Johannesburg (ORT or Lanseria airport), Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and George.

Yes between Lanseria and Durban and Lanseria and Cape Town in both directions.

We can accept your pets for travel to Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, this however will depend on the airline flying to your destination.

There are many daily departures but the timetable varies from route to route. Please check with our Customer Service Call Centre on 011 230 4600

Yes

Please phone The PetLounge National Call Centre on 011 230 4600 or email us at info@petlounge.co.za. We recommend that you give us 48 hours notice, if you are able to, so we can make sure that your pet is expected and looked after throughout the journey. Once we are aware of the dates and times of travel, we will be able to advise you on your flight options.

Our customers range from families taking their pet on holiday or re-locating to breeders, associations, vets, animal charities, to owners of racing pigeons and professional pet movers.

The PetLounge facilities are ideal for all household pets. While we mostly transport dogs, cats and cage birds we gladly accommodate rabbits, tropical fish and a variety of other pets. Pet owners should also be aware of the significant risk air travel will have on Snub Nose dogs.

We love large dogs as much as you and we go out of our way to welcome them to The PetLounge.

Be aware, though, that your dog needs enough room to turn around inside the travel crate and stand upright without its head touching the roof. So please check dimensions with The PetLounge when making a booking.

The passenger aircraft used for our daytime services can accommodate crates only to a maximum height of 85 cm. If your animal requires a bigger crate, we will accommodate it on our overnight service.

We have kennels in Johannesburg where large dogs can remain until a flight is able to carry them, even overnight if necessary.

Please note when making your booking that large dogs travelling in crate size 10 and upwards can only be accommodated on Friday evenings.

The PetLounge can make arrangements to move exotic species provided we are advised of specialist handling and dietary requirements and the animals are accompanied by the regulatory documents mandatory for transportation of exotic species.

Eight weeks for domestic travel and 10 weeks on over border flights.

You should not feed your pet before flying. Travelling on an empty stomach will avoid nausea or soiling the crate. The PetLounge short hand-in and hand-out times means your pet won’t be out of your sight for long and will soon be back with you ready for food and water. Allow 45 to 60 minutes to be reunited once the flight lands.

There is a maximum of six cats or dogs per domestic flight.

Unrelated pets are allowed only one to a crate. Up to 2 pets are permitted per crate, providing they are siblings from the same litter and they must be puppies or kittens, not adult pets.

A maximum of two adult animals from the same family and of comparable size up to 14kg each may travel in the same container. Animals over that weight and from different families must travel individually.

The PetLounge does not supply crates however if you do not have an approved crate for your pet to travel in, we can put you in touch with the right people to supply one.

Your pet needs to be able to stand up straight and turn around inside the crate without its head touching the roof – about the space of 4 fingers.

When you make your reservation, our animal specialist will go through the procedures with you. We know saying goodbye at the airport is stressful. That's why we help by filling in all the necessary paperwork so you can spend more time saying goodbye to your little darlings before their flight.

Pets under 8 weeks may not travel. Under 3 months (12 weeks) require their own inoculation booklet with the de-worming and the 1st inoculation and they need to be accompanied by a copy of the mother’s rabies certificate not older than 1 year. On the regional sector they will require import, export permits, mother’s rabies certificate and puppy’s or kitten’s inoculation booklet and health certificate. When you phone to make a reservation one of our animal specialists will guide you through the necessary documentation.

• Animals above the age of 3 months must be inoculated against Rabies, this should be done annually.
• There is a waiting period of 7 days (if they are older than 1 year) or 14 days (for 1st time inoculations or if they are between 3 & 12 months) after their rabies inoculation, prior to the pet travelling.
• If your animal is younger than 3 months old, a clear, legible copy of the mothers VET BOOK must be provided
• Puppies and kittens over 3 months must have their own inoculation booklet with their first inoculations up to date.
• Puppies and kittens can only fly from the age of 8 weeks.

Regulations require that the inoculation may be carried out only by a registered veterinarian or authorised person and certified with an official practice stamp showing where and when the inoculation took place.

A PetLounge pet-handling specialist will accompany your pet to the aircraft to ensure your pet is comfortably and safely loaded onboard. At destination, a PetLounge pet-handling specialist will meet the aircraft and escort your pet to the PetLounge for collection.

There is a special position beneath the cockpit, in the forward hold, beneath the passenger deck.

Your pets travel in the same pressure to passengers in the cabin. The Captain is advised that pets are on-board and is sensitive to their comfort and safety.

This varies according to size and weight of the crate. For a domestic cat, the rate would start around R 350.00. Please contact your local PetLounge for a quotation. Please note that the fee is calculated on freight tonnage – the volume the crate occupies or the weight, whichever is the greater.