MoshiMoshi

I don't think you'd pay anywhere near $1200 for landing fees for two dogs, either as a standalone fee or included in the ticket cost. The first dog, maybe £250 ($420), and the second less than that. Even with the terrible dollar/pound conversion rate, it should be well under $800 total. If you are then paying $300 per dog for the flight it's all going to work out cheaper than usual...

...and good, if it's correct, but not good if someone has got it wrong. It's not so much the price: the booking has to be handled properly, or it could cause significant setbacks when you actually arrive at the airport.


I hope BA Cargo can give you a conclusive answer!

Edit: this is who I dealt with at BA, although it was a couple of years ago:

Tom Sidorowicz
Customer Service Air Cargo
Tel: 905-676-0007
Email: Tom[DOT]Sidorowicz[AT]ba[DOT]com

(Edit again... have deactivated email link so he doesn't get spammed!)

lgabriel73

Cargo is expensive and it goes on the size of the crate not the weight. With a 70lb dog I obviously would pay more than you will because she had an extra large crate. Did BA take the measurements of your crate? without this they can't give you an accurate quote. My ticket was $950 as I used my virgin miles to help out. Dog cost 1200 approx. I don't think its going to cost you anywhere close to $2000 per dog for everything they need.

Landing fee for one dog is £237.

windsong

Does the $1200 you paid for your dog include only the flight cost and landing fee or does it include all the prep work, crate cost, etc. as well?

I haven't bought the crates yet. I am still working on getting everything into line to make this all happen so quickly.

lgabriel73

It was just the flight.

windsong

Maybe your dog is so much bigger than mine. Mine are 8 lb and 25 lb.

Sounds as if your actual flight cost was about $700 and landing fees about $500 (= $1200). The actual flight cost quoted for each of mine was $300 (with landing fee on top) but I need to check with them again. that's a big difference between your flight cost and mine ($300 and $700).

lgabriel73

No Windsong the landing fee was 247 gbp, the $1200 was just her ticket. She is a 70 pound lab so was in an extra large crate. As I said before it is not the weight its the size of the crate. You need to buy your crates now otherwise you will never get an accurate quote from the airline as they will ask you for crate measurements to give you a price.

windsong

Does anyone know if Manchester has the ability to receive animals or do you absolutely HAVE to fly into Heathrow when coming from overseas with pets?

MoshiMoshi

According to this 2010-11 thread on UK Yankee, it is, or was, possible to fly pets into Manchester. They say the landing/clearance/inspection fee was £130, albeit a few years ago.

Manchester Airport

It looks like the Manchester animals are handled on arrival by a company called Pets On Jets (the Heathrow equivalent is James Cargo plus the Animal Reception Centre). Their website:

Pets on Jets home

I would contact them, but also check with your airline. They may well have limited or zero pet capacity on routes into Manchester. Also, it looks like there are additional clearance fees if your flight arrives during the night or on Sunday, so check that before you decide.

windsong

Thank you very much, MoshiMoshi. This is most helpful!

If this works I can fly into Manchester on Virgin with only a brief stop along the way to pick up passengers in the USA. It's also a bit further north and closer to Scotland.

If I take BA I have to fly into Heathrow, change planes and fly on to Scotland. I really don't want the pets to change planes, if I can help it. Maybe I could take the train from Manchester to Scotland.

lgabriel73

You will need to check that it is an authorised route with DEFRA.

Bluegrass Lass

We flew our pets into Manchester in 2011 with no problem. And from there we drove to our flat outside Glasgow.

Edinburgh also has an approved ARC, if you can find a flight that you like. We used United, but we are in the Midwest, not the Seattle area, so you might be more limited in flights from there.

windsong

Well, it appears that Virgin Atlantic is not approved to fly into Manchester with pets. Only Gatwick and Heathrow. That means I need to take BA's direct flight into Heathrow. Then to get to Scotland. I could take BA all the way but it means a plane change for the pets and I am very wary of that. I don't want to stress them even more.

Is there a train station close to Heathrow?

windsong

Maybe I should just fly all the way into Edinburgh. I just hate that flight change for the pets at Heathrow. Investigating the train Heathrow to Edinburgh, too.

mcm1

Maybe this list will help. https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...air-routes.pdf

lgabriel73

It might be easier for you to have them connect on a flight. Its going to be a lot for you to get two dogs and your luggage to the train station from the airport.