Anyone used pet transport companies?

[dentsflogged 352]

Pretty much the title. 

Trying to work out the best way to get our cat from Australia to the US and none of the airlines I've contacted allow pets in the cabin for international flights departing Australia, so bearing that in mind it makes it a wasted 28 hour round trip as far as I'm concerned to fly there and collect her just to be on the same plane as her.  

The cost looks to be the same as if I had a friend fly over with her (again, she wouldn't be in the cabin so it'd basically just be consigning that friend to 28 hours of torture in economy class seating for the sake of them taking her to the airport before the flight and being able to see them and say hi for a while), and the companies that do pet transport seem to do the majority of the running around and paperwork which does make it all easier.  

 

So anyone had any experience with them? Any good or bad experiences? I know they're a little expensive, but cost isn't a major problem so much as my active time involved, and flying is uncomfortable enough, let alone when morning sickness is actually all-day sickness - the idea of being on a crowded plane right now makes me want to cry.

[Commish10 427]

Korean and Asiana allow pets in cabin for international. As you said maybe not departing from Australia. Both are Korean airlines.

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

13 hours ago, Commish10 said:

Korean and Asiana allow pets in cabin for international. As you said maybe not departing from Australia. Both are Korean airlines.

Without a "Service Dog" affiliation?

[Commish10 427]

As pets. 

[dentsflogged 352]

On 12/7/2018 at 1:39 PM, Commish10 said:

Korean and Asiana allow pets in cabin for international. As you said maybe not departing from Australia. Both are Korean airlines.

Not sure about Asiana, but looking at Korea Air they codeshare with Qantas, meaning that at the end of the day it's Qantas' rules for the flight. Being my airline of choice, I know that Qantas does not allow pets in the cabin for international flights. 
 

It seem to be an Australian thing where any of the airlines that depart Australia for the US direct (I don't want to turn an already hellishly long trip for her into an even longer one by having layovers) don't allow pets in the cabin, which is frustrating but understandable, I guess - it's a 14-16 hour flight and no one wants to be the one sitting next to a person with a pet whose soiled it's bedding for the majority of that flight.