Cookie

Have just booked flights for us all (including 1 cat) from Aberdeen to Halifax via Heathrow. Was concerned that I had to pick up the cat at Heathrow, change terminals, sit and wait the cat between flights and finally check her onto AC flight to Halifax. In total it will be a very long day - around 13 hours including waiting time in airports.

Found the website for Heathrow Animal Reception Centre http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corpo...ion_centre.htm and phoned them and asked if she could go there. I was told get back onto the airline and make sure she is booked 'straight through'. Have just done that and to be on the safe side will confirm this at Aberdeen airport on the day so she gets the right sticker attached to her pet carrier. The people from the animal centre will pick her up, take her to the centre for some TLC (and a pee no doubt), then will take her directly to our AC flight to NS.

Hooray - to say this makes me feel much better about my cat flying is an understatement (people with pets will understand this).

All the same, I have put the animal centre and AC phone numbers in my moby (cell phone) and will check up when I'm between flights

or4ngecrush

Good stuff let me know how it goes as I might be doing the same thing at some point

Emma

brit_in_fizroy

Don't wish to alarm you but! We booked our dog staright through from Aberdeen to Ottawa, it was a short wait so we thought all would be okay. On arriving at Heathrow we were informed that we had to pick him up and take him ourselves to Terminal 4 from Terminal 1. As it was a short time between flights and the time it took to get him off, it was touch and go to get to 4 in time. This and the fact that we dosed him up to calm him down - not a pleasant experience. I suggest you check up on your cat when you get to Heathrow just in case. terminal 1 is internal Terminal 4 is Trans Atlantic, maybe they don't talk to each other. good luck

Cookie

Hi brit_in_fizroy

Thanks for the warning. Heathrow Animal Centre told me that it will be logged with them to collect our cat, take her to the centre, then return her to the correct terminal for her transatlantic flight. We have 3 hours between flights.

In theory this sounds great, but in practice it may not be quite so plain sailing so I think I will phone the day before we fly down to check she's on their list and I will also phone them a short time after I land to check up on where my cat is. I won't rest easy until I collect my cat at Halifax thats for sure!.

Souvenir

And check your terminals, too. Unless things have changed in the last few weeks, Air Canada is the only carrier betwen Heathrow and Ottawa. They use Terminal 3.

brit_in_fizroy

My Problem happened 8 years ago, and it wasn't me but the wife - I got it in the ear when she arrived. Perhaps Heathrow is better at this these days