London-England-Lads

Think you will find its $275 Can. We are flying 2 dogs later this year

paolob99

Please keep this info coming. It is interesting and very useful, and I am grateful and enjoy reading it.

My dog is microchipped, fully boosted and has had the rabies jab as a precaution.

I am on a budget, and I am attracted to the ship it yourself idea....I would be going from Manchester to Vancouver, so would love to drop pooch off at the cargo bay then nip around to passengers, jump on the same plane, and then collect at the other end

sms1984

The dog could go in baggage, that's how we are doing it. Cargo is more expensive. I had a lengthy chat with a guy from the cargo team at Air Transat yesterday!

paolob99

does the dog have to be a certain size for this option?

My dog is a 34kg Labrador.

bex1

Interesting! I didn't realise they could go baggage. Guessing the hold there is still pressurised and heated then. I think I'll be checking into AirTransat myself as one quote I got just for a cat was £1300 from LHR to Ottawa and another was about £750, what a difference and I am guessing (but forgot to ask) that this doesn't include the cost of your pets ticket either?

Geordie Lass

Yes it has to be a certain size and yours is too heavy. My lab is 27kg and she was too big.

Labs love it out here tho - mine is past herself in the snow every time we go out!

paolob99

mine has been in the snow last week....uses his head as a little shovel, and barks at snowmen! I might put him on a crash diet!! Canada is his spiritual hiome, he would be the happiest dog ever,,,

paolob99

a bit nightmareish

Air Canada, until the middle of last year did accept private bookings, and the price for a 34 kg dog was around £700

They now only deal with pet travel agencies...I guess because they get the detail correct every time and there is less faffing about.....so your price, at best, is doubled.

I am not happy because the option to choose has been removed.

Pet agencies no doubt provide a great service for those who want to use them, especially for those who want extra services such as collection, boarding etc

But for those who simply wish to bung pooch on the plane and collect at the end of the flight, the option has been removed and we're being forced to pay double or more for a service we don't need.

Are there any airlines that take dogs direct from the UK?

It seems this is a UK thing, the assumption that people have money, general apathy and the knowledge that people will pay.

My friends in Canada have just shipped their dog from Vancouver to Frankfurt for $295

bex1

I think AirTransat still do, and I got a quote from Petsaway (admittedly it was for my cat), meeting them at the airport £490, which seemed almost £1000 cheaper than some quotes I'd been given. They seem to be cheaper as I don't think they have the overhead of boarding facilities, literally they just do what we would do and they use AirTransat anyway.

paolob99

Thanks, Bex

I feel like I am running around in circles with Air Transat, I just can't getthe cargo number.

I am wondering if I am cheaper flying myself and dog from Europe, whilst fed-exing my essentials from the UK.

Trouble with websites is they re-route you back to UK quotes

Neljx

Cheapest is to book them in as excess baggage on your own ticket, on the same plane as long as size of kennel (LxWxH) and weight in total does not exceed the specific airline's restrictions (different for each airline). You then get charged a standard "excess baggage fee"

Sending them separately you are forced to use an agent (they are then shipped as "cargo") and you get charged by weight which explains the difference in cost.

bex1

Think Geordie Lass already covered this, the dog is 34kg, add on a container and it's probably over weight

Neljx

Having done some pretty intensive research I came to the conclusion that cheapest one way direct flight (in this case to Montreal) which would allow my dogs to travel as excess baggage was actually Air Transat, mainly because they actually do allow you to book a cheaper one way ticket vs most of the other airlines where return tickets are cheaper than one way flights! Unfortunately they have a list of animal breeds they will not carry and as one of my dogs is listed, I am having to fly KLM instead (with a stopover) Not ideal but needs must.

It is very worthwhile checking into what they can offer.

Neljx

Weight restriction for KLM as excess baggage is 75kg in total (animal and crate) so you may be ok there. Anything over that has to fly cargo. I am flying 3 dogs at the same time on my ticket with KLM, total weight for each is 27kg, 27kg and 34kg. No problems with that.

matty_c

Got a quote air transat for my English Springer Spaniel from London to Calgary £486 + admin fees at Calgary airport. Hes 20kg the vari kennel was £70 vet fees are £25 for his check up and cert £38 for rabies jab !! job done