Key Lessons from Nova's HAM-CDG-DEL Journey

I thought I'd put some of these together as well, in case it helps future pet parents.

• Plan early and confirm aircraft types. KLM’s 787-9/10 and A321neo do not take pets in hold; AF generally does but always confirm by phone. Do not purchase flights and then add pets. Call, book, add pets and once everything is confirmed, then make the payment.
• Keep connections short (KL < 3 h) or long enough for re-check (AF ≥ 4.5 h). Pets don’t transfer automatically at CDG. At CDG you must reclaim and check your pet in again. For us, an overnight transfer worked very well because it gave us time to see Nova again, and her time to understand that we're going to be there at the end of the journey.
• Train for the crate well in advance. Calm dogs make calm flights. Daily short “crate-nap” sessions help enormously. I know everyone says this, but it bears repeating.
• Arrive at the airport as soon as check-in opens. Check-in, inspection, and security can easily take a lot of time. At CDG, if not Ulti, I would recommend at least 4hrs without status and 3hrs as SkyPriority. I cannot stress this enough.
• Stay with your pet until the last safe moment before boarding. Most stations allow this if you ask politely. Of course, status helps, since you can get past queues faster. But staff will tell you what is the last moment you can safely stay with your pet.
• Label everything. Clear Live Animals / This Side Up on all sides, flight details, name, contact numbers, and a food-and-water record.
• Attach full document copies to the crate. The easier you make this for the staff, the quicker the process will go and more inclined they will be to help. Most of all, the faster it goes, the more time you have with your pet.
• Keep digital and printed copies of everything. We needed copies in HAM, CDG and twice in DEL. In this paperless world, sometimes, many paper copies can be helpful to save time. Ask staff to give you an extra boarding pass copy as well. This was useful in DEL as customs wanted a copy and a copier wasn't easy to locate.
• Bring zip-ties. Airports may have them, but having your own ensures a solid close after inspection.
• Feed ~4–5 h before departure, water ~2 h before. Light meal only or your pet might get sick on board. Top up bowls at check-in. We froze water in one of the bowls attached to her crate. This lasts longer, and doesn't spill easily. We kept this bowl in an insulated bag right until the moment she had to go through oversized baggage drop.
• Trust the professionals, but make them human. A simple thank-you or smile (or Nova’s cards in our case) reminds staff there’s a loved family member in that crate. This went such a long way with every staff member involved.

Above all, preparation, kindness, and calmness travel better than anything else. Trust the process, and the people. Everyone is human, and pets do bring out the best in everyone.