Mr Weeze

ABZ - AMS - IAH.

I have seen dogs on the plane more than once. The most up to date info is on the KLM website if you use the search term pets. Ours was baggage as he weighs 40 lbs.

Jerseygirl

Some airlines do. Airlines flying into the UK are not allowed to transport pets in the cabin...unless they are service dogs.

Ailidh

The whole story's on here, I posted it after this happened on December 19, 2012.

Jerseygirl

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=779840

Ailidh

Thanks!

On Lufthansa, cats and very small dogs (don't know the weight limit as both our dogs were big girls and had to be transported - unfortunately as it transpired - in the hold) can be transported in the cabin. I think there is a limit on number of animals in the cabin though, so you need to reserve in advance. My husband travelled on United with one cat and for United there is a limit of 3 animals per cabin I think I remember.

Jerseygirl

I believe the number of pets in the cabin is restricted. Best to check with the airline for details as it can vary.

Just to emphasize...pets cannot be transported in the cabin on any flight into the UK. All pets entering the UK by air must travel in the cabin...on a designated route...by a designated airline.

Mr Weeze

I honestly thought you had to use a carrier company to get into the UK - was it the airline cargo company who provided the service?

elizabethsmum

If the dogs fly in the cabin can you take them out after take off? I am worried that they might start yapping and I will have a whole plane wanting to kill us! LOL Do they stay with you from check in and through customs? Do they have to stay under the seat?

Mr Weeze

I've seen someone walking their dog in business class on KLM before.

windsong

Ohh my gosh!! What a complete clown!

Pets brought in from the UK are fine here!

Funstuie

We have 4 cats who are part of our family but we are not bringing them with us to California. All 4 are outdoor cats, they come and go as they please I all weather and it would just be too difficult to find suitable accommodation in the US that would allow us to have 4 cats and also have outside space for them.

It's heartbreaking to have made the decision to not bring them and right now we are desperately trying to find new homes for them and it's not easy.

It's not a decision we have taken lightly and we will not be getting any pets in the US for this reason. We don't want to have to have to make this choice again. I know some people won't agree with us but we love out cats too much to change their lives so dramatically. We would rather they went to new homes in the UK.

MoshiMoshi

Hi Tarnished, we took our 2 cats with us to LA. We actually flew from Germany, so I don't know the technicalities of transporting pets from the UK, but personally I would fly them cargo rather than in-cabin.

I know, on the one hand, it's much more reassuring to have them with you; but on the other, their travel crates for flying cargo will be very roomy and more comfortable for such a long journey. They'll have space to sit up, turn around, etc.

Depending on your cats' sizes, an in-cabin carrier may be very cramped in comparison -- don't they have to fit under the seat in front? -- and I don't think many cats would suit being taken out of their carrier for a leg-stretch mid-flight. (I think they're not supposed to be taken out, either.) Ditto for at the airport. Even with harnesses on, mine would have freaked out. At least in a cargo crate, they have room to move a bit whilst also being shielded from the noise and people around them.

But that's just my opinion. Depends what kind of cats you have! Mine are now back in the UK, having crossed the Atlantic twice. We flew Air Berlin and then BA, and both trips were fine. Cats were predictably pissed off with the journey, but they happily adapted to our new homes as soon as we arrived.

Do yours have microchips and pet passports yet? I would recommend you get that done before you leave, just in case; it's not necessary for the US, but is very handy if you ever return to the EU.

Also, FYI, it's very very expensive to fly pets back into the UK -- but if you're moving to the US permanently then you don't need to worry about this.

Are yours indoor-only? Ours always have been, so it wasn't too much of an adjustment to LA, where nearly all cats seem to be indoor-only.

To start with, I'd contact airlines which fly LHR-LAX and asking about their pet policy and prices.

Later on, you'll need to check pet import requirements for California, but these are unlikely to be very demanding (they certainly weren't when we arrived). Usually it's a rabies certificate, plus a certificate of general health (aka a fit-to-fly document) issued by a vet shortly before travel. Your airline will also have various requirements re. paperwork.

Good luck! It's stressful, but I found getting the pets to California was much more straightforward (and cheaper) than getting them to the UK.

Nutmegger

Tarnished hasn't been here since May 2013 -- for some reason this thread came back from the dead!