Has anyone had to procure one in Switzerland and can recommend a shop that keeps the X-Large ones in stock? I don't have time to order one.
Also appreciate any travel tips. Bit nervous as the dog's a senior and very prescious to me.
I'm looking to buy a large carrier to transport my dog to North America. She's 33 Kg so I'll need a pretty large one. Has anyone done research on the airline approved brands (if any)? We're flying code-share Air Canada / Lufthansa. Both websites aren't specific about brand or carrier sizes, just total weight and material. I'd like to avoid a surprise when I get to check in.
Hello mazzer,
I think the only thing you need is a regular dog carrier also approved for airplane such as the http://www.ferplast.it/scheda_prodot...20professional .
I have a question for you. Will your dog need to stay in quarantine once arrived in the new country (Canada or US) or not? I will also need to move to US for work in six months and I heard there is that requirement. Is that right?
I fly my dogs in Varikennels.The oldest of the crates is almost 20 years old, has been round the world many times now, and is still in good condition.
It is important that the crate is ventilated on all sides. The crate we bought had wire mesh ventilation on three sides, so the shipping agent (we always use a professional animal shipping company for our dogs' travel) drilled extra holes in the back side.
If you have any questions as to the suitability of your crate, make an appointment with the airline's animal shipping department and have them check it out. (Taking care of such things is one reason I use a professional.)
A crate needs to be large enough so that the animal can stand and turn around comfortably, tall enough so that when standing the ears don't quite touch the top.
Tips for flying:
Fly direct. Even if it means that you drive a long ways to/from an airport. It's the waiting in the airport, taking the dog on and off the plane that is most stressful - once in the plane, if suitably prepared, most dogs will settle and sleep.
(Not to mention, flying direct avoids mishaps where you end up in Hong Kong, your dog in Amsterdam, the dog's papers in Tel Aviv... )
The best thing that you can do to prepare your dog for the flight is to get him accustomed to the crate well in advance. If your dog sees the crate as a place of safety and comfort the flight will go much smoother. I set my crates up as far in advance as possible, allowing the dogs to come and go in them. I toss in treats or toys, praise them for spending time quietly in there. We slowly build up time in the crate - first a minute or two, gradually longer.
Hydration: your dog will need water during the flight, but you want to avoid spilling and soaking the cushion, leaving your dog to spend the flight feeling damp. I have found that using a hamster-type drink bottle, frozen, mounted on the crate door with a bowl beneath works very well. As the frozen water melts, it will slowly drip into the catch bowl - just enough to keep your dog hydrated, not enough to make a mess.
It takes time to teach a dog to drink from this kind of bottle - another reason to set up the crate as early as possible.
If allowed, put a T-shirt or something that smells of you in the crate. Your dog will find the familiar smell comforting.
If your dog plays with toys safely, and if allowed, put in a favorite toy for the dog to cuddle. HOWEVER if your dog is a chewer do not do this, as the dog might choke on something chewed.
Note I said 'if allowed' above. I have always put the toys and t-shirt in our crates, and never had any problems. However, a friend reported that US customs once took her dog toys and cushions out of the crate - apparently over some concern over drug smuggling... But in all my years of travel I have never had any such thing happen. Call your airline to verify what is, or is not, allowed in a crate.
I label my crates with my contact details, and with all necessary information regarding my dogs. This includes name, breed, sex, identifying details, medications the dogs are on - and very important - instructions for anyone attempting to open the crate. (In the case of Psycho-Collie, the instruction was 'This dog is VERY wary of strangers - do NOT open unless owner is present!'. ) The shipper also marked the crate with the time of the last feeding and watering before boarding the plane.
Keep copies of your dog's papers in your hand luggage, as well as an extra lead and water bowl and bit of food - your dog will likely need to piddle asap after you collect him, and will probably need something to eat and drink. Sometimes you can get through the formalities quite quickly, sometimes there is a long wait, hence the suggestion to have the necessary stuff on hand when you pick up your dog.
Finally - the way to keep your dog's stress levels down is not to let the stress get to you. Dogs pick up on their owner's emotions - keeping calm during the prep phase and certainly when you are in the airport will help your dog more than anything else.
(Another reason why I use a pro - the peace of mind knowing the dogs are in the best of hands is worth the price, IMO.)
Best of luck to you and your doglet - and bon voyage!
The only US state with quarantine requirements is Hawaii.
This thread might be of interest:
Please please please double check everything.
