I have the K3 secured and I have my one way ticket dated June 13th

Despite a hundred things to do, I'm on top of it all. Except for one thing: transporting my pet cat to the US (Ohio). I have a ticket with Air India (they came up cheapest on a search), whose customer service on this matter has been so appalling I'm seriously considering cancelling the ticket.

Continental, who my wife flies with regularly and who I called for better customer service, and with a view to switching to them instead of Air India, insist that the cat is handled by a freight forwarding company (for security reasons) which is going to cost me over £700. It seems that North West Airlines do the same.

I'm trapped between no information (Air India) and information I don't like (i.e. that tells me spend big bucks if I want in).

If you took, or are taking a pet (mine's a little domestic moggy), who did you go with, what were their rules, how much did they cost. I need to sort this out very soon!

Thank you

PS - I am in the process of getting a health certificate for Millie (the cat) and it seems Ohio require a rabies jab too, so I forked out for that this week. Man.

For better or worse, Americans (and many other western countries) view their pets differently than a lot of other cultures view animals in general. So I would suggest checking with airlines based in western countries in particular. I have only flown domestically (within the US) with a pet (my dog), but the airlines were very accomodating and it was fairly affordable ($50 each way to fly from DC to New Mexico for a labrador retriever). But you do have to have an airline approved cage and proper documentation.

Check around... I am guessing you will find a better deal. If you or your spouse have any aquaintances in the US military, ask them who they use. Having worked for a vet for several years in the US, it seemed that the families who travel with pets the most, esp between the US and Europe, are military families.

Good luck!

Maya

I brought my dog (a Westie), from Gatwick, London to Dallas using British Airways. Cost for the flight was £70 for the dog (to travel with the suitcases etc)

There was supposed to be a $100 handling charge at DFW airport, but I wasn't charged. My dog was barking so much that they just wanted him out of the building!!

Nick

That's just terrible! I agree about trying a Western airline. Have you called American (my favorite airline)?

That is a ridiculous cost for a little moggy, we are shipping our two Rottweillers (and they are big) and it is only costing us £1,100 for the two of them and that includes the two "HUGE" kennels and all the paperwork for customs etc. So get your fingers doing the walking and check out others

It would help if we knew what airport you are using and if you have flexibility with that. I have read of many on here going from the UK who took their pets as luggage and if you have to take them as cargo, what you have been quoted is stupid.

We are flying with Thompsonfly from Manchester and so far the people we will be using for our Rottys have been great with questions etc. Let me know what airport you will be flying from and if you have to fly direct, pm me if you wish

[

I took my dog ( labrador) across to NY last June with Thai airways from Bangkok. they were great., professional and a lot of experience with animals,( horses, tigers,bears and such) I had to provide a rabies certificate, his vaccination passbook( for all the other stuff- not compulsory as the rabies, but US customs could quarantine your animal for observation if it hasn't had the other kitty shots), a vet check dated 3 days earlier to say that the dog was in good health. It was quite reasonably priced, especially as he was 30 kgs at the time..he cost $170 and his crate $170 ( counted as two pieces as he and his crate combined went over the 25kg limit for one piece) SO,I think a cat + cage ( airline approved)should be $170. for the one leg with Thai.
good luck




SORRY IGNORE ALL THAT, I JUST READ " AIR INDIA" AND FIGURED YOU WERE IN ASIA!!!
dont know if Thai Airways has a route in that direction. sorry...

I took my dog with me when I moved to France for a year. I used Delta/AirFrance. She's small, so I was able to carrier her on in an airline-approved carrier that fit under my seat. That way, she was with me on the flight, and I could soothe her nerves. Cost was about $100 one way. Easy as pie. When I arrived in France, they didn't even look at any of my paperwork. On the way back home, when I got to NY, they looked at my health certificate and rabies certificate, stamped my paperwork, and I was on my way.
You can look up the pet rules on Delta.com. They limit 2 carry on animals per flight, and it's first come/first serve, so once you find the flight you want, call the customer service line and reserve a spot for your pet.
I don't know about shipping pets in cargo, but I have heard that AirFrance is the best for that because they supposedly have climate-controlled holding areas.

