7 Airlines That Allow Rodents on Planes [2023 Pet Policy]

Bringing pet rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, mice and other rodents on a plane is possible, believe it or not!

Although not many airlines will allow rodents to fly on their planes, some do. Out of these airlines, many will only allow them to fly in the airplane cargo. However, some airlines will allow rodents in the cabin with their owners.

The following airlines allow pet rodents in cabin:

• Air Europa
• Finnair
• Frontier

The following airlines allow pet rodents in cargo hold:

• Air Europa
• Aegean Air
• Alaska Air
• Finnair
• Japan Airlines 
• WestJet

Airlines have rather strict rules and regulations when it comes to taking rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and other rodents on their planes.

In this article, we will list each airlines policies, including carrier weight and size restrictions, and the number of rodents you are allowed to bring. Furthermore, we will list the airline’s prices in 2019 for bringing a rodent on board the cabin and in the cargo.

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Aegean Air’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: NO

PERMITTED IN HOLD: YES

• Number of rodents permitted: 5 pets per person
• Crate size restrictions: N/A
• Crate weight restrictions: N/A
• Fees for domestic flight: 40-90 EUR / 45-100 USD (approx.) depending on size and weight of pets
• Fees for international flight: 95-170 EUR / 105-190 USD (approx.) depending on size and weight of pets
• Additional information:
  • Animals may not be accepted to be transported in the aircraft hold for a connecting time exceeding three hours.

For more information, check Aegean Air’s website.

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Air Europa’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: YES (hamsters, guinea pigs or small rabbits only, no rats or mice allowed)

• Number of rodents permitted: 3 rodents may be transported, provided that they are the same species.
• Crate size restrictions: 55x35x25 cm
• Crate weight restrictions: cannot exceed 8kg (including carrier)
• Fare for Mainland, Canary Islands and Balearic Islands: 27 USD
• Fare for Europe and Africa: 55 USD
• Fare for Long haul: 165 USD
• Fare for Inter Canary / Balearic Routes: 10.4 USD
• Additional information:
  • The maximum capacity for pets in the aircraft must be respected, which is dependant on its characteristics. For PETC it is always the number of containers that counts and not the number of animals.
  • On flights operated by ATR aircraft, the weight cannot exceed 6kg (pet + container).

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PERMITTED IN CARGO: YES (except hamsters and guinea pigs)

• Number of rodents permitted:the maximum number of pets per container is 1. However, a maximum of 2 animals will be permitted when they are a similar size (up to 14kg each) and are used to cohabiting. Each passenger can check-in up to 5 animals total.
• Crate size restrictions: 406cm (160″)
• Crate weight restrictions: N/A
• Fare for Mainland, Canary Islands and Balearic Islands: 100 USD
• Fare for Europe and Africa: 110USD
• Fare for Long haul: 260 USD
• Fare for Inter Canary / Balearic Routes: 23.2 USD
• Additional information:
  • Pets must be transported in IATA-approved rigid containers with a metal door, appropriate for carriage by air.

Check the Air Europa website for more information on flying with rodents.

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Alaska Air’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: NO

PERMITTED IN CARGO: YES

• Number of rodents permitted: for information, please contact the Alaska Air Cargo service center at 1-800-225-2752.
• Crate size restrictions: depends on aircraft model (check here)
• Crate weight restrictions: depends on aircraft model (check here)
• Fees: 100 USD each way
• Additional information:
  • Animals must be harmless, inoffensive (not destructive to itself or the kennel), and require no attention during transit.

For more information, check Alaska’s website.

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Finnair’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: YES

• Number of rodents permitted: one per passenger
• Carrier size restrictions: 35x30x20 cm
• Carrier weight restrictions: cannot exceed 8kg (including carrier)
• Fee for short haul: 40 EUR / 45 USD (approx.)
• Fee for long haul: 100 USD
• Additional information:
  • Rats MUST be carried in a hard-sided container.
  • You may not carry a pet in the cabin if you are travelling in Business Class on an intercontinental flight, as there is no room under the reclining seats.

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PERMITTED IN CARGO: YES

Bookings for animals must be made through a forwarding company, for example Travelcargo-Petexpress (check their website here).

For more information, check Finnair’s website here.

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Frontier’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: YES

• Number of rodents permitted: N/A
• Carrier size restrictions: 18″x14″x8″
• Carrier weight restrictions: N/A
• Fees: 75 USD
• International: no (with exception to/from the Dominican Republic and Mexico)
• Additional information:
  • Your pet needs to be harmless, not disruptive, odorless, and require no attention during flight.

For more information on rodents flying in cabin, check Frontier’s website here.

PERMITTED IN CARGO: NO

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Japan Airlines’ Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: NO

PERMITTED IN CARGO: YES

• Number of rodents permitted: one rodent permitted per crate and one crate per customer
• Crate size restrictions: N/A
• Crate weight restrictions: pet and carrier can weigh up to 32kg and total weight of pet, carrier and passenger’s baggage cannot exceed 100kg
• Fees for domestic flight:  ¥3000-6000 / 28-56 USD (approx.)
• Additional information:
  • You must prepare a letter of consent to the airline (letter template here).

For more information on rodents flying in cargo, check Japan Airline’s website here.

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West Jet’s Rodent Pet Policy.

PERMITTED IN CABIN: NO

PERMITTED IN CARGO: YES (guinea pigs & chinchillas only, no rats, hamsters or mice)

• Number of rodents permitted: two to six per person, depending on aircraft / two within one crate
• Crate size restrictions: 101x68x76 cm
• Crate weight restrictions: 45 kg (up to 100 lb.)
• Fees for travel within/between Canada and the U.S.: 100 – 118 USD
• Fees for travel between Canada/U.S. and all destinations outside the U.S.: 200 – 236 USD
• Additional information:
  • Crates must be hard-sided and have any wheels removed.
  • Although WestJet accepts the following pets in checked baggage, not all pets are accepted in all countries.

For more information on rodents flying in cargo, check West Jet’s website here.

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Popular Rodent Travel Carriers.

Image	Name	Price
	Kaka mall Pet Carrier Waterproof	Check Price
	AmazonBasics Black Soft-Sided Pet Carrier – Small	Check Price
	Living World Paws2Go Carrier, Blue	Check Price

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Conclusion

When flying with the airlines listed above, it is possible to take your pet rat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig or other rodent on a flight with you.

It is important to note that airlines usually have different rules for different routes, destination countries and aircrafts. Therefore, it is vital that you check policies for your specific route.

Furthermore, most airlines have a limit on the number of pets they permit per aircraft, so be sure to check availability before booking.

Hope this has been helpful.

For information on travelling with a rat in a car check How to Travel with Rats in a Car [Ultimate Guide].

Happy travels!