Pet travel: How to fly with your dog in the plane cabin
Flying with pets both within and out of Australia usually means opting to put them into the hold, a worrying and expensive experience for any cat or dog owner.
But rules are easing, and now at least one airline allows pets to fly in the cabin internationally out of Australia.
Aussie expat Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby from Sydney to Seoul.
READ MORE: Unmissable places to visit in South America
Aussie expat, Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby, all the way from Sydney to Seoul. Supplied
The 10 hour 40 minute flight was with Korean Air.
She said flying with the English cocker spaniel "went pretty well" and was much better than putting him in the hold.
"The thought of leaving him in that carrier for over 13 hours was unthinkable," she said.
Sharon found it was the only airline offering the service.
Currently only assistance dogs are allowed on planes in Australia.
Digby the puppy before getting on the plane from Sydney. Supplied
Because her and husband David eventually plan to return to Australia, there's less quarantine if a dog was born in the country, which is why they opted to travel all the way home from South Korea to get him.
When it came to booking the flight, you can select "doggy" seats online, she said.
The special education teacher flew Business class - but there were also economy options.
"We called Korean Air, they advised us to book our preferred seats but to choose the ones with the dog icon - there is only one in business class," she tell 9Travel.
Aussie expat, Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby, all the way from Sydney to Seoul. Supplied
"Once we booked our tickets online, we needed to call the airline to get approval for the dog to travel.
"We then had to wait a few days for the approval notice before we could pay for Digby's spot."
While puppies might be demanding, Lenson-Lee said her research had found it was easier to fly with them.
"As Digby would be a puppy and under 12 weeks, the requirements are way less than needed for a dog over 12 weeks of age," she said.
There was a lot of paperwork, she said, which she started three weeks before the flight.
READ MORE: Three simple ways to beat common travel problem: 'Calm your mind'
Aussie expat, Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby, all the way from Sydney to Seoul. Supplied
Once they got to Sydney Airport, there were more checks.
"At the check-in counter we provided the export paperwork and a supervisor came to check all was in order, plus they measured the carrier," she said.
"At customs they took the carrier with Digby inside from us and the paperwork, we went through and they handed the carrier back to us once through."
After that, with a final chance for Digby to use pee pads - though there are also now pet relief areas in Aussie airports - they were on board.
Aussie expat, Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby, all the way from Sydney to Seoul. Supplied
Digby had to stay in his carrier under the seat, and Lenson-Lee said he behaved well.
"The only time Digby made noise was after the landing notice had been given, so about 25 minutes before actually landing, he clearly needed to go to the toilet and was telling us," Sharon said.
"He whimpered a little, then got louder and howled and barked for about five to 10 minutes.
"He stopped as he had done a small pee in his carrier.
"People around us were only then aware we had a puppy with us."
Sharon then had to take the pup through customs for final checks, before they were free to leave.
Aussie expat, Sharon Lenson-Lee, 55, recently took her puppy Digby, all the way from Sydney to Seoul. Supplied
READ MORE: The 5 things we spend too much money on when planning holidays
Digby is now enjoying his new life in a mountain town called Dunnae-myeon.
The cost for the puppy's flight was just over $1000, plus the normal price for Lenson-Lee's ticket.
Korean Air allows dogs, cats and pet birds up to 7kg in the cabin, it says.
Flying animals into Australia, however, is only allowed in the hold, and there's strict quarantine.
Digby the puppy in his new home in South Korea after flying from Australia. Supplied
Digby didn't need to go into quarantine in South Korea, but every country is different.
Aviation authority CASA told 9Travel carrying animals in the cabin is up to airlines, after a change to the rules in 2021.
"The regulation places the responsibility on the operator and pilot in command of the aircraft for ensuring the safety of the flight when an animal is carried on an aircraft," a spokesman told 9Travel.
However, most still force pets to travel in the hold.
While Virgin Australia has announced it plans to allow cats and dogs to fly in cabins within the country, it has not revealed when this will start.