I think you can definitely find a better deal than you've been quoted. In fact, I was going to fly United on the way back home from Paris, because they allowed you to reserve a spot online for your pet for a nominal fee. When I went to pick up my ticket, I was told that was an error, they didn't do that anymore, and I would have to ship her in cargo and her ticket would cost more than mine! I said no thanks and called Delta. My ticket was about $50 more than the United ticket, but I saved an extra $600 on the shipping costs.

Good luck!

That's great, MHandMB!! Maybe Delta would allow the OP to bring the cat in the cabin!

I'm sorry, though, if you might be out the $$ for the Air India ticket.

We were going to have our 2 dogs flown using Ryslip Kennels to handle all the paperwork & shipping. They had quoted us £900 for both dogs including overnight boarding prior to the flight as well as the last-minute worming/tick treatment and the health certificate. They were going to use Thompson Air Cargo services. (We had wanted British Airways but they have breed restrictions & would not take our pugs. )

Anyway, £700 for one cat seems a bit excessive...

BTW, I've called every airline I could think of and NOBODY seems to allow pets in the cabin on transatlantic flights.

I hope that's not true! I promise, I did it on September 22nd via Delta/AirFrance. Unless they've changed the rules since then...

Your dog must be smaller than ours - our guys would not fit into carriers that go under seats (they're a bit "fluffy". )

Thanks for the info everyone (sorry, stuck at work and couldn't get to a computer for a while to answer).

BA sound like a good bet and I'm going to call them to get some specific info (thanks Mousie!)

The quality and variance of rules between countries and airlines is bewildering. For instance, you can't take your pet in the cabin when flying out of the UK, but you can if you're flying out of France. You can check your pet in yourself with BA, but not if you fly Continental or NWA. It's crazy

I have an update on Air India. A very terse operator finally answered the phone at Air India's London office (after getting the engaged tone for over an hour) and this one actually had some answers for me. However the operator was also keen to put me off by telling me that if they get a last minute request to carry human remains on the flight, I will be refused entry with my cat - apparently the two cannot be in the same cargo hold and obviously the human gets preference ..

Anyway I may still go with them now I at least understand what they want me to do. But take my advice - do not use this airline if you want anything like reasonable customer service. Even though Continental were expensive, they were at least friendly, helpful and knowledgable.

Another thing to contend with is that each US state has its own import rules. Some require no documentation (like Illinois), some require a health certificate (like NY), and some (like Ohio) require a health certificate and a rabies jab. My flight was indirect through Illinois and Ohio - so I get both extremes

Thanks all





Oh and thanks too munchkins, I'll pm you if Air India drive me crackers and BA are a no go. Your puppies are adorable

I would definately go BA! I took my two dogs last September from Heathrow to LA and they were so good. BA takes pets as excess baggage rather than cargo so it works out so much cheaper. You can even check your cat in at the same check in desk that you check yourself in. Cant remember the exact figures but it cost me around 270 quid per dog. This worked out even better for me as they told me I would need to pay for the dogs when I checked in. Well, I got lucky and the check in person forgot to ask me for payment! BA definately!

Is there oxygen, proper temperature and what not in the cargo/lugagge hold?

Although the pet does travel in the hold it is temperature controlled and heated just like it is in the passenger cabins. They also like to keep it dark down there as it helps the animals settle and encourages them to sleep. When I flew BA the plane was delayed for two hours on the tarmac and by this time the passengers and my dogs had already been loaded on the plane. I went into panic mode thinking about my poor dogs not having any ventilation and the temperature down there being really hot, the captain came out to speak to me and reassure me that they are constantly monitering it down there and my dogs will be fine!

Good to know! We have cats back in England and if we bring them over I will be very worried!