1. I was told by Air Canada they no longer transport pets overseas.
2. They have a weight limit of 99 lbs including the size of the crate.
My backstory: I was bringing my dog from Canada to CH, originally booked on Lufthansa/AC from Toronto. I spoke with 5 people on 5 occasions who said that all would be fine. Booked the ticket and was told to call back in 10 days to confirm the dog. I called back to be told there was a weight limit (she's 37 kilos) and that with the crate she would be too heavy. They would leave her on the Tarmac, she would have to go cargo for $3000. I ended up flying Swiss from Montreal instead, paying $350 for excess baggage.
Air Canada is the worst airline EVER. Please, just make sure everything is in order before you leave so you don't have the same issues I did.
Thanks for the helpful advice meloncollie. I have a feeling that I'm stressing much more than need be. And you're right, I sense she's already picked up on it. Of course having the old kennel (that she traveled in 9 years ago to come to CH) in the middle of the living room is giving her a clue that something is up. ;-(
So it sounds like the"vari-kennel"-type carrier is still allowed by the airline. I'm kicking myself for losing the door to the one sitting in my living room. Will go scouting for a replacement carrier or door today.
Would you pass on the contact details to the professional you work with?
Yikes! When I called Air Canada, I was told that overseas is always possible, but there are blackouts periods for domestic travel (due to extreme heat on tarmac in summer and cold in winter). They also mentioned the 35kg restriction (including carrier) meaning my only option was "cargo" rather than extra baggage.
I then called Lufthansa (twice now) to confirm that their weight restriction is 45kg (incl carrier) for extra baggage. Same flight/plane, just different flight number and it originates in Zurich rather than Calgary. They've reassured me that its absolutely NO problem... but still I fear a surprise when we get to the airport.
Time to make a third call to confirm everything.....
When you call I would ask for agent names and ID numbers so that you can verify whom you spoke with if it comes down to it. I tried to argue "well 5 of your agents said it was fine" and she basically said it was "union rules, they just won't do it".
Having your bases covered is good - good luck with the move. Our dog came over just fine and loves it here. We used to bring her back to Canada for holiday but she's too old now.
In the past I've used AArk Air ( http://www.aarkair.com/ ) , but they handle world-wide travel starting or ending in the Chicagoland area. If you are going to Canada they are perhaps not the company for you, however. I would suggest you speak with these folks based in CH:
http://www.acepetmoving.com/en/about-us.html
I have not used them yet as we my oldie is unable to travel, but I have corresponded with them. Based on that limited exchange, I was impressed with the professionalism of their operation. I think I remember that other EFers have used them, so you might ask for reviews here.
Please do not rely on telephone conversations. When we moved back home here and brought our pets with us, I had more paper than I could ever imagine. Please get everything in writing. I used fax communication as well as emails. Print everything.
For a kennel, you can order from Meiko and have it delivered. I have attached a pdf with the selection of IATA approved kennels.
Here is a link from IATA's website on how to choose the correct kennel.
It seems you can order replacement parts for Petmate kennels but I have
no idea how long this will take.
Alternatively you could look for a second hand kennel. Many are only used once and in top condition. We sold all of ours in no time at all.
I have 2 large IATA approved dog carriers, suitable for 33kg dogs. Let me know if you are interested, happy to part with them.
Thanks to all for your advice. Now that the carrier issue is sorted (thanks again John), I'm placing a daily call now to both Lufthansa and Air Canada to re-confirm our scheduled flight on Wednesday.
The advice, support, and encouragement (also by PM) I've received from EFers is touching. I truly appreciate all the fingers that are crossed for our journey back to Canada.
United as of now is still taking dogs as accompanied baggage. You can also purchase the kennels directly from the airline (usually at their cargo offices) in major cities. They normally will list the prices on their websites. At United, it was $100 for a size 400# kennel. I think the 500# is $150.
If you are using a carrier service they can also help you to locate a kennel.
When I moved here I contacted several carrier services and found them all to be extraordinarily expensive, the best was at $3500 and the most expensive was $8000. On a positive, they all network with each other to keep the chain intact while moving your dog through each location.
I first found the airfare and dates I wanted to pay/fly online. This particular flight was a code share and was $500 cheaper than the operating airline's price for the same seat. Then I called the operating airline to determine if space was available to take my dogs. Once I had that confirmed, I purchased my tickets, then called the operating airline back to reserve the space for my dogs.
I ended up doing most of the work myself and spent just 500CHF for a service to bring them from Zurich airport to Basel, simply because I couldn't rent a car of any kind that could take me, my luggage, and my dogs for a lower price. I also spent $20usd to get to the airport in the US by taxi.
