Over 4 million live animals are transported by air each year – but not all of them have the comforting presence of in-flight care! That’s where you come in.
If you love pets, travel, and bringing pure joy into the world, becoming a flight nanny is the way to go. Flight nannies accompany pets on flights to ensure they get safely to their destination.
Often working for a breeder, pet rescue, or pet parent, a flight nanny for pets helps people welcome a new furry friend into their homes. It’s a fun job and an important one. After all, what can be better than connecting animals with a loving family?
If you’re interested in how to become a flight nanny for dogs and other pets, here’s everything you need to know.
Flight Nannies: Who They Are & What They Do
You’ve probably heard of pet sitters and dog walkers, but flight nannies do an important pet care job that mostly flies under the radar. Each day, pets — mostly dogs or cats — need to get from their breeder or pet rescue to a new home. This can be hundreds or thousands of miles, so air travel is sometimes the best option.
Getting a pet safely from one destination to the other is a lot of responsibility. Your typical air nanny job is simple in theory, but with a few important steps to get right:
- Connect with the breeder at the airport and learn about the pet you will transport.
- Handle safe and legal transportation through airport security checks and boarding.
- Fly with your furry friend to the destination, caring for their needs along the way.
- Meet the owners in the arrivals terminal and hand over their new pet!
It’s your responsibility to make sure every step goes smoothly, and that the pet is calm, comfortable, and relaxed throughout the flight.
Pros & Cons of Becoming a Flight Nanny
At this point, you might be asking, “Okay, why wasn’t this an option at my high school career fair?” Being a flight nanny does involve more than puppies and adventures, though. Make sure you’re ready for the ups and downs of how to become a flight nanny by weighing the pros and cons.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
Flexibility Take work as you want it |
Responsibility You’re solely in charge of a pet’s safety |
|
Variety No two flights (or pets) are the same |
Unpredictability Do you know what to do if a puppy starts to chew their way out of the carrier during a flight? If they seem to have trouble breathing? If they make a run for it on a potty break? |
|
Travel See new parts of the country (or world!) |
Stressful Situations Flying is scary for pets not used to travel, and they will pick up on your mood. Can you keep your cool through airport navigation, delays, and TSA challenges? |
|
Pets! Enjoy tail-wagging and nose boops all day, plus the fulfillment of reuniting pet parents and fur babies or introducing puppies to a new family. |
Unfamiliar Pets Pets can’t ask for what they need. When working with pets you just met, establishing normal vs. SOS behavior requires knowledge, patience, and care. |
| Pros |
|---|
|
Flexibility Take work as you want it |
|
Variety No two flights (or pets) are the same |
|
Travel See new parts of the country (or world!) |
|
Pets! Enjoy tail-wagging and nose boops all day, plus the fulfillment of reuniting pet parents and fur babies or introducing puppies to a new family. |
| Cons |
|---|
|
Responsibility You’re solely in charge of a pet’s safety |
|
Unpredictable Pets Do you know what to do if a puppy starts to chew their way out of the carrier during a flight? If they seem to have trouble breathing? If they make a run for it on a potty break? |
|
Stressful Situations Flying is scary for pets not used to travel, and they will pick up on your mood. Can you keep your cool through airport navigation, delays, and TSA challenges? |
|
Unfamiliar Pets Pets can’t ask for what they need. When working with pets you just met, establishing normal vs. SOS behavior requires knowledge, patience, and care. |
How to Become a Flight Nanny
If you love pets and are a responsible traveler, you can become a flight nanny! Here are some things to do to get started.
Meet Lindsey & Balerion, Flight Nanny Clients
We asked Pet Care Insurance’s own Lindsey Fliger, a recent flight nanny client and rescue dog mom, to discuss how flight nannies can get rave reviews from pet parents. We’ll share her tips along the way.
My family recently adopted a puppy from Save Some Souls Rescue in Houston, Texas, where they have a huge problem with abandoned and stray dogs. Balerion (formerly known as Scooby) was found abandoned in a field.
Bale was flown to us from Texas to Ohio through a 501c3 organization called Pilots N Paws.
Decide What Services to Offer & Price Them
Typical flight nanny services pricing includes the cost of airfare, pet fees, a regulation pet carrier, any supplies you’ll need, a nanny fee for your time and personalized care, and pet taxi insurance.