When I brought my two cats. I was told there is a window of certain times that you can bring animals on a plane as cargo becuz there isn't any heat or air conditioning in there. I was told the only way they could fly as cargo was between february to July 1.st. They also said that there was no gaureentee that they would survuve the trip. I called around for Pet Transport companies and they were very expensive. I ended up using Delta Airlines. They let me put the cats in coach with me but I had to pay 150.00 for each of their flights. (That was still cheaper then what I was quoted for the pet transport companies.) There was still a slight problem as they only allow 1 pet per person and only 2 pets were allowed per flight. They also only had 1 flight per week that allowed pets on board. Luckily I had my daughter with me and so she was able to take one cat & I counted for the other one. We had to buy soft sided cat carriers ( $70.00 each) becuz the regular hard case kind wouldn't fit under the seat. ( they have to fit under the seat ahead of you or else they won't be admitted to fly coach)
I had to book the flight well in advance to make sure I got in under the no fly time.
Each cat needed to have a signed health certificate from a vet , that was less then two weeks old before the flight. They both had to have all their shots and be spayed/nuetured .
Some Airlines will not let the animal fly if its been tranquilzed , so make sure you know before you decide to have them tranqilized. Also, don't give it alot of food as the flight will probably upset its tummy.
My cats were relativlely easy to fly with. During security, I had to take them out of there cat carriers so the carriers could go thru the xray machine. Then I just popped each one back inside and we were on our way. ( Had alot of looks when I took the cats out of their carriers from other passengers, Lots of oohs & ahhs LOL )
The cats didn't make a sound the whole flight.
They were pretty easy to fly with.
GoodLuck !

I can answer this one! Do NOT go Continental! They have the worst record for animals dying in transit due to poor handling practices. I flew American airlines with my Border collie puppy who at the time was 7 months. They are the ONLY airline that I would trust. BA are generally good but they have a habit of changing aircraft at the last moment and that aircraft may not be suited for animal transport leaving you and your pet stranded. This happened and i had an 18 hour delay with a change of airport from Manchester to Gatwick when i flew another dog from Northern Ireland for an agility competition.

With my BC Pup I flew Dublin to Chicago and then on to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas (total of 21 hours crated, cost was around 70 GBP) and my pup was not in the least bit stressed. It was snowing in Chicago and they had her inside the building to keep her warm and she was loaded after the last passenger was boarded

Most airlines operate a heat/freeze embargo even though their planes are temperature and atmospheric pressure controlled. With American they will not fly an animal if the departure point or destination is more than 85c. You will find most airlines are the same so this is a problem you may come up against if flying in june when its very hot. You would be best to take a night time flight when its cooler for your kitty.

Rabies vaccinations are required in most states even though the uk is DEFRA approved rabies free. You also must have a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinary surgeon and you wont be permitted to sedate your pet due to high risk of impaired consciousness which can compromise respiration. You also must have a microchip implanted which needs to be done prior to the rabies vaccine. If its done too close after the rabies vaccine, the rabies vaccine is compromised. Vaccinations, worm and flea treatment also will be done by the vet.

Your cat carrier must be airline approved. it should have a ventilated door, sides and rear ventilation, (sky kennel or vari-kennel are the best type to buy). On the carrier your contact details and the animals details must be clearly visible in addition to a signed statement saying the animal has been offered food and water not less than 4 hours prior to travelling and you must attach a water bowl to the crate.

Animals are not allowed to fly in the cabin on trans-atlantic flights.

i worked at a veterinary surgery and frequently was supplying health certs for many people and also have had the experience of flying my dogs. If you need any more information just give me a shout.

Kat

Thanks for that concise post, Kat. My fiance is now reconsidering about bringing his dog. We will most likely fly American so this is really good to read.

you could always sail across on the QM2

I'll have to give serious thought as to whether I will take my dog over with me. I will decide closer to the time. I can get the vaccines etc but I'm not sure about microchipping costs here. The other MAJOR factor for me is her age. She's 15 now but still healthy and active. Are you aware of any age restrictions?

I had to leave my cat at home. tha is still making me suffer a lot

maria

PS: Im in Ohio as well, 2 hopurs south of Cleveland. Wherer gonna stay in ohio at?

That is terrible - I too will be moving to ohio from Leicester UK and I have 3 cats (two are around 14 years old and one is arouind 9) i want to take with me - I cant decide weather I want to take an Indirect flight from Birmingham - Newark - columbus or a Direct flight from London - cincinnatti (Columbus being the final destination). I contacted continental airlines to ask if they had any times in the year when they dont fly animals cuz of the heat and I got this response:

Continental transports pets year round. We have no temperature embargo. We move all pets under our PetSafe cargo service. We will protect your pets from long exposure to the extreme temperatures.

