Big change for travelling with pets in Europe - Simon Calder explains all

Travelling by plane with pets in Europe? Huge changes are coming thanks to a new ruling by a top European court. Pets will now be classed as baggage when taken on board flights, meaning airlines will no longer have to pay higher compensation if the animal is lost. The ruling comes after a case which saw a dog escape from its pet-carrier at Buenos Aires airport and was never recovered. The owner tried to make a claim of €5,000 (£4,340) but was ultimately rejected as she had made no special declarations in relation to the baggage when checking it in. The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder explains all.