Custom quotes are common to factor in all the special needs of pups and their parents, so flight nanny salary and pricing info varies widely. Here are some example price ranges for a single trip:
- PurplePup: $1000–1500 total, on average
- Pups on the Move: starting at $450
- Sweet Magnolia Doodles: $900–$1250 total
- Happy Tails Travel: starting at $450*
*Does not include the price of pet airline ticket or travel crate
Common factors that affect pricing include:
- Pet size: Small pets can usually fly with you in the cabin for a pet ticket fee of $30–$200, depending on the airline. Large pets travel under the plane as cargo for a fee determined by size and weight.
- Pet carrier: Flight nannies often provide pet carriers to ensure they meet minimum airline carrier requirements and are the right size for a pet’s comfort during a long trip. For reference, a PetMate Sky Kennel dog carrier may cost $50–$400.
- Pet breed: Snub-nosed dog breeds (like pugs, French bulldogs, and Boston terriers) can have breathing issues when they fly. Some CPR*-trained flying nannies charge extra for taking the risk, while others suggest ground transport only for these squashy-faced sweeties.
- Ticket price: the average cost of a U.S. domestic plane ticket is $367.79. Thinking about your nannying fee and ticket price as separate line items will make sure travel costs don’t eat into your profits.
- Flight duration and complexity: If you charge an hourly nannying fee, trip length will impact your rate. Layovers also mean more stress for you and pets. Also, keep in mind that your cost for food and incidentals can also increase depending on the length of your trip and layovers.
- Standby or guaranteed seats: Standby seats can be a bargain, but they may cost you time and headaches if the plane fills up and you can’t travel on the flight you intended.
- Pet taxi insurance: This gives you financial protection in case of accidents and injuries to pets in your care. PCI’s pet taxi insurance starts at $21.58/month. We recommend saving money and hassle by carrying insurance year-round or month-by-month rather than buying a separate, short-term policy for each job.
- Special needs and requests: Pets that require extra care or above-and-beyond asks like home delivery, multiple pets, or GPS tracking.
*Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
A simple starting place to figure out your pricing is to take your hourly rate for the requested flight nanny services and multiply it by the number of hours the service will take. Then add the cost of your plane ticket, pet carrier, supplies, and the airline’s pet fee. Voila! You have a quote.
A Client Says…
Save Some Souls works closely with Pilots N Paws. We were 100% on board with the rescue’s transport plan after doing our own research on both organizations and experiencing firsthand how thorough they were with the adoption process.
Luckily for us, Bale’s travel expenses were tied into his adoption fee (which also covered vet bills and neutering). Pilots N Paws operates on donations, sponsorships, and the generosity of their pilots.
Pro Tip: The key to getting hired here was the flight nanny organization’s pre-existing relationship with a pet rescue. This organization is a non-profit, while most flight nannies work for-profit and may register for an EIN as a small business or even set up an LLC.
Meet Required Flight Nanny Qualifications
There are no formal credentials to become a flight nanny. However, the company, breeder, or pet owner you work for may require specific qualifications. Some examples include:
- Previous experience with pets
- Comfortable and knowledgeable flyer
- Pass a criminal background check
- Knowledge about basic pet care
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) registration
But how to become a pet flight nanny who soars above the rest is also about more than just your resume. Consider whether you’re a born pet nanny with these soft skills:
- Empathy: You’ll work with animals and pet parents you don’t know in an unusual situation. The ability to make both pets and their parents feel seen and protected makes the trip memorable in a good way.
- Communication: Pet parents often wait months to meet their new family member, so they’re invested in the process. Talking with the breeder and pet parents throughout the journey and updating them with arrival times, checkpoints, and cute pics of the pup keeps everyone breathing easy.
- Patience: The motto of air travel is “hurry up and wait”. Unexpected delays, weather, long security lines, and canceled flights can put nerves on edge. You’ll need to communicate calmly with airport employees and pet parents while making time for pet relief breaks and care.
- Problem-solving: What happens when all your careful planning goes wrong? If a regulation carrier isn’t accepted at the gate, or your new vet paperwork doesn’t have the property notary seal, you need to be able to think on your feet and have a plan B ready.
- Attention to detail: Pets need gentleness, and travel often isn’t a gentle process. Flight nannies watch for even tiny changes in behavior. Use the same dog or cat sitting tips you apply in other pet care scenarios to spot dehydration, anxiety, illness, or pain.
A Client Says…
[Balerion was] accompanied at all times on the flights, never kept in a crate or in the hold of the plane.
