Lion Heart

Myself, partner and 55kg dog are moving to Nova Scotia...

We've spoken to Air Canada who do direct flights (only interested in direct flights) and they advised the max weight as checked baggage in the hold for dogs is 100lbs including crate. Our girl is a lot bigger than that. They advised that's ok but she'd have to be booked as cargo, which it seems you are not able to do yourself (?) and so we have had to contact pet transport companies...

No problem, until the transport company advised that it's not possible to book her London to Halifax as the plane they use on that route does not have a heated hold.

So, either she does two flights, which we could not bear being mad dog people and worried enough about one flight!!! Or we all fly to Toronto and take a 16 hour drive to Halifax over 2-3 days.

Car hire would add a $500 fee on top of rental for this one way drop. Plus the fuel, hotel's etc. It's looking crazy expensive !!!

Has anyone here got any ideas ? We'd be flying April 2019 bye.

Anyone here done London to Halifax direct with dog in the hold?

Almost Canadian

We book with Air Canada cargo all the time to transport dogs. We have imported dogs from the US with no issues and we have also transported dogs to the US and Mexico with no issues too. Maybe it's an east coast thing.

Lion Heart

Yes, we're not saying Air Canada do not transport dogs. Yes they do! However, we have been advised by one pet transport company that the LONDON TO HALIFAX flight by Air Canada cannot have any pets at all in the hold as the hold is not heated.

So it's specifically that flight.

The only companies we could find that fly direct UK to Halifax are Air Canada (as above), or West Jet (who do not permit dogs it seems).

I was hoping someone here will have done the UK to HALIFAX with a dog and have some experience with that route?

Atlantic Xpat

It's likely a specific East Coast thing - LHR-YHZ is now a B737. Perhaps that plane doesn't have the heated hold, although that seems a bit odd that AC would tell you that you can ship a <100lb dog as checked baggage, but the air cargo specialist tells you that the same plane doesn't have a heated hold. Air Canada have a deservedly poor reputation at times, but even so I doubt they'd let you put your pet in an unheated hold! So someone has something wrong - I suspect root cause is the smaller cargo capacity of the B737 vs the B767 that used to be flown on this route. Your problem is that I believe AC is the only airline flying direct to Halifax in April. Westjet is a seasonal flight AFAIK & anyway they fly 737's on this route as well.

Your nearest "big plane" airport to Halifax is Montreal. Slightly shorter drive than Toronto but not much in the great scheme of things.

Almost Canadian

Have you spoken to someone at Air Canada cargo? If so, are they telling you that you have to use an agency?

Siouxie

https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/s...tions/ac-live/
Air Canada have a special division for pets in Cargo - not sure why you've been told you have to use a 3rd party. I presume you've checked that the breed isn't restricted?

Winter restrictions for pets in the hold are common but better to check directly with the airline (link above)... Air Canada have a page that has that info.. but only up to March (although April can be bitterly cold in Canada, that's probably the reason they are saying that even for April).. could you delay your flight to May, perhaps (flights are cheaper then too) - or have you got time restrictions?
https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/s...e-restrictions

scrubbedexpat091

Air Canada website for London-LHR

Note: Live animals cannot be screened at this station. Contact our Local Sales office for help in securing your animal for shipment.Payments on site via debit or credit only

Telephone: 44 (0) 371 224 3600 or 44 (0) 20 8750 8260

email: [email protected]

Best to call the local cargo office of the departure airport, you will end up with more accurate info as they will know the local procedures and such better then a call center

Lion Heart

Just to clarify on this point, yes Air Canada confirmed the max weight is 100lbs including crate (and I think I saw this on their website also), and they did say that pets were not permitted on that route, but could not advise why. Which leads me to think the pet transport company are likely right!!

Lion Heart

Yes they do (have a cargo department). I called Air Canada cargo department at Gatwick (or was it heathrow?) and they advised it had to be booked via one of their preferred agents and gave me the contact details for a pet transport company. Hence I am assuming (rightfully?) that you cannot book the cargo yourself as an individual?

Lion Heart

Did some more research, and may actually be better this way anyway (London > Toronto, then drive Toronto > Halifax) as flight cost comparison:

London > Halifax direct with Air Canada £1,450 per person
London > Toronto direct with Air Transat/Candian Affair £285 per person

So even with the $500 one way car hire fee, plus hotels x2/3, plus fuel for 16 hours driving = probably going to save us money, lol!!!

We spotted that the only other airline who fly's direct London to Halifax is Westjet, and only from April 23rd onwards for the summer season (ends in October I think?), with prices in the £250-£280 per person range. BUT no pets allowed in the hold on any of their flights via London. But best bet for sure if you don't have a pet to move!!!

crofty82

WestJet do permit dogs either as Cargo or checked baggage: https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/pets

Lion Heart

No they don't :-)

On that page click the 'Checked Animals' tab then click 'Restrictions' and you'll find this:

"United Kingdom WestJet does not accept pets for travel to/from Glasgow or London Gatwick"

crofty82

Lion Heart

Yes, we're not flying until April and one thing has become abundantly clear - all of this stuff needs to be investigated in full waaaay in advance to save headaches.

There is conflicting info out there, and you really need to delve deep. The Westjet is a good example, on the surface it looks all good for pet travel, delve deeper and that excludes the UK!

Hence looking at all available options for us now to fly April next year :-)

crofty82

Agreed. Thought I'd already done that by checking out WestJet but had obviously missed the UK restrictions, so back to the drawing board in case our PR is approved.

There must be a cheaper way of getting dogs from the UK to NS than shelling out a four-figure sum to a pet transport company.