nitooz

Hi there - I've been a bit of a lurker on this site for a while, but now all systems are go for a move back to the UK in April this year. All a bit stressful, but the whole schmozzle over transporting our cat has me an emotional wreck.

We'll be flying out of Sydney. We have completed the requirements for the PETS Scheme (including our cat going as mad as a feral in the vets & needing sedated. Never seen her like that at the vets before), so I want to make this clear - I am NOT trying to circumvent the system - we've done all the paperwork, will have waited the required 6 months, and so on.

My biggest concern is - the whole pet as cargo thing. What I wanted to ask is:

Hope this makes sense. I'm just trying to see what my options are.

Thank you so much for your responses.

ozhappy981

No.

nitooz

Thanks for the elaboration.

I guess the issue is more at the Sydney airport end of things than with the Europe end or with the airline?

ozhappy981

There are no airlines that let you take cats in the cabin. Cats have to be transported in the hold.

canadaeh

Actually, there ARE many airlines around the world that allow pets in the Cabin (mostly in the USA).

Check out Delta Airlines as they usually allow pets in the Cabin for flights to and from the USA, and Delta fly Sydney to LA and then LA to Europe.

Air Tahiti Nui (great airline) did let pets in the cabin – if it was a cat or small dog in a special cage. You will have to check if they still do it.

Also try Air Tahiti Nui (great airline) when I went with them a few years ago people had pets in the cabin, there was a small cat, checking on their website at the time (as I wanted to bring might cat when considering a move) they allowed pets in the cabin as long as it was a small dog or cat.

Ok, just had a quick look for you and here are the page links,

Delta let you bring pets in the Cabin, and it seems fine for USA, CANADA and EUROPE... but doesn’t mention Australia specifically (doesn’t say they do or don’t), so will have to call them. Delta has a whole section on Pets and about how you can bring them to Europe, the UK is harder (as you already know). Check out the link and have a look around.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...ions/index.jsp

It seem the US and Canada are are ok with it, so try a few more that fly from Oz, like United Airlines, Air Canada, Hawaiian Airlines etc. The problem seem to be more about flights to and from Australia. But saying no airlines allow you to take pets in the cabin is ridiculous. Just because something doesn't happen in Ozzie land or on Ozzie Airlines doesn't mean it applies to the rest of the world.

Good Luck.

nitooz

Thanks for your kind response, canadaeh, I really appreciate it. I guess there's no other way to find out than do the ring round of various airlines, which is totally fine - thanks for giving me the heads-up on a few.

The only other thing I need to find out is the requirements or implications of flying into continental Europe & then to the UK. My husband believes that if we have an onward ticket to the UK, we'll get in trouble after the leg from Europe - UK.

All in all, the only reason I'm asking is because I know how my cat acts in stressful situations, and I want to do anything I (legally) can to do what's best for her.

(PS - I love your signature, canadaeh, even as much as I love it here!)

Jerseygirl

When transporting a cat into the UK by air the pet must be carried in the hold of the plane. One solution is to fly into Europe using an airline which will allow you to take your pet in the cabin...then transport the pet by road into the UK. I don't know whether Air France still allows pets in the cabin. Alternatively you could fly to somewhere such as New York then use the QM2 to cross the Atlantic...the pet would have to stay in the ship's kennels but you can visit.

canadaeh

Just an idea, but what if you just fly to Europe – Say Paris, and then get the Eurostar train back to England? That way you should have no problems if they see your ticket is all the way to the UK.

Although I have no idea how they transport the animals in the train (if you can take them in the carriage with you or if they have to go into a separate one, I assume a separate one, but I guess it wouldn’t be as half stressful as an air plane.

Also consider driving across, there are places that do one way car hire from FRANCE/UK, that way you have the cat the whole time and just drive onto the train/ferry and away you go.

If you have a plane ticket all the way to the UK, I can’t see you getting into trouble as you have all the paper work, but for the Europe to UK leg you might have to have the animal as checked baggage (which I think you'd have to book in advance?), so maybe look for an airline that does it - I'm don't know if any airline flying into the UK will let pets in the cabin with you.

