Volunteer as a flight buddy
FROM STREET TO SOFA: FLY A DOG HOME
Planning a trip to Thailand? You can add some extra feel-good factor to your holiday by volunteering as a Jai Dog Rescue flight buddy! It doesn’t cost you a penny, and we handle the entire process for you, making the experience simple and stress-free for all involved.
By accompanying a rescue dog home, you’ll be helping them to complete the journey from street to sofa, bringing them one step closer to happiness.
How it works
If you’re flying from Thailand to anywhere in mainland Europe (even if this is just a stopover on your way back to the UK), you can add an animal to your ticket. We sort all the paperwork and costs, so it won’t cost you a penny and requires no admin from you.
All you need to do is show up at Bangkok airport as normal, where a member of our team (and your canine flight buddy!) will be waiting for you. We’ll help you get checked in, and your dog will be taken to the special animal waiting area, before being loaded into the hold: don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.
Once you’ve landed in Europe, someone from our pet courier service will meet you and collect your flight buddy with you…and that’s it! You’re then free to check into your next flight, or carry on with your journey home as planned.
Eligible airlines
Unfortunately, not all airlines accept pets on their flights. Additionally, UK regulations restrict the use of flight volunteers. Therefore, you’ll need to be flying from Thailand to mainland Europe – ideally Paris, Belgium or Amsterdam.
Eligible airlines include: Aeroflot, Air France, ANA (All Nippon Air) Asiana, Austrian Airlines, China Airlines, EVA, Finnair, JAL (Japanese Airlines), Korean Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Swiss, and Thai Airways.
We've got it covered
We’re on hand to make your experience as a flight buddy as easy and enjoyable as possible. Our team will make sure that all paperwork and costs are covered, and you’ll be supported throughout the journey to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Fill in a flight volunteer form
Flight volunteer FAQs
What is a flight volunteer / flight buddy? 
Flight volunteering is a wonderful way to help a dog make their journey home.If you’re flying from Thailand to anywhere in mainland Europe (even if this is just a stopover on your way back to the UK), you can add an animal to your ticket. We sort all of the paperwork and costs, so it won’t cost you a penny and requires no admin from you.
This is a vital means of transporting rescue dogs, and is a method utilised by hundreds of rescue shelters all over the world. It helps us keep our adoption costs to a minimum: it’s hugely expensive to fly a dog from Thailand to the UK on its own, but adding them to a human passenger’s ticket ensures they’re classed as excess baggage. This is a much cheaper option, and therefore opens up the possibility of adopting a dog from Thailand to many more people.
Does it cost anything to fly as a flight buddy?
Not a penny! We sort all the costs and paperwork in advance, so there’s no additional cost incurred for you. Your buddy will simply tag along on the same ticket as you, so once you’ve booked your travel, that’s all you need to do.
Will you organise the flight volunteer process?
Of course, we’ll be there to sort everything, every step of the way. A member of the Jai Dog Rescue team will be there to meet you at the airport in Thailand and will help you through the check in process. Someone will also be waiting at the other end to meet you and your buddy when you land, and they’ll take over everything from there.
Where do I need to fly from?
Bangkok is the preferred location for flight volunteer departures: it’s easy for the team to get to, and therefore means shorter transit times for our dogs.
You can fly from any of Bangkok’s airports, although the majority of European flights go from Suvarnabhumi (BKK).
Where can I fly to?
UK and Scandinavian regulations restrict the use of flight volunteers, so unfortunately you won’t be able to accompany a dogs as a flight buddy if you’re flying direct to the UK.
However, the majority of airports and airlines in mainland Europe support flight volunteer initiatives. Eligible airlines include: Aeroflot, Air France, ANA (All Nippon Air) Asiana, Austrian Airlines, China Airlines, EVA, Finnair, JAL (Japanese Airlines), Korean Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Swiss, and Thai Airways.
We prefer flight volunteers who have flights scheduled to / via: Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam
How do I volunteer as a flight buddy?
You simply need to fill in our Flight Volunteer Form, letting us know the details of your forthcoming trip. We’ll then be in touch to confirm and arrange everything with you directly.