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Pet fees upon landing in UK

Pet fees upon landing in UK

Old Jun 20th 2014, 10:50 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Has anyone flown into Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Airport with pets before??

I called United to get their prices. I got the price of the flights for my two little dogs ($659 plus tax each) but they also said that in Manchester and in Edinburgh you have to work with a pet broker on the arrival end. The pet broker fee is $716 for my two dogs together but the woman didn't know if this is in addition to the normal landing/customs fee we pay for the pets or if it includes them but she suspected it was "in addition". Does anyone know?

She also said I have to contact PBS before I book the flights for the pets because they are to be listed as the party picking them up. I don't understand this because I plan to pick them up myself.

The broker in both places is PBS (so she told me) and I have their number but they are closed at the moment.

Last edited by windsong; Jun 20th 2014 at 11:05 pm.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:21 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by windsong
Has anyone flown into Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Airport with pets before??

I called United to get their prices. I got the price of the flights for my two little dogs ($659 plus tax each) but they also said that in Manchester and in Edinburgh you have to work with a pet broker on the arrival end. The pet broker fee is $716 for my two dogs together but the woman didn't know if this is in addition to the normal landing/customs fee we pay for the pets or if it includes them but she suspected it was "in addition". Does anyone know?

She also said I have to contact PBS before I book the flights for the pets because they are to be listed as the party picking them up. I don't understand this because I plan to pick them up myself.

The broker in both places is PBS (so she told me) and I have their number but they are closed at the moment.
When we flew into Edinburgh in Sept 2013, the company called Extrordinair handled the processing of our cats - basically they acted as the ARC for Edinburgh. I'm not sure if you would call them the 'broker' though. Before our cats flew over, I scanned/emailed the paperwork for them to review ahead of time to make sure it was all in order, and notified them of the United flight that our cats would be arriving on. They picked up the cats from the plane, took them back to their office, and processed the DEFRA paperwork. We went to their office to pick up the cats. I can tell you that we did not pay any additional fees when we picked up the cats from Extrordinair, and United had told us the same thing about having to pay a broker fee. But things could have changed since then.

Edit: a broker/pet agent is usually the one that picks the cats up from the plane and takes them to the ARC for processing. you pay a premium for this service. this is probably what the United rep meant when she said that a broker picks them up.

If you call/email Extrordinair, they should be able to answer your questions. Here's their website: Extrordinair | International Freight Forwarding On our return trip back to the US in May, we corresponded with Emily [email protected] regarding everything - she should be able to help you.

We also flew our cats into (and out of) Manchester back in 2011, but to be honest my memory is a little fuzzy with that process. I think we dealt with Pets on Jets though, not a company called PBS.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:30 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by Bluegrass Lass
When we flew into Edinburgh in Sept 2013, the company called Extrordinair handled the processing of our cats - basically they acted as the ARC for Edinburgh. I'm not sure if you would call them the 'broker' though. Before our cats flew over, I scanned/emailed the paperwork for them to review ahead of time to make sure it was all in order, and notified them of the United flight that our cats would be arriving on. They picked up the cats from the plane, took them back to their office, and processed the DEFRA paperwork. We went to their office to pick up the cats. I can tell you that we did not pay any additional fees when we picked up the cats from Extrordinair, and United had told us the same thing about having to pay a broker fee. But things could have changed since then.

Edit: a broker/pet agent is usually the one that picks the cats up from the plane and takes them to the ARC for processing. you pay a premium for this service. this is probably what the United rep meant when she said that a broker picks them up.

If you call/email Extrordinair, they should be able to answer your questions. Here's their website: Extrordinair | International Freight Forwarding On our return trip back to the US in May, we corresponded with Emily [email protected] regarding everything - she should be able to help you.

We also flew our cats into (and out of) Manchester back in 2011, but to be honest my memory is a little fuzzy with that process. I think we dealt with Pets on Jets though, not a company called PBS.
Thank you, Bluegrass Lass. I will email Emily.

I get a different story with every airline I call - and then the people I talk to don't know everything. It is so confusing.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:32 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Pets on Jets is still the company who runs the animal reception center at Manchester.

Bluegrass Lass is correct about the actual fee being something different (less) than stated by the airline. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence in other web communities of this.

windsong will just have to wait till morning to get a live body to talk to. But from what I've read it will be worth the wait. Again, anecdotal evidence suggests the staff at both animal reception centers are very helpful.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:34 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
Pets on Jets is still the company who runs the animal reception center at Manchester.

Bluegrass Lass is correct about the actual fee being something different (less) than stated by the airline. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence in other web communities of this.

windsong will just have to wait till morning to get a live body to talk to. But from what I've read it will be worth the wait. Again, anecdotal evidence suggests the staff at both animal reception centers are very helpful.
It would be nice to know ahead of time if I have to pay a $720 broker fee PLUS landing fees on arrival. I just hope they are open on Saturdays so I can speak to someone.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:36 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

You need to place a phone call. Not just do email.

Buy an international calling card and use your cell phone to make the call. There is always an access number on international cards for dialing from a cell phone (mobile). That is how we call home. We've been in touch a lot with family in the last few weeks due to a death in the family. We just used the correct access number and there are never any extra charges on our cell phone bill.