We were especially pleased with the compassion and care our pilots showed Bale. After his traumatic beginnings, we didn’t want him to feel afraid or abandoned as he traveled to his forever home. Instead of a scared puppy, we were met by a happy (if tired) boy thanks to the kindness of his care providers.
Prep for Success
Your prep work for puppy flight nanny jobs can be the difference between smooth flying and hitting every spot of turbulence on the way.
Flight Nanny Checklist
You may need to present paperwork at the airline check-in and again to TSA in security, so make sure you get these resources from the breeder or pet parents before the trip starts:
- A health certificate from a USDA-licensed veterinarian
- Up-to-date vaccination records
- Additional pet documentation for international flights
- Special tags for carriers (check the airline’s website for kennel dimensions, pet age restrictions, tagging requirements, and other rules)
- Pet parents’ address and contact information (for booking travel and trip updates)
It’s also smart to get some emergency contacts in case of a delay or an accident. Who will you talk to if the pet gets sick and needs a stop at the vet during your layover in Munich?
A Client Says…
Using our address, [our flight nanny service] identified the nearest airport where their pilot could land (about 20 minutes from our home). We were told where to go and what time to be there.
On the day of his trip, I only wish we’d received a few more updates on their progress and perhaps a few pictures to reassure us that he was doing well. We weren’t sure what temperament he’d have after flying all day, and updates would have prepared us better. Luckily, he was happy and healthy.
Pet Checklist
Make sure planning extends to pet needs, too. Even if the airline counts them as your carry-on, puppies aren’t luggage! Pets need comfort to stay calm and happy. Try packing these small essentials into your personal item for the plane:
- A small bag of food (ideally supplied by the pet parents or breeder)
- Collapsible water bowl
- Pet medications
- Comfort items (like a favorite toy or a blanket that smells like home)
- Pet wipes (in case nervousness leads to a messy situation)
- Extra potty pads
- A leash for bathroom breaks between flights
Find Pet Flight Nanny Job Opportunities
If you want to become a flight nanny for dogs or other pets, you’ll probably start promoting your business and looking for jobs the way a lot of people do—online.
Key search terms like “flight nanny,” “air nanny,” and “pet nanny” may bring up relevant jobs with regional pet care companies that offer nannying, like Professional Pets, or small businesses that specialize in air pet transport, like Air Animal Pet Movers or Starwood Pet Travel.
Pro Tip: Air nannies with flight privileges have a competitive edge.
If you or a family member are an airline employee with free travel on a particular airline (or if you have frequent flier miles from your day job), you might have a leg-up on some flight nanny jobs. Companies like Paws on a Plane and TLC Flight Nanny like to hire air nannies with flight privileges to keep client costs competitive.
Unfortunately, small companies have small hiring needs, so timing and experience play a big part in landing these jobs. You might also try online marketplaces that post pet transportation gigs. Like Rover or Wag (but for air travel), uShip and CitizenShipper are two of the biggest national pet transport companies that connect flight nannies with clients.
uShip is the biggest name in the pet transportation business with the largest client base, a more streamlined application process, and the option to fly pets internationally. Become a service provider by registering as a carrier and filling out your qualifications in their online application, then add your company bio to the online marketplace.
The uShip Protection Plan that helps protect other cargo does not apply to live animals, so you’re on your own if the worst happens.
uShip recommends that flight nannies carry their own pet business insurance, with a minimum coverage of $100–$500 per pet for accidents and injuries. We suggest (and include) more — remember your last vet bill?
Flight nannies using uShip set their own prices. In general, pet parents pay $100–$300 for short-distance trips and $350–$600 for long-distance trips. The handy cost to ship index shows past shipping quotes from real pet transport jobs.
Keep in mind that uShip’s platform is free to join, but each job has a transaction fee starting at 15% depending on the trip price, mileage, and pet type.
CitizenShipper is more highly rated by pet parents than uShip, and offers a little more protection for flight nannies in case of accidents. Email the contact provided on the company’s Join Our Team page with your cover letter and resume to apply. You must pass a background check to be considered.
Once accepted, create a profile in the CitizenShipper marketplace. You can win clients by bidding a competitive price on pet transportation job postings and creating a profile that showcases your skills and experience.
CitizenShipper does not provide flight nannies or pet parents with pet insurance. It does include a short-term, very limited $1,000 Pet Protection Plan designed to protect animals and reimburse pet parents for vet bills if their pets are ill or injured during the trip.
