Red Tape Travel covers the wider journey on its US to Great Britain dog route page. This comparison covers airline cargo availability and heat restrictions for ordinary pet dogs, excluding assistance-dog arrangements and the health-document procedure.
Compare the airline options
American Airlines Cargo names London Heathrow for dog shipments, while APHA's approved-airline list names Heathrow and Gatwick for British Airways.[2][16] An approved-airline listing establishes approval, rather than a bookable pet service: Delta's own cargo embargo still excludes Heathrow.[10][16]
The table applies to ordinary pet dogs flying from the US to London. The hold column means checked baggage; manifest cargo is a separate booking, even when the animal travels in the aircraft hold.[4][5]
| Airline | Cabin | Hold (checked baggage) | Manifest cargo | Fee from (cargo) | Snub-nosed dogs in cargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | No pets on trans-Atlantic trips.[1] |
No checked pets to Great Britain.[1] |
Dogs accepted into Heathrow, subject to cargo restrictions.[2] |
Varies; confirmed at booking.[1] |
Listed breeds and mixes refused.[2] |
| British Airways / IAG Cargo | No ordinary pets.[4] |
Pets must be booked as cargo.[5] |
Quoted by container size, animal weight and distance.[5] |
Ask IAG about breed acceptance.[15] |
|
| Delta Air Lines / Delta Cargo | No ordinary pets to Great Britain.[11] |
No checked pets to Great Britain.[11] |
Household-pet embargo; Heathrow also excluded from the military/Foreign Service exception.[10] |
Not applicable to an unavailable household-pet booking.[10] |
|
| United Airlines | No pets to Great Britain.[12] |
PetSafe checked-pet service discontinued.[12] |
PetSafe suspended.[13] |
Not applicable to suspended PetSafe.[13] |
PetSafe suspended for dogs.[13] |
| Virgin Atlantic | Pet service unavailable.[14] |
Pet service unavailable.[14] |
Cargo pet product unavailable.[18] |
Not applicable to the unavailable pet product.[18] |
Cargo pet product unavailable.[18] |
British Airways states that a pet must be booked as cargo and travel in the hold. Its cargo quote depends on the container size, the dog's weight and the distance.[5] Red Tape Travel's British Airways page covers that airline's wider pet policy.
American Cargo heat limits and warm-city embargoes
American Airlines Cargo applies its temperature policy at the origin, connection and destination, using actual or forecast temperatures for flight departures and arrivals.[2] It refuses warm-blooded animals, including dogs, when ground temperatures are higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit.[2]
American Airlines Cargo does not accept animals on flights originating, connecting or terminating in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs from May 1 through September 30.[3][1] That published city embargo is separate from the temperature test for an individual itinerary.[2][3]
American also requires a customs clearance broker for dogs arriving at Heathrow.[2] Red Tape Travel's American Airlines page includes the airline's other pet restrictions.
IAG Cargo summer restrictions depend on the US station
British Airways pet cargo through IAG is subject to the departure station's live-animal restrictions.[6]
| IAG Cargo departure station | Published live-animal export restriction |
|---|---|
| British Airways / IAG Cargo: Houston (IAH) | June to September live-animal export heat embargo.[7] |
| British Airways / IAG Cargo: Phoenix (PHX) | Live-animal export embargo from March 15 to October 31.[8] |
| British Airways / IAG Cargo: Austin (AUS) | Summer live-animal export embargo; exact dates not published on the station page.[9] |
Calendar years are not stated on the station pages. Austin gives no start or end date, so its summer restriction cannot be turned into a dated window.[7][8][9] IAG directs customers to its reservations team to establish whether the intended origin and destination can handle the shipment.[6]
IAG describes a temperature-controlled aircraft hold for pets.[15] Its US station export embargoes remain separate acceptance restrictions.[7][8][9]
Delta, United and Virgin service restrictions
Delta Cargo's household-pet embargo has a limited exception for active US military and Foreign Service Officers traveling on permanent change of station orders. Its station embargo nevertheless excludes pet shipments to or from Heathrow, including those travelers.[10] Delta's published heat limit does not create a household-pet cargo booking: its shipping page restricts eligibility and prohibits shipment when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit while the animal is on the ground at any point during travel.[17]
United Airlines' official cargo rules state that PetSafe transport for cats and dogs was suspended effective February 2020.[13] Its passenger page limits pet cargo to certain active-duty military or State Department employees; that exception does not establish a public US-to-London cargo service.[12]
Virgin Atlantic's passenger help page says its flying-with-pets service is unavailable, and its cargo page says the pet product is unavailable.[14][18] Neither page gives a date for reopening pet bookings.[14][18]
Confirm before booking. Rules and airline policies change. Check the official pages linked under Sources, and your airline, before you pay for anything.
Sources
- aa.com: trans-Atlantic cabin and checked-pet restrictions, cargo fees and warm-city embargoes.
- aacargo.com: Heathrow acceptance, customs broker, temperature policy and restricted dog breeds.
- aacargo.com: warm-city embargo locations and dates.
- britishairways.com: cabin policy and inbound transport through IAG Cargo.
- britishairways.com: cargo booking and quote basis.
- iagcargo.com: station and aircraft availability.
- iagcargo.com: Houston export heat embargo.
- iagcargo.com: Phoenix export embargo.
- iagcargo.com: Austin summer export restriction.
- deltacargo.com: household-pet embargo, military and Foreign Service exception, and Heathrow station embargo.
- delta.com: Great Britain cabin and checked-baggage restrictions.
- united.com: destination restrictions, discontinued checked-pet service and limited cargo eligibility.
- media.united.com: PetSafe suspension and its effective date.
- virginatlantic.com: passenger pet-service unavailability.
- iagcargo.com: cargo hold environment and breed restrictions.
- gov.uk: approved airlines and London arrival airports.
- delta.com: shipment eligibility, breed restrictions and ground-temperature limit.
- virginatlanticcargo.com: cargo pet-product unavailability.