Carrier companies' prices also include the fees for dealing with the authorities to get the paperwork in order and clear the dogs through Customs. I will tell you now, if you're going to the US there are no customs fees for taking your dogs as accompanied baggage. Cargo is different, and carrier companies will try to throw in a brokerage fee. My customs fees when coming to CH were 88CHF.
The fees for my international health certificates were $315, and another $72 for the USDA, APHIS veterinarian to certify the health certificates, plus the cost of gas and parking to go to their office.
The airline cost was $250 to check each dog as excess baggage.
All together, I saved about 2/3 of the price from using a carrier company and doing most of the schlepping myself. Avoiding cargo methods was also a huge comfort for me, and a lot less hassle.
Unfortunately many airlines are going the way of NOT taking dogs as accompanied baggage and ONLY taking them as cargo. Even while checking in with United, the ticket agent told me that United and Continental are probably only going to take dogs as cargo once the merger is complete, and it looks like this is fast becoming policy for all of the Star Alliance members.
I'm not sure where the other airlines are going with their policies, but there is definitely going to be a demand for service that allows pet owners to bring their fur-children as accompanied baggage.
Delta allows you to fly with your dog in a window row if you purchase a ticket for them. Last flight I had from Zurich to Atlanta there was a german Shepard that was lying in the foot space with his owner. At customs in the US, the dog and owner just waited inline with everyone else. Good luck!
The dog traveled with out a crate? Or in the crate? Was the dog a "service animal"?
My dog is small so I always take him in cabin with me. Swiss, TAP, Delta & Lufthansa seem to be the most dog friendly so far.
According to the Delta website, service dogs are allowed in the cabin as follows:
http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...erns/index.jsp
But other dogs in the cabin are restricted to small dogs, in a crate that will fit below the seat in front of you:
http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...ions/index.jsp
(Just posting this in case anyone else starts to get excited as I did, thinking my somewhat larger dogs could fly in the cabin... alas not.)
Yes. I assumed it was a service animal. I'm surprised though it's not in a crate, at least not for take off and landing. How is the dog secured? I love that you can bring your money too! Generally I'm not a fan of flying Delta, but they are animal friendly.
Meloncollie has covered a lot but I have some things to add
Now I'm sorry if these are already said after meloncollie's post, but I don't have time to read through it all. I want to make sure that you know these important details
- Ask a trusted vet about if you should/ what type of pill to help it stay calm during the flight or sleep.. and to help slow down things ect ect
- find out the state and country laws/ airline rules, because when we were flying, unless it was air conditioned they would not let the dogs fly if it was over a certain temperature.. small things like that
- Dogs can not have neck collars on, buy a harness that fits correctly
-Tape a plastic sack filled with about a bowl or 2 of dog food on top of the cage (so that when you get the dog you can feed it)
Just think of it as being bed time, where the dog doesn't get food, water, or go to the bathroom. Make sure though to take care of the dog before the flight, and the dog should do just fine.
And I think I remember there being specific types of cages that are approved at the pet store.
but this is the type of cage we had
This is all I can think of for now, if I think of anything else I will let you know. I hope this helps, and you should do just fine.
Quick update to our move. Air Canada has a weight restriction to excess baggage (including live animals) at 32 kg. Considering the carrier is 11kg, this meant my lab wouldn't qualify for excess baggage and rather needed to go via cargo @ approx CHF 3000.
So... I switched to Lufthansa. Problem solved. Exact same flight, code share with Air Canada, but Lufthansa rules applied which were 45kg maximum for excess baggage. I drove to Frankfurt to avoid the long layover and transfer for the dog (besides the fact that the carrier wouldn't fit into the Swiss jumbilino used from CH to FRA). She was 43 kg with carrier and cost 300 Euros. The checkin agents were very friendly and ensured that she was watered before loading.
All in all, I must have spoken to over 25 agents on the phone leading up to the trip. Had at least 20 different answers regarding confirmations/restrictions. Seems the airlines have no coordination/standards regarding carrier sizes (i.e. a Luftansa #4 is a Swiss #7, etc.) and so many new rules that they simply can't keep it all straight.
Relieved that we are safe and sound now in Calgary. Having a bit of trouble transitioning to new food (customs didn't allow more than 5 cups of foreign dog food to enter country) but I hope its a temp problem.
The dog was a German Shepard, very large about 120 lbs. Too big for a create. He was not a service dog but a family dog.
He is not the only large dog I know of that delta has allowed them to fly in the cabin without a create, regardless of policy, you need to contact directly and have a reason why the dog can't go as cargo. I had a friend whom paid for the extra seat and had her great Dane also too big for a create on a flight from the states to Hawaii. If you are willing to pay $$$$ they will accomodate you.