Note that the plan is designed to protect pets and pet parents, not flight nannies. It only applies from pick-up to drop-off and does not cover additional lawsuits, claims above $1,000, claims related to property like pet bedding and toys, your professional services, your marketing, or other complaints.
Flight nannies set their prices based on the cost of tickets, supplies, and labor. CitizenShipper gives example pet nanny rates of $350 for short pet nanny flights and as much as $1,300 for longer travel times.
While 100% of your quoted bid price goes to you, clients will also pay CitizenShipper a pet shipping booking fee, which may affect how much they’re willing to pay.
You can also go the private route and connect directly with breeders or pet rescues who are bringing pets to their new families. Word-of-mouth networking at doggy daycares, groomers, vet offices, and other pet-centric locations might also turn up some dog flight nanny jobs.
Ways to market yourself as a flight nanny include:
- Building a professional website that showcases your services and experience
- Creating social media accounts to post pics of happy pets mid-flight and upon delivery
- Sharing testimonials and photos from happy pet parents across your online platforms
- Printing flyers or business cards to hand out around local pet businesses
- Networking with other pet pros through online pet forums or in your community
A Client Says…
Pilots N Paws [has] an extensive social media presence and website showcasing their stellar track record. The long list of testimonials and pictures before, during, and after successful flights was truly reassuring.
They also have a map on their site that features pins representing all of their pilots across the country, as well as the rescues they coordinate with. It was clear they’re well-established and knowledgeable.
Pilots N Paws’ social media builds credibility with photos, stories, and rescue partners.
Get Pet Taxi Insurance
Before you start a career as an air nanny for pets, get pet taxi insurance. Pet Care Insurance (PCI) tailors coverage to risks flight nannies face, like animal injuries during unloading, attacks from another dog at the pet relief area, or anxiety-induced illness.
You and your clients will have peace of mind that you’re ready for any surprises air travel can bring.
What Insurance Do Flight Nannies Need?
Flight nannies need insurance to cover them financially if an animal is sick or injured during travel. Finding a vet in a new city is stressful enough – insurance can handle the financial side of things while you get pets the help they need. PCI’s pet taxi insurance comes with Veterinarian Reimbursement and Pet Protection to pay back out-of-pocket costs and protect you in a lawsuit.
Common Questions About Becoming a Flight Nanny
A flight nanny for pets can work with any animal legal for air transport. The most common pets to fly with are cats and dogs, but other USDA-eligible pets include ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs, reptiles, and birds.
Many flight nanny services require insurance before you can become a flying nanny with their company. Pet taxi insurance covers common claims from incidents while transporting a pet from point A to point B, giving you peace of mind. That means coverage for accidents from getting a medication dosage wrong to vet bills for a pet injury during unloading.
No. Pet Taxi Insurance is a general liability policy. But you can add equipment and inventory coverage to your base plan for just $4.08/month to protect your supplies if they’re damaged, lost, or stolen. For example, if a carrier gets damaged going through security or someone in the airport steals your work tablet, you could get those supplies replaced.
Flight nannies need to follow USDA regulations around traveling with animals. The first is the USDA definition of a pet, which specifies that you can only fly with a “privately-owned companion animal not intended for research or resale.” (So no flying with puppies from the breeder who haven’t been sold yet.)
You may also be required to show a USDA license to fly with pets – use this online tool to determine whether you need one. Even if a license isn’t required, CitizenShipper reports that their USDA-registered pet transporters get 41% more jobs than those who aren’t registered.
For other requirements, check the USDA regulations of traveling with pets and comply with all airline requirements. It’s your job to get yourself and your customer’s pet ready to fly. Major regulations include:
- Dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old and weaned for at least five days.
- Pets must have access to food and water at specific times.
- Cages must meet specific standards from size to design.
ZipRecruiter puts the average flight nanny salary at $24/hour, with $11.54/hour on the low end and $36.54 on the high end. But you’ll find many flight nanny pay rates across the web, from $300–$600 per trip with PurplePup to $55/hour with Professional Pets.
The question “how much do flight nannies make” has many answers since the variables that affect your pay change between jobs. The main factors for how much flight nanny jobs pay include:
- Your experience and positive reviews
- How many hours you fly and work total
- The cost of plane tickets, accommodations, and any other fees
- The complexity of your deliveries
- The breed, size, and number of pets you transport
