When Nik and I discussed returning to live abroad in Europe, I was adamant that Koval the dog not be down in the hold of a plane, as he was when we flew Lufthansa. Luckily La Compagnie, a French boutique all-business class airline, allows pets up to 33lbs in cabin and Koval is roughly 22lbs. This is our experience flying a dog on La Compagnie into Nice, France. Further down we talk about some of the perks for the human travelers.
Health Certificate
Before entering Europe, you either need a USDA certified health certificate or an updated EU Pet Passport showing that your pet was vaccinated against rabies in the EU.
We went through this process in 2022 and it hasn’t gotten any less confusing. Since Koval’s rabies vaccine was administered in the U.S., we needed to get a health certificate from a vet who is USDA certified. Fortunately our vet is. She did a quick exam, filled out the form online and submitted it digitally to the USDA for endorsement. By endorsement, basically an embossed stamp and a few signatures. The health exam invoice was highway robbery for a five minutes of exam; in April 2022 it cost $272 and this time it cost $357 plus the return FedEx label cost!
Anyway, it gets submitted and then the USDA will send it back a few days before the flight. The 2022 turnaround was much quicker and sent back two days later. This time it took five days. Since we were driving to Newark, I arranged for the FedEx to be delivered near our hotel using a service called Bounce, a package receiving service where they partner with local business who will hold a package delivery for you. It worked really well and I highly recommend the service.
While in Newark, we had a very comfortable stay at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel. Pet friendly and offered a shuttle to the airport.
Flight Check-in
Once our hotel shuttle dropped us off, we walked inside the airport terminal with Koval on his leash. We chose to give him trazodone and gabapentin to help with his anxiety and unfortunately, they didn’t do much. He’s taken both medications before and they’ve chilled him out. I think being a few days out of sorts in hotels and unknown places, he was just too amped up.
At the check-in desk, the agent checked Nik and I first and then glanced at Koval’s health certificate. They confirmed we had a carrier for him and said he needs to be in it for boarding. Not one question about the carrier measurements or about Koval’s size. I’ve read in a coupled Facebook groups that LC is pretty relaxed about those and that held true for us.
Related: Our First Time Flying La Compagnie (Without Koval)
Security
We had a priority security lane but not TSA pre-check. So we still had to take shoes off. I removed Koval’s leash, kept his collar on, held him through the security check and then had my hands swabbed. It was all relatively easy but he was still pretty antsy, I think just over stimulated. Once Koval had his leash back on, we proceeded to walk through the terminal to the La Compagnie lounge.
Lounge
When we flew La Compagnie this past December, they did not have a lounge at Newark. At some point over the last few months they opened one. We’re pretty sure they opened in what used to be the Virgin Airlines lounge because the color scheme was similar to their look of red and purple.
With Koval still on his leash, we made our way inside. The lounge was busy and quite warm. In talking to a few people who were smitten with Koval, most of the people were on the LC flight to Paris. As they began to leave for their gate, the lounge started to clear out. It was still a bit warm and the food wasn’t a buffet so I decided to take Koval for a stroll in the terminal to catch some fresh air and explore the pet relief area.
We returned to the lounge and ordered some fries to nibble on while having a beer. A few other dogs were in the lounge as well, but we did our best to keep Koval from noticing them. It was still pretty warm in there so I decided to take him outside the terminal for true fresh air. He took one last poop and we went back inside and through security again.
Boarding
As we walked towards our gate with Koval on his leash, two other small dogs were nearby and all three started barking. We couldn’t help but laugh. Once we got to our gate, boarding had already begun so we put Koval in his carrier with a few treats. Par for the course, he was still pretty anxious and didn’t like it. Because the carrier didn’t have too solid of a base, we carried it with a front lift, resting it on our arms rather than holding by the handles. Didn’t get any pictures while boarding because both Nik and I just wanted to keep him calm and we were also pulling a wheelie carryon.
Related: More of our Dog Travel Posts
The Flight
One of the main attractions of flying a dog on La Compagnie is that they only allow three dogs per flight. We know there was at least one other dog on our flight and maybe even a third. But since the dogs are required to be in a carrier, no pets interact and we had no barking issues.
Once at our seats, in row 17, we placed the carrier down and shortly after Koval finally settled. I read in some Facebook groups that others who have flown LC have taken their dogs out for a brief break and had them sit on their lap or next to them. I didn’t want to try that with Koval because I was worried he would be difficult to get back in. As a result, I don’t have any cute “in-air” pictures of Koval. I had the window seat for most of the flight and we kept Koval on that side of our row.
