Pet friendly airlines we used when living in Europe!

We have been flying our boys to different parts of the world for 13+ years, so it goes without saying we have used a few airlines over the years.

I guess I can only comment on airlines that allow dogs in the passenger cabin. Airlines that only allow them in the cargo hold I don't believe can come recommended as my experience is not a personal one, purely transactional.

When we lived in Spain for 6.5 years we would fly our small springer spaniel 'soy boy', who was just under 10 kgs to different parts of Europe on different airlines. For my husband and I we looked for things like ease of making the booking, generous weight allowances, the option to buy a seat for your pet and so on.

So who in our opinion were the best options?

Vueling (Spain)

Vueling are a more budget airline. We would fly our boy in and out of Barcelona to the island of Mallorca on a number of occasions. It was super easy to book , staff are pretty friendly. We used Vueling to move our boy from Spain to France (Paris) and also Sweden back in the day. They of course fly to multiple European destinations. They used to allow up to 10 kg dogs in the cabin but that was reduced, sadly, to 8 kgs in June 2023. The booking process was all done online, no need to speak to their customer service department over the phone. Yay! I recall the fee was as small as approx. 50 euros on their domestic flights, slightly higher for international. I suggest reviewing the Vueling pet policy on their website:

https://www.vueling.com/en/vueling-services/prepare-your-trip/pets-on-board

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

KLM in our opinion are one of our favourite airlines for flying in general. Pets or no pets. They transport dogs in the cabin and cargo hold only. They encourage as much as possible that you make the booking for your dog at least 48 hours before your flights departure. You will need to travel on the same flight and your dog should be at least 15 weeks old.

Pets in the cabin

You can bring 1 cat or dog with you in the cabin when travelling in Economy Class, or when travelling in Business Class within Europe. Your dog should fit in a closed pet travel bag or kennel with a maximum of 46 x 28 x 24 cm because they’ll need to travel underneath the seat in front of you. Together with your dog, the travel bag or kennel can weigh no more than 8 kg. You’re not allowed to take your dog out of the kennel during the flight, so please make sure they’re small enough to move comfortably.

You cannot bring a dog in the cabin if you fly Premium Comfort Class or Business Class on an intercontinental route. In these travel classes, it’s not possible to put a kennel underneath the seat in front of you.

Pets in the hold

Is your dog too big to travel in the cabin? You can bring up to 3 dogs in the hold. They can share the same kennel if they weigh no more than 14 kg each, and they’re:

• 2 adult dogs of comparable size, or

• 3 dogs up to 6 months old from the same litter.

Make sure the combined weight of your dog and kennel is no more than 75 kg. The kennel itself can be maximum 122 x 81 x 89 cm on KLM flights, or maximum 102 x 69 x 76 cm on KLM Cityhopper flights (operated with Embraer aircraft).

Make a reservation for your pdogtravelling in the hold as soon as possible after booking your flight.

Lufthansa Airlines

Small dogs in the cabin

Only smaller dogs no more than 8 kgs including their carrying container may be transported under certain conditions as additional carry-on baggage in the passenger cabin. Larger dogs regardless of their weight and size, are not allowed in the cabin. You must register no later than 72 hours before departure. Otherwise, please contact the Service Centre up to 24 hours before departure.

Register larger dogs in the cargo hold

Dogs weighing more than 8 kgs including their carrying container may be transported under certain conditions as excess baggage in the aircraft’s air-conditioned cargo hold. You must register no later than 72 hours before departure. Otherwise, please contact the Service Centre up to 24 hours before departure.

We found Lufthansa to be easy to deal with. Their rates are competitive and reasonable and the booking process is pretty seamless.

Of course there are many other airlines in Europe that transport your dogs including Air France, Finnair & Turkish Airlines to name a few. The ones we have recommended here have over recent years been rated as the best 'pet friendly' airlines within Europe.