How to fly with your Frenchie?

Frenchies being our best companions, it’s natural that we’d like to take them with us wherever we go. Moreover, they wouldn’t do well in our weeks-long absence. Therefore, many owners decide to travel with their Frenchies. When you make the same decision, you must prepare for the travel, especially if you have to take a flight. In this article, we created a step-by-step guide on how to air travel with your Frenchie to have a pleasant flight.

Step #1. Get in touch with the airline!

Regulations on animal transportation vary from provider to provider. Therefore, it’s always essential to contact the airline you’d want to fly with and ask the following questions:

Can you travel with your French Bulldog in the cabin?

When you first contact the airline, you must mention your dog’s breed. As French bulldogs are brachycephalic (meaning flat-faced), they can suffer from breathing difficulties even in normal surroundings, but it can get even worse at high altitudes. Brachycephalic dogs are not allowed to travel in the cargo area at many airlines, so the best is if you take your pup on board with you! 

What kind of carrier is needed during the flight?

According to airline regulations, your pup must remain in his carrier all along the trip. Therefore, choosing the most appropriate carrier is essential. But before heading to Amazon, always ask the airline about their specific regulations! Most airlines have a size and weight restriction when the dog travels in the cabin.

Airlines usually require the carrier to be fit under the seat in front of you, therefore there is a size limit. Most likely it’s the same as the carry-on bag sizes, but the best is if you call the airline and ask for specific measurements. We recommend you purchase a soft-sided carrier like this, as it is collapsible and can be conformed to fit under the seat.

Airlines also require the carrier to be well-ventilated and leak-proof. The dog must be able to stand up and turn around in the carrier. In the case of a Frenchie, this is almost impossible, but let’s give it a try! The best is if you prepare him weeks ahead of the trip. In this article, you find some useful tips on how to crate train your pup!

The weight restriction can be a serious issue, as an adult Frenchie can weigh more than the allowed measure. If that’s the case with your babe too, we have some sad news for you: you cannot take him with you on a flight trip! In this case, you will need to either drive him or hire a dog transportation company.

What kind of health certificates are required?

All airlines require certain documentation that proves your dog is healthy and vaccinated. For most domestic flights, a certificate of good health and a list of current vaccination is necessary. If you travel internationally, a pet passport and probably some additional vaccines are also needed. Good news: if you own a TomKings Frenchie, you already have a pet passport!

Our advice on booking the tickets

Once you have all the necessary information, you can book your flight! The best is to book it as early as possible, as the number of pets allowed on a single flight is limited. You will need to purchase a pet ticket (costs $100-200) too. Try to book a seat at the front of the plane, so you can leave the plane as soon as you land. Our TomKings Family members also recommend you to book the middle seat as the air ventilation helps to circulate fresh air better underneath those seats. 

Step #2 It’s time to see the vet!

Book an appointment at your vet within 10 days of the trip to get a complete check and to rule out any health issues. Your vet will provide you with the Certificate of Good Health, which is needed on most domestic flights. All dogs that want to travel by plane must be microchipped – and again, all TomKings puppies are microchipped already.

Step #3 Let’s get ready to board!

To avoid any sickness, the best is if you avoid feeding your Frenchie a couple of hours before the flight. We absolutely do not recommend you to give any medication, especially not sedatives to your pup, as the airline might ask you to sign a statement that the dog hasn’t taken any medicine.

When arriving at the airport, your dog must be tagged with some kind of identification in case something happens and he gets lost. The best is if you put your name and phone number on the tag.

As Frenchies are quite big for most carriers, putting any extra towel or blanket could be dangerous for him as it makes him warm and can cause heavy breathing. But you can give him a toy or his favorite treat to make him calm.

Most large airports have a designated pet-relief area where you can take him to pee and poo. Use this place to exhaust him with some game, so he can rest during the flight. Take him to the pet-relief area right before onboarding, and right after getting off.

During the onboarding process, try to be among the lasts, as it can get really hot in the plane while it’s waiting to board on and off.

As you see, traveling on a plane with a Frenchie is not easy, but if you follow our advice, there is no need to worry. Many of our TomKings Family members have traveled with their Frenchies without any issues.

If you’d like to learn more about Frenchies, join our Facebook group called TomKings Frenchie Family to read our Frenchie parents’ experiences.

The article is based on the expert knowledge of the TomKings Puppies team who have been breeding French Bulldogs for 10 years on their farm. All the pictures in the post belong to them and their customers, and show puppies from their breed. Check their available French Bulldog puppies, or if you have any questions or comments let us know below the article.