It’s something the airline industry knows all too well: cancelled flights. No matter how much time and effort you may put into planning your trip, some things are simply out of your control. But when your beloved animal companion is already halfway through their journey and their connection is cancelled, what happens next? Is your pet stranded to take care of themself? Absolutely not!

When choosing Worldwide Animal Travel as your trusted pet relocation company, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your pet is being treated with the utmost care throughout their entire journey from point A to point B, including during stop-overs and delays. In the case of a cancelled connection, your pet would stay at the airline’s pet hotel at their main hub near the airport or a similar private facility within a close proximity. Here’s a little bit more information on how this process works:

When can I expect my pet to attend a pet hotel?

If your pet is taking more than one plane via a main hub to reach their final destination, they require a minimum of 4 hours between flights to be offloaded from the aircraft and taken to the pet care facility. Other scenarios where your pet would attend one of these facilities include if their connecting flight is delayed, if there are extreme temperatures the day of their flight, or if the flight time changes, resulting in a significant delay.

If an airline doesn’t have their own dedicated pet care facilities, they’ll work with partners such as WorldWide Animal Travel to host the animals during these stops at a private facility where they will receive the same quality care as they wait for their next flight.

What care is my pet provided at these facilities?

When at these facilities, your pet will be treated like royalty. They’ll be fed, cleaned, walked and able to get some rest before they’re transported back to the aircraft for their departure. Most importantly, in addition to attending to their basic needs, they’ll be shown love and affection with lots of hugs and kisses by the staff at the care facility. To get a better idea of what this process looks like, take a look at how our friends over at KLM and Lufthansa operate their pet hotels.  Not too shabby, eh?

Why should I use a pet relocation service to transport my pet?

When you use an IPATA pet shipper to transport your pet, you can rest assured that your beloved animal companion is in good hands. Pet relocation is all that we do, and we do it well. If your pet’s connecting flight is cancelled, we’ll work closely with the airline to transport your pet to the animal care facility all the while providing you with frequent updates along the way so you know what exactly is happening. Pet parents have entrusted us to safely relocate their pets for over 20 years, and our reviews speak for themselves. 

Are you anticipating a big move in the near future and looking for peace of mind throughout the process? Contact the experts at Worldwide Animal Travel today to receive a free quote for our pet relocation services!