online at least 7 days before the flight and then inform us about your pet without any delay (within 24h) via our chat service. Please, have at hand the dimensions of the pet carrier, as well as the total weight of the pet and the carrier. You will also get a payment link via the chat. 
  • We do our best to confirm your pet booking within 2 days of making the reservation. For a pet travelling in the hold on flights to or from the USA, we aim to confirm the booking at the latest 2 weeks before your departure. If we cannot accept your pet for the flights requested, you can get a refund of your ticket.   
  • The minimum transfer time between flights when travelling with a pet in the hold is 3 hours. Please keep this in mind when making your booking. 
  • We can usually accept two pets in the hold on Finnair-operated flights, and one pet in the hold for Norra-operated flights. However, the aircraft type, weather in the destination or allergic passengers on the flight may limit the number of pets. 
  • It is not possible to travel with a pet in hold if your ticket includes flights operated by other airlines than Finnair or Norra. 
  • Please note that pets travelling in the aircraft hold don’t transfer automatically to connecting flights at Helsinki Airport. When you have a connecting flight from Helsinki onwards, make sure you and your pet have all the required documents to enter Finland. You must collect your pet in the airport arrivals hall and check it in for your connecting flight in the airport departure hall.

 

Book flights
  • Please choose a transportation container that is meant for animal transportation. Please check IATA's (International Air Transport Association) regulations for transportation containers.  
  • The transportation container needs to be large enough to allow your pet to stand up, lie down and turn around comfortably. Note that if we notice during check-in that the pet carrier is too small, we cannot accept your pet on the flight. 
  • A pet weighing over 40kg (88lb) must be transported in a strong transportation box. Finnair does not sell or rent transportation containers. 
  • In one container, you can transport two adult pets of comparable size or a maximum of three puppies that are not older than six months and are from the same litter. When transporting several pets in one container, the maximum weight for each pet is 14kg (30lb). Please note that some countries might have restrictions for transporting more than one pet in one transportation container. 

Maximum pet container sizes (length x width x height)

The allowed maximum size of the transportation container depends on the aircraft type you are travelling on. You can check the aircraft type of your flight when making the reservation on our website or later through Manage booking or Finnair app.

Aircraft type

A330/350

A319/320/321

E90 (Norra)

ATR (Norra)

Max. dimensions

122x81x89cm

122x81x89cm

101x68x76cm

81x57x53cm

Please note that the aircraft type on our European flights might change after you have made your reservation. Our customer service is happy to help you if you have any further questions or concerns regarding this.

  • The section in the hold in which pets are carried has air-conditioning and is heated (being always above +10° Celsius). Due to fire safety requirements, there are no lights in the hold. 
  • Please note that the hold cannot be accessed during the flight. 
  • Flying and travelling in the hold can be an exciting experience for pets. It is recommended to familiarise the pet with the container already in advance. Most animals relax and sleep in the dark. A familiar blanket may help your pet to calm down in the transportation container. 
  • Please reserve some water for your dog in the carrier, especially on longer flights. It’s a good idea to teach the dog to use, for example, a sipper water bottle, as traditional water cups may leak during transportation. 
  • Flying can cause nausea for some pets, so it is recommended to avoid feeding the pet just before the flight. IATA discourages the use of sedatives and tranquillisers for animals during transport. 
  • After the flight, you will meet your pet in the arrival hall at the airport. Please show our agent the baggage receipt given to you at check-in. If you need any assistance, our ground crew at the airport arrival services will be happy to help you. 
  • When travelling with your pet, you can use the online check-in, self-service check-in at the airport or check-in desk at the airport. 
  • If you check in online or use the self-service check-in, you will still need to go to the check-in desk at the airport to pick up your boarding pass. 
  • When you arrive at the check-in desk, we will weigh your pet and check that the pet carrier or box fulfils the IATA (International Air Transport Association) requirements and is big enough for your pet. We will also go through all the necessary documents with you, including, for example, the pet passport, export/import/transfer permits and health and vaccination certificates. 
  • After completing the check-in and getting your boarding pass, our staff will take care of your pet and take it through the security control. 
  • To avoid keeping your pet in the hold of the aircraft any longer than necessary, we will take your pet there once all departure preparations have been done and the aircraft is ready to take off. 

Documents, vaccination and quarantines

Regulations regarding transporting pets and the required documents, vaccinations and quarantine times vary by country. We recommend that you consult the authorities of the country of departure and destination already before booking your flights.

A pet passport is mandatory for all cats, dogs and ferrets travelling between EU countries. You can purchase a pet passport from your vet. Further information about transporting pets to/from Finland is available on the Finnish Food Authority’s website.

If you are travelling with a puppy, it needs to be at least eight weeks old, weaned from its mother and able to eat on its own.

Shipping pets as cargo

You can ship your pet as cargo with Finnair Cargo. To book the transportation, please contact a forwarding company.

If your pet is shipped as cargo, you will need to take the pet to a cargo terminal and pick it up from the cargo terminal at the destination. The collected fee depends on the size and weight of your pet and its container, among other things.

For more information about shipping pets as cargo, visit the Finnair Cargo website.

Pet transportation fees

You will need to pay a fee for transporting pets, with the exception of guide dogs and duty dogs. The fee needs to be paid in advance while booking your flights or later via Manage booking. You can get the payment link for pets travelling in the hold via our chat service.

Below you can find pet transportation fees for Finnair flights (those operated by Finnair and bearing a Finnair flight number). 

Fees per flight

Flights within Europe

Intercontinental flights*

Pet in the cabin

€60

€120/$130

Pet in the hold, maximum combined weight with the container 75 kg (Finnair) or 50kg (Norra) 

€120

€600/$650

Pet as cargo

For details regarding pricing, see the Finnair Cargo website. Check the forwarding company for pricing.

*Including destinations in the Middle East

When departing from India, local taxes will be added to the fee.

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