Flying with rabbits in the cabin - updated with current info

Has anyone done this recently and if so please could I ask a few questions. Mainly what airlines anyone has actually managed to take a pet rabbit on board with! I'm struggling to get a positive or straight answer out of any of them! Some of them are fine with cats or dogs in the cabin and are saying no specifically to rabbits :?

So a bit :shock: that it seens to be so difficult to relocate to another country with an innocent little bunny :lol: We have already been told our rabbits wouldn't be granted entry into the first country we tried to move to, so we choose another country that they do meet importation requirements for, yet it seems impossible to transport them there in an acceptable way :roll:

maybe ask the rwaf if they could make a post asking members if anyone has done this and any advice, if your on facebook page

Oh that's a really good idea, thanks hun!

A colleague who has a 2nd home in Barbados, told me about one of his neighbours who moved out their permanently, she had to buy a first class seat for her bunny, as it was the only way the airline would allow it to travel...

Just wanted to bump up incase anyone can help

Maybe send a PM to MinzMum. She is making plans for this at the moment.

Thank you! X

Hiya sr! I actually stumbled onto this thread today. I have to admit I'm not very far along in this venture. I have to move my 3 from Alaska to Oregon (not too far geographically and same country) and so far I've found one connecting flight will not take more than 2 pets in cabin so we're going to have to drive some of the distance. But as far as I know, the main airline I'm using will take bunnies in cabin but it must be one pet per person, they must be in a regulation airline carrier that stows under the seat, they must not make noise or objectionable odors (no night droppings please guys!) or they'll be forced to go cargo and they have to be health checked within ten days of departure. My airline also recommends booking a month in advance and unless my OH changes plans to fly with us I may have to buy one extra seat for a bun. Their carriers also count as carry on luggage so I won't even be able to take my purse! Luckily we only have the three bunnies because there's a five pet limit per flight for cabin travel and Jenna has to be with me since she's my ESA.

I know you've been worrying about this for a long time. I wish I had better info for you. I hope some of what I've posted helps.

Hey, thanks hun :wave:

Do you mind me asking what airline you have found which will take rabbits in the cabin?

I can't find an airline that will let me take my bunny in with me. I can get her to the UK easily, but UK to USA just does not seem to be happening

Looked at getting a boat but that's like 6 days or something which is just not possible

I hope you manage to get your plans sorted

I'm flying Alaska Air which is only limited north and west U.S. I'm afraid. A shame but they are an exceptional carrier and probably because they don't try to serve internationally.

Will American not allow bunnies in cabin? I thought they did and they serve the UK too, don't they?

Maybe it's the length of the trip overall? It's still a 12-14 hour flight isn't it? That is a long time for any pet either in cabin or cargo.

I was always hoping to visit overseas but they'd have to bring back the Concorde!

Thanks hun

American only take rabbits in the cabin on domestic flights, I've found a few airlines that will take rabbits in the cabin inside the U.S. but none will from the UK, every airline has told me she would have to go in the pet area. Some of them do allow cats and dogs in the cabin but won't take rabbits :roll:

I would be flying to New York so like 8 hours

It's clearly not going to happen, after the last time I don't know why I bothered trying I knew something would go wrong

sillyrabbit said:

Thanks hun

American only take rabbits in the cabin on domestic flights, I've found a few airlines that will take rabbits in the cabin inside the U.S. but none will from the UK, every airline has told me she would have to go in the pet area. Some of them do allow cats and dogs in the cabin but won't take rabbits :roll:

I would be flying to New York so like 8 hours

It's clearly not going to happen, after the last time I don't know why I bothered trying I knew something would go wrong

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That's a shame it might be the same from other European countries too but would it be worth trying flights from say France etc to the US in case they would allow them in the cabin, then you'd have to get bun to France either a short flight or ferry? Just trying to think what I would try if I was in your position.

I'm already working my way through a list of airlines that have routes from France, it's not looking promising either still waiting to hear back from a few

I looked at France first as that's closer for us than the UK, so would be a lot easier to get to for the first part of the journey anyways

Thanks though x

sillyrabbit said:

I'm already working my way through a list of airlines that have routes from France, it's not looking promising either still waiting to hear back from a few

I looked at France first as that's closer for us than the UK, so would be a lot easier to get to for the first part of the journey anyways

Thanks though x

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Really hope that it works out for you :thumb: x

Thank you! Xx

That's weird they're fine with cats and dogs but not rabbits!? Rabbits are surely better at not creating trouble on an airplane than cats/dogs. Unless they think a rabbit would chew out of a carrier and run havoc or something.

I hope you find a suitable airline

I haven't even been able to get an explanation out of any of them why cats and dogs are ok :roll: from googling other people seem to have suggested that it's because they are not viewed as pets but livestock

I've literally wasted hours of my life now talking to airlines about this

I'm so close to just giving up :lol:

I have read some review somewhere about a rabbit escaping it's carrier, but can't recall where. I also found something about airlines that took pets overseas while looking for information for my own trip yesterday but can't recall if it was a specifically rabbit friendly one. I'll see if I can hunt it up in my history, as I didn't bookmark it.

The biggest worry I have about my bunnies in cabin? That either the pressurized air will cause them trouble with their ears, and the possibility that one of them might scream (God Forbid!) or the real fear that someone may drop a particularly nasty cecal (Mimzy's are almost completely liquid since his dental) and that will be a foul mess to clean up and we all know how the smell travels! :mrgreen: I think people would rather deal with a screaming baby with a full nappy!

Been on the phone with AKAir most of the evening making sure that all my pets can fly and that there is no chance they'll be removed form the flight halfway or anything. I am a little concerned about the size of the jumper aircraft between Seattle and Portland, but sadly they don't fly directly there from Fairbanks...so we get a prop job for the last hour and a half of the trip. :shock:

I've never flown one of those before and I have a hard enough time not white-knuckling it in a good 737.

Really hope you're able to find someone who will help you get your bunny where you want to go and the way you want, sr. xxxx

ETA: Okay, I found the site I was looking at, it was actually Trip Advisor and there was a complaint about United at the top of the page as someone had lost their cat while traveling, but it started a discussion of the best airlines to fly pets with and so I'll post the link to see if there is a carrier listed that you haven't checked with yet. Sadly though it does look like rabbits are not allowed to fly cabin from the UK at all.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i26969-k5959146-o10-Best_airline_to_travel_with_pets-Traveling_with_Pets.html

I don't know if you have seen these lists:

http://petfriendlytravel.com/airtravel
http://www.dogjaunt.com/guides/international-airline-pet-policies-for-in-cabin-travel/
http://www.iberia.com/gb/fly-with-iberia/pets/?language=en

Iberia seems to be the most pet-friendly airline.

Thanks for taking the time to find the link, I have seen that

And thank you for those links, again I've seen them all. I've spoken with Iberia already, they will not transport pets in or out of the UK, and they don't have any direct flights from France to the USA that I can see