civilservant

Thats because the UK dosen't allow pets to arrive in the cabin, ever.

TimandRae

We've got our dog booked with Virgin from Heathrow to Boston for our move in June. He's a 20kg Staffordshire Bull Terrier and it's costing £970 for the flight. We're about to get the crate which is going to be about £100. Doggie Solutions have quite a few that seem good value.

There's a number of pet agents that various posters have recommended - I'm sure a search will bring them up - and when I contacted them for quotes they varied between £1,200 and £1,500.

We decided to DIY as we're in no rush once we get to the other side and it means we can put him on a flight and carrier that works for us, rather than one that the agents have an agreement with.

The practical implications are that we've (well, my parents) need to drop him off at Virgin's cargo depot the day he flies and we need to sort out collection and paying the customs fees on the other side. As I say, we're in no rush and on something of a budget so trying to keep costs down as much as possible while still using a reputable carrier.

If you chose to use an agent, they'll handle all of this and deliver your dog to your new address - for a fee of course.

Nick in Italy

Thanks Tim and Rae

Good luck with your move. Is the £970 just for the dog? I recall when we moved from the US to Europe, NorthWest/KLM charged us only$300 extra to take our dog on the same flights as us (IE as luggage) from Minneapolis to Milan.

Our dog is a 20kg German Shorthair Pointer and we still have the crate from that move.

I have to say that although everything went well on that original trip however up until the moment we checked in, it was a big worry that the temperature would be outside limits and we would have to last minute postpone.

Nick

TimandRae

Yup, that's just for the Beast We looked at pretty much all of the major airlines and they all said that dogs needed to go as cargo.

Off the top of my head, I don't recall whether this was because of the breed or for some other reason... Whatever it was, I couldn't find anyone who would allow us to bring him as 'luggage'. He could still be on the same flight as us, but would be classed as 'cargo'.

Still, everything's booked now so I hope it works! Ask me again in eight weeks and I'll tell you!

Mr Weeze

We went KLM via AMS. We split our trip over two days, which meant he was out of the crate and in the KLM transit centre over night. I don't think (but could be wrong) that a KLM (as opposed to Delta code share) has the temperature restrictions.

TimandRae

I seem to recall that not many airlines would deal directly with the public - certainly BA and Delta wouldn't - and that if you wanted to fly with them you had to use an agent.

Virgin were the exception.

MoshiMoshi

BA will deal directly with the public.... except if you're flying out of LHR (into LHR is fine). It's weird. Good luck with your flight: I've heard Virgin are very good with pets.

@OP: We flew our 2 cats from Germany to California in 2010, and I think it cost about E200 each with Air Berlin. They were classed as outsize baggage and went in the hold. We could've flown them even cheaper in the cabin, but they were too big to go under a seat. Air Berlin aren't usually transatlantic -- they only fly to California for a few months each year -- so it's worth checking out smaller European carriers' schedules. Don't know about the temperature restrictions, though; probably flying into somewhere more temperate and then driving is the best option with a dog.

(The price difference between flying Europe/USA and USA/UK is crazy. Flying back, California to London, two years later, cost $1600 for both cats. They had to be classed as manifest cargo. Zero possibility of going in the cabin.)

Ailidh, I'm so sorry about your dog, and completely disgusted by Lufthansa's response.

civilservant

Certainly not true of Delta anymore.

becks_r

When I was looking at transporting my dog, I was told that Virgin and Continental were the best - in fact Continental were recommended by my vet who used them when she moved from California to UK with her pets. Of course Continental have now become United and in fact the company I used to ship her used United but told me that they still dealt with the same people they did when it was Continental and used the same facilities at Chicago airport during her layover.

The company I used were excellent, the only ones that got her nearly door to door and she arrived in her crate at the airport nervous but happy and has been great ever since, in fact she is lying on my feet as I type!!! But I did worry about shipping her and did look at other transport as I was concerned about her flying, but she was too big for any other option.

Ailidh, I am also very sorry about your dog, and find it difficult to understand how Lufthansa could be so negligent and get away with it. Not that I have ever used them for any flight, never been an option, but I will certainly never use them in future, I won't give such an awful company any of my money.

TimandRae

Certainly was as of February 11th.

Copy of an email I received from Delta:

steffunny

just for anyone that has a lil one to fly with...........last time i looked you can fly in cabin out of france to the us.........im hopeful on it staying that way for a couple more years when i move back home

Jerseygirl

I've always thought that is one alternative when going back to the UK...that or the QM2.

steffunny

i just posted about the QM2 on the 3 chihuahuas thread..........thats how we came over here to the UK