Due to the age of your pets, Continental recommends a more extensive health examination to include a kidney and liver screen.


Your pets will be safe traveling on Continental. You will not be able to visit your pets while in transit. Your pets would make a connection in Newark and will be provided with water. We can also arrange for on-site service which includes food, water, a walk, etc. The pets would probably travel on the same flights as yourself. Pet reservations must be made through our cargo office in Birmingham. Sorry, I can not give you the cost, the cost will be determined by our cargo office in the UK. Please call our handler at 44-121-782-2447 to get an estimate, learn about the requirements and to make the arrangements.

Best regards,

Bob


You may want to check this out!! What other injections did your cat have to have other than Rabbies - any other information I would really appreciate as I love my cats as my own babies and really want them to be safe - lol as my beloved in ohi tells me I love my cats more than I love him lol

Lina (UKC)

There is no age restriction as far as I am aware for flying pets. Microchipping isn't very expensive (around 20 GBP) or if you get it done by the dogs trust (formerly canine defence league), its around ten GBP. Call them and ask them when they are doing road shows in the uk with the mobile microchipping unit.

For the cats: vaccines needed are the rabies and the yearly booster consisting of feline calicivirus, feline leukemia, feline influenza.

Kat

Hi Kat,

Where have you read that animals are not allowed to travel in cabin on trans-atlantic flights? I was almost positive that I read on the DEFRA site that small animals were allowed in cabin as long as they fit into a 20"x9"x13" (or thereabouts) airline approved carrier. Now, of course, I can't seem to find where I read that.

This news is most disconcerting to me because Aidan and I have adopted three children pets since we've been living here, and are most definitley taking them back with us should we move back to Ireland. I was comforted in knowing that my animals would be safe on board with Aidan and I. Now I'm very worried! I don't think my babies will do well at all in the cargo-hold, but leaving them behind simply isn't an option.

I am also curious to the trans-atlantic rule. I know continental wouldn't let me bring my dog in cabin on a transatlantic flight, but I had no problems with Delta/AirFrance last September and in 2004. I just had to pay the supplement.

That's something you might want to call their customer service line about to get a direct answer.

Give me a tick and I'll get the American airlines site where they state that. Other airlines may be different but its actually better for the animal to travel in the hold where they don't have to deal with the stress of having people around them and can just relax and stay calm in their darkened crate.

American airlines-traveling with pets

Oh, whew. So it's not all airlines that do not allow pets in the cabin? That makes me feel much better. My animals do ok around people and hub-bub. It's other animals that stress out the cats, and being alone that stresses out my dog. He was handed from owner to owner before I got him, and leaving him alone causes him to be destructive. We're working on this, though.

Thanks for that link, Kat!!

I love animals, but I'd HATE to have to make a long plane flight with pets in the passenger area... it would be okay for a short hop, but they're not likely to be able to 'hold it' for twelve hours travel time, and pee/poop stinks! Not to mention doggy body odour... ugh.

You'd be surprised. My dog didn't pee or poop in her bag on either trip. I took her out and walked her when we got to the airport, gave her the vet-recommended tranquilizer, and she was good to go. I did put a towel in the bottom of her carrier just in case. She was MUCH better when she was next to me. WHen I got up to go to the bathroom and left her for a second, she freaked out, but as soon as I came back, she was fine. When I had the layover, I took her out to the bathroom.

Some pets would be better off in the cargo or baggage hold, but my dog has major separation anxiety, and I knew that would be the worst thing for her. Luckily, she was just small enough to fit under the seat. It's not something I would do if I were just going for a visit, though. It takes a toll on everyone involved!

What kind of doggie do you have? My Panda Bear is a Lhasa Apso, and probably about 12 or 13 pounds. He can turn around and lay down in the airline-approved sized carrier, but it's definitley gonna be a tight squeeze. Luckily, he's earned the nickname "The Cockroach" because he loves squeezing into tight places.