Once we landed in Nice, Nik and I decided we’d wait to be one of the last off. Nik carried Koval’s carrier again in a front lift, pictured below.
Koval still was not a fan. As we walked through the terminal toward Customs, holding him, we ultimately decided to take him out on his leash and walk the rest of the way. We were prepared for the possibility of him needing to relieve himself during our stroll, especially since there wasn’t a designated pet relief area. Despite the many distractions around us, there were no accidents during the walk.
Related: Flying Koval the Dog to Barcelona in April 2022
Customs and Baggage Claim
Flying with La Compagnie got us into a fast lane for Customs and it felt like it moved really slow. It turns out we landed at 10:05 and were waiting curbside with our luggage by 10:35, not bad at all. Koval and his bladder were champs.
From there we called an Uber Pet and got driven to our first Airbnb nestled between Old Town and The Promenade des Anglais.
All in all, flying a dog on La Compagnie was very easy. We would absolutely do it again and we recommend the airline for anyone traveling with or without a dog.
Food on La Compagnie
Like most business class flights we were offered champagne just after getting to our seat and unlimited glasses of wine during dinner service.
La Compagnie takes great pride in their menus, changing them monthly. They offer a simple menu for each flight out of Newark to their three different destinations. Shortly after departure, we were served dinner that featured a cold entrée salad, an assortment of cheeses, a mini baguette and a delightful dessert. As opposed to offering the same menu departing Newark, flights from Paris, Milan or Nice to Newark all have different offerings.
For our flight, both Nik and I had the beef sirloin salad and it was pretty good. Nik also had a bowl of lentil soup to start. The cheeses were delicious and the dessert was outstanding. One of the best tarts I’ve ever had.
We had some really nice views at sunrise and during the approach to Nice including a fantastic view of Antibes.
Just before arriving in Nice, we were served breakfast, and we both enjoyed the banana bread pudding, which was delicious. The fruit plate and croissant, however, tasted good, but looked pretty sad.
As I already said above, a very good experience and we’re lucky to be able to afford this luxury and to have Koval trade travel at our feet.
Loved your adventures. You are very brave to travel with an animal and moving your whole life again. I miss you!
Please consider writing to the company directly.
Attention Dog Owners Flying Transatlantic with La Compagnie
I wanted to alert those of you who fly transatlantic with your dogs and rely on La Compagnie to please consider reaching out to them on Facebook or via email at contact@lacompagnie.com. Just a few days ago, they significantly changed their pet policy, reducing the in-cabin pet weight limit from 15 kg to 8 kg. This is a huge blow for those of us who rely on the 15 kg limit to travel comfortably with our dogs.
If we contact them now and encourage others to do the same, there’s a chance we can push for a reversal of this decision. Here’s a sample email to get started:
Attention Dog Owners Flying Transatlantic with La Compagnie
I wanted to alert those of you who fly transatlantic with your dogs and rely on La Compagnie to please consider reaching out to them on Facebook or via email at contact@lacompagnie.com. Just a few days ago, they significantly changed their pet policy, reducing the in-cabin pet weight limit from 15 kg to 8 kg. This is a huge blow for those of us who rely on the 15 kg limit to travel comfortably with our dogs.
If we contact them now and encourage others to do the same, there’s a chance we can push for a reversal of this decision. Here’s a sample email to get started:
Subject: Disappointment with the Recent Change to Pet Policy
Dear La Compagnie Customer Service,
I am writing to express my deep frustration and disappointment with your recent decision to reduce the pet weight limit for in-cabin travel from 15 kg to 8 kg. The previous 15 kg allowance was the primary reason why myself, and many other dog owners, chose to fly with La Compagnie. The ability to bring our pets with us comfortably was a key factor in our loyalty to your airline.
This sudden policy change not only feels like a step backward, but it will also prevent many of us from continuing to fly with La Compagnie. The new limit makes it impossible for those of us with small-to-medium-sized dogs to travel, despite the fact that we have relied on your previous policy. It was a relief to have a pet-friendly airline option for transatlantic travel, and now, sadly, this is no longer the case.
As a frequent traveler with pets, I am highly active in several dog-travel communities and Facebook groups dedicated to flying with dogs. I will make sure to inform other pet owners about this disappointing change in policy. Many of us will be seeking alternative airlines that understand and accommodate our needs, as La Compagnie clearly no longer does.
I strongly urge you to reconsider this decision. Your pet-friendly policy was one of the standout features that set you apart, and losing that advantage will inevitably lead to a loss of customers.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Frequent Flyer Number (if applicable)]