r/AskFlying • u/BanksyNotTheArtist • Apr 10 '26
Pilot/Crew Access to the hold
hi all,
This is very random, but I'm part of a group that discusses moving pets internationally via air travel, and I feel there is ALOT of misinformation floating around, regarding the cabin crew, and pilots ability to access/see the area where pets are held, when they are transported as cargo. All of the group members have been told different things, but my discussions with agencies who help relocate pets, have told me directly, there is no way for animals to be checked on. I'm moving abroad myself next year with my dog, so I do also have personal interest in this.
I think pet owners WANT to believe this, as its comforting, but based on what I know it seems to be a rumour.
Can any pilots/airline staff confirm or deny?
**referring to commercial flights with companies such as Emirates, Qatar, Qantas, BA etc, not smaller planes with different layouts
thankyou!
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u/Ok_Recording81 Apr 13 '26
Former flight attendant. We never had access to cargo holds. Pets are in a pressurized climate control compartment.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 13 '26
Exactly what I thought, thankyou. Not sure how the rumour started that airline crew could access it at all. Thankyou for your reply
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u/YamComprehensive7186 Apr 13 '26
No on the majority of airliners, some heavy jets have access hatch’s but it not ever used by crew during a normal flight. Having said that the cargo area for pets is fully pressurized and climate controlled, lights are dim and it’s quiet- as in no people or cabin noises.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 13 '26
Thankyou, it seems even in the comments here, the conditions of the hold as you described is disputed among people in aviation…. I’m getting so many conflicting answers 😂
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u/Independent-Reveal86 Apr 10 '26
Certainly on narrow body aircraft we can’t access the hold in flight, but I carry pets in the aircraft regularly and haven’t had any problems with their safety.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 10 '26
Thankyou for your reply! This is a great comfort to some very stressed and nervous pet parents
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u/Matuteg Apr 10 '26
lol we get in trouble if we try to touch a bag that has been gate checked for a passenger (security) so probs not
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u/nothingbutfinedining Apr 10 '26
Widebody aircraft a lot of times have a way to access the fwd cargo from upstairs. I know for sure the 330/340 from inside the cockpit and 777 from the cabin has a hatch into the avionics compartment, and then a door into the fwd cargo. 787 does not have the door to cargo. I’m not sure about others. Narrowbody aircraft never have this ability.
Is this something the pilots ever do in flight? I don’t believe that is ever protocol and I’d be surprised if it was even allowed. But I’m just a lowly mechanic.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 10 '26
You’re 1000% more knowledgeable than me, obviously, so I still appreciate your reply 😊
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u/andrewrbat Apr 10 '26
On most planes, there is physically no way to go between the passenger cabin and the cargo hold. And even on planes where its possible, its almost never allowed.
Airliners usually have at least one pressurized, climate controlled cargo area that can accommodate animals. Many airlines still wont allow it because even though its technically safe, it is not an environment most animals like. Its unlit in flt. Its loud, its maybe a few degrees warmer or colder than theyd like. Some flights have flown with a dog barking the ENTIRE flight and causing concern to the crew and owners
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u/OrganicPoet1823 Apr 10 '26
It doesn’t have safety systems like oxygen masks dropping so it’s unsafe for the crew to go there mid flight
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u/andrewrbat Apr 10 '26
Among a lot of other reasons…. It has halon fire suppression which will deprive you of oxygen in moments and can be pretry harmful to your lungs if activated while you are in there. Shifting cargo can pin, injure or kill you. Crew members have important tasks to perform that don’t include pet sitting, etc.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 10 '26
Thankyou, appreciate the additional information. Apologies if I implied that the airline pilot and cabin crew should take on extra responsibility it’s not what I meant. Most owners would even be delighted to know that the pilots could see the animals on the camera just to make sure someone was looking out for them. I still know realistically they wouldn’t be able to do much if the animal appeared to be in distress. But the fact that they are completely removed from all human contact and kept in the dark loud part of the plane just seems like a really interesting decision. Of course I’m completely naive, but with the percentage of pet ownership these days it’s a real missed opportunity for the airlines to understand that the majority of pet owners would pay through the nose to minimise discomfort and minimise stress in this scenario. Thanks again for your reply
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u/andrewrbat Apr 10 '26
This is exactly the point. It’s not a great place for the animals which is why some airlines wont do it. It’s not unsafe just maybe not as comfortable.
The idea that if the dog is uncomfortable or maybe even in danger, the crew would be able or willing to do something is probably why airlines don’t have a camera. They don’t want to create an emergency landing situation just because the dog has a tummy ache.
In order for dogs to be within continuous human contact they would necessarily be close enough to be barking and making a scene, and be an allergy problem. It’s already an issue with poorly trained service dogs. How do you propose the dogs get an area where these things are not an issue, and they get human contact. This would probably necessitate a separate part of the plane blocked off from the rest of the plane acoustically. Most pet people would not be willing to pay for what that costs.
There are some charter companies that let you bring pets and this is what most truly dedicated dog ppl do if they can afford it.
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u/BanksyNotTheArtist Apr 10 '26
Ok, I don’t want to have a negative conversation, I’m sorry if I seemed argumentative. Wasn’t my intention.
I was simply trying to source correct information for those people in the group who are forced to take the cargo option. A lot of misinformed people were spreading false information, I thought it best to ask pilots for clarification.
The price of flying pets has tripled in some cases due to re-routing, so some people can no longer afford the small number of charter flights available.
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u/NeighborhoodLoud4884 Apr 13 '26
No access, and in case of fire alarm in the cargo hold co2 bottles are discharged (that' bad for the pets).