When to book, and exactly what to ask the airline

Last verified: 2026-08-25

The timing mismatch

The two halves of your move run on incompatible clocks.

So you cannot lock the flight early and build the preparation around it. What you can — and must — do early is establish whether a carrier will take your animal at all, because that answer eliminates routes, and eliminated routes change your dates.

Ask early, book late.

The question list

Take this to the cargo operation of the airline that will operate the flight, not the passenger line of the airline whose code is on your ticket. Get the answers in writing.

Acceptance

1. Do you carry live animals as manifest cargo on this route, on these dates?
2. Do you restrict any breeds, and how do you assess mixes?
3. Do you carry brachycephalic animals? Under what conditions?
4. Is there an age, weight or size limit?

Container

5. Which crate models do you accept for this animal’s measurements?
6. Do you require extra clearance for snub-nosed animals?
7. What are your rules on water containers and crate fastenings?

Temperature and season

8. What is your temperature band, and is it measured at every ground stop?
9. Do you require a Certificate of Acclimation, and who may sign it?
10. Do you operate seasonal embargoes on this route?

The routing

11. Which company operates each leg?
12. Is there a transhipment stop? Where, and for how long?
13. What happens to my booking if the operating carrier changes?

Practicalities

14. How far ahead can I book, and how far ahead must I?
15. Which terminal, and how many hours before departure?
16. What is the air waybill process, and what documents travel with the animal?
17. What happens if the flight is cancelled or delayed with my animal already accepted?

Question 17 is the one people skip and later wish they had asked.

Sequence the whole thing

1. Months 1–2: ask carriers the acceptance questions. Settle breed and crate feasibility.
2. Months 1–6: the government pathway — identity check, rabies work, RNATT, the 180 days.
3. After the permit is issued: book quarantine at Mickleham; the permit states the details.
4. Inside the carrier’s window: book the flight — direct into Melbourne, as manifest cargo, arriving before the permit expires.
5. Final fortnight: parasite treatments, final veterinary check, certificate endorsement.
6. Departure day: cargo terminal, on time, crate empty.

What this page does not tell you

• Any carrier’s answers — that is the point of asking. Only the Delta booking window and drop-off times above are recorded here, read on 26 August 2026.
• What carriage costs. It is quoted per shipment, not published as a fare.
• Whether a given routing is available on your dates.