PS - You can buy calling cards online. We get ours here:

ZapTel Calling Cards - The Original International Prepaid Phone Card Store
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:42 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by windsong
Thank you, Bluegrass Lass. I will email Emily.

I get a different story with every airline I call - and then the people I talk to don't know everything. It is so confusing.
Yes, and I got a couple of different answers with United's PetSafe agents the couple of times I called. It was definitely confusing and frustrating to deal with them to say the least. After you set up the reservation for them, I would still call back at least once a week every week before the flight just to verify the reservation and that everything looks good to go.

We were told everything was fine with our cats' flights and the route they were going to be on up until about 5days before scheduled departure, and then I got a call from an agent saying they were wrong and the route we had chosen wouldn't work for them as it wasn't an airport that would/could handle the internal domestic flight. So 5days pre-departure, I had to make the decision to fly them out of a different airport for their domestic flight to Newark. This caused me to have to drive 4 hours one way and stay in a hotel with them overnight. To say it was frustrating is putting it mildly.

Best of luck!
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:43 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
You need to place a phone call. Not just do email.

Buy an international calling card and use your cell phone to make the call. There is always an access number on international cards for dialing from a cell phone (mobile). That is how we call home. We've been in touch a lot with family in the last few weeks due to a death in the family. We just used the correct access number and there are never any extra charges on our cell phone bill.

PS - You can buy calling cards online. We get ours here:

ZapTel Calling Cards - The Original International Prepaid Phone Card Store
It appears I can add unlimited international calling to 70 countries (which includes the UK) for only $10 a month. (I am using TMobile prepaid service at the moment.)

I will look at your link, too but not sure it will be less expensive than $10.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/p...ional-services
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:47 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by Bluegrass Lass
Yes, and I got a couple of different answers with United's PetSafe agents the couple of times I called. It was definitely confusing and frustrating to deal with them to say the least. After you set up the reservation for them, I would still call back at least once a week every week before the flight just to verify the reservation and that everything looks good to go.

We were told everything was fine with our cats' flights and the route they were going to be on up until about 5days before scheduled departure, and then I got a call from an agent saying they were wrong and the route we had chosen wouldn't work for them as it wasn't an airport that would/could handle the internal domestic flight. So 5days pre-departure, I had to make the decision to fly them out of a different airport for their domestic flight to Newark. This caused me to have to drive 4 hours one way and stay in a hotel with them overnight. To say it was frustrating is putting it mildly.

Best of luck!

This is where I got this info - PetSafe! They were about to book the dogs on flights that didn't have the three-hour layover time required to get them from one plane to another. I only knew about this layover time requirement by calling other airlines. I mentioned it to PetSafe and she said, "Oh, let me check the layover time". She had forgotten about the length of time required. For United it is three hours and the flights she was looking at had only two hours. That was the first time I called today - I think she was from India. The second time I called I got an American voice and she is the one who mentioned these broker fees to me. It is impossible to call United Cargo in Denver so I called reservations and they gave me the number for PetSafe. It is all centralized.

I am waiting to get a quote from Lufthansa, too.

Of all that I have to do in the next two and a half weeks, this is the worst part. I have had to call each airline two and three times to make sure I get the same story from the reps. It's so frustrating and so stressful.

Last edited by windsong; Jun 20th 2014 at 11:50 pm.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:57 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by windsong
It appears I can add unlimited international calling to 70 countries (which includes the UK) for only $10 a month. (I am using TMobile prepaid service at the moment.)

I will look at your link, too but not sure it will be less expensive than $10.

International Prepaid Phone Plans | International Rates | T-Mobile
OK. Just trying to help.
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Old Jun 20th 2014, 11:58 pm
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
OK. Just trying to help.
I do appreciate it.
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Old Jun 21st 2014, 8:22 am
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

I would be very concerned about letting any company/airline handle my dog that is so disorganised and doesn't even know the rules for flying pets. 2 1/2 weeks seems like an impossible goal since you don't have the dogs booked or yourself booked. good luck!
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Old Jun 21st 2014, 9:30 am
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

Originally Posted by lgabriel73
I would be very concerned about letting any company/airline handle my dog that is so disorganised and doesn't even know the rules for flying pets. 2 1/2 weeks seems like an impossible goal since you don't have the dogs booked or yourself booked. good luck!
That's exactly how I feel!

Two and half weeks - no, not impossible at all. If it takes a few days longer, I will have to wait. I won't book anything unless I feel it is a good choice.
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Old Jun 22nd 2014, 1:09 am
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

How did your cats travel in Cargo with BA? Looking to take my cats home at the end of summer and have been torn between flying them in cabin with Air Swiss to France or direct with BA in Cargo
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Old Jun 22nd 2014, 1:19 am
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Default Re: Pet fees upon landing in UK

I'm looking to fly my two cats from LA to London at the end of summer. How did your guys handle the flight? You have any tips or advise for me? Thank you! The transporting of them is the most stressful part of moving back home. Also, how are you handling the culture shock of being back? I've been in LA 8 years now and whilst I know I would never want to raise children here, I'm still scared sh*tless of the idea of returning to the UK after 10 years and not fitting in.
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