Having a quick look online I found this site, on the page that I have linked just hit the tab and select the airline you want and it tells you about their pet travel (and if it can go in the cabin) so for example, I just picked Air France and it tells you that most small pets can go in the Cabin on most Air France flights (would have to call to check for the UK)... so you could fly from France to UK with them?

So give it a go and try a few airlines that do the routes and then it should point you in the right direction.

http://www.pettravel.com/airline_rules.cfm

Good luck and I hope all of you, and the cat make it across stress free.

Jerseygirl

It's not a question of airlines allowing pets in the cabin on flights to the UK...it's down to DEFRA's regulations...pets must be transported in the hold of the plane. They also stipulate the routes and airlines that can be used.

nitooz

I know about the DEFRA rules, and that there is absolutely no way of bringing a pet into the UK in the cabin, and I totally understand and respect their rules.

I've also found out even though Air Canada allow you to bring your pet into the cabin if flying to mainland Europe, this does not apply flying either to or from Sydney.

I'll do a bit more digging, but I'm maybe going to have to resign myself to the fact that it's possibly like this with every pet-friendly airline & Australia will be the exception. :-(

canadaeh

Then I guess the best solution to get the cat from Europe to the UK would be by road transport. Does Australia have the same regulations, as a lot of the airlines that fly to Australia do take pets in the cabin, and they all mention Asia, Europe, North America etc but none mention Australia (none say they don't do Australia either). So I'm wondering does Australia have the same regulation?

Also, just to the original poster on getting the cat to Europe, some more airlines that fly out of Sydney and onto Europe that allow pets in the cabin on most flights (again, doesn’t specifically mention Australia as can or can’t).

Korean Airlines Pet Policy
http://www.koreanair.com/local/kr/gd...g_cs_sn_pt.jsp

Asiana Airlines
http://au.flyasiana.com/Global/AU/en/index

While all these airlines mention that on most flights pets can go in the Cabin on International and Domestic flights, none are mentioning Australia. So maybe Australia has the same policy of no Cabin pets on flights in or out?

Which would mean the cat would have to fly that leg of the journey, which is pretty long.

Good luck.

Bojangles

I also seriously considered the option of flying to continental Europe and then taking the Eurostar, to avoid having to put my cat in the hold when I returned in September. (Admittedly, I was returning from E. Europe, which is nothing in comparison to Australia). However, as a cat owner the worry is always there, irrespective of distance. Believe me, I spent months planning alternative routes, and everything else relating to my move was stress-free in comparison.
I was reassured time and time again that cats are very resilient animals and in the end they do forgive their owners And I can now say that this is true! My cat also had to be sedated by the vet, when he took the blood sample, so I can sympathise on that front.

In the end I decided that I would put her on a direct flight to London, quite simply because it would have involved her spending less hours in her travel cage than taking her in the airline cabin to Paris, then in a taxi and then on the Eurostar. And she was absolutely fine. Rather vocal mind you, but fine! I think it also helped that she had got used to her travel crate a couple of weeks before she flew.

I realise that this doesn't answer your question, but I just wanted to assure you that your concerns are not unusual. If you do decide to fly via continental Europe I imagine that the only 'problem' may arise with the timing of the tick and worming treatment. The airline actually managed to lose all the paperwork and so my cat was given the treatment upon arrival in the UK, as there was no proof that it had been done before she left. And then the paperwork mysteriously turned up after a couple of hours.

Jerseygirl

As pet owners I think the problem is more with us than our pets when it comes to their transportation. I couldn't bare to put my two dogs in the hold of a plane...on the other hand they would probably sleep most of the time and arrive safe and well.

ozhappy981

The original poster asked about airlines flying from Australia to Europe that would allow a cat to be transported in the cabin.

My answer that "no airline will permit this" was in response to that. The fact that airlines in the USA allow pets in the cabin does not really help a lot if someone is flying from Australia ...

Jerseygirl

Are you sure US airlines flying out of Australia don't allow pets in the cabin? Is it the Australian authorities that prevent this? I ask because although pets aren't allowed in the cabin when flying into the UK with any airline...they are allowed in the cabin when leaving the UK on certain airlines. One of the posters in the US forum transported his cat from the UK to the US using a US airline.