My family consists of Him, Her, and Dog. I would never consider a move even to a new place in town, without my dog. Moving 3,000 miles away and over an ocean would not be possible without transporting my dog to be with me. Our dog is 50 pounds and not a service dog (I would never lie about that or try to scam the system), so travel in cabin was not an option.
Here are the 10 questions you need to ask when booking Cargo travel for your Pet, and my recent experience (good and bad).
Scenario 1: Complete Failure! Weeks before our travel date airfare was purchased over the phone, with a real live person, for our dog’s flight and our people airfare. Then 4 days before the flight, as per airline recommendation, I called to confirm flight and ask a few questions. That is when everything fell apart. One customer service rep said it was not possible to fly my dog to Puerto Rico and I was offered a full refund, or leave the dog in Phoenix. Several more phone calls and completely different representations with conflicting options each time, just left me with that queasy felling that I am going to go to jail for assault the night of our flight unless I make other arrangements.
Scenario 2: That evening (four days before our big move), I called United to discuss the PetSafe travel options for my dog. Less than 30 minutes later, I had my dog’s travel booked, all questions answered, assurance that he would be in climate controlled environments the entire time, and let out of his kennel between flights for potty breaks and exercise. His flight cost more than mine, in FIRST class, but he is my baby. United confirmed that he would need a Health certificate within 10 days of flight, and no quarantine at our destination (or any part of our travel). I was provided a tracking number, and I was able to view his travel progress on-line the entire time he was in United’s care. He arrived safely in San Juan, he and the kennel were undamaged, and he was very happy to see me. SUCCESS!
If I ever need to Cargo ship another pet, it will be with United PetSafe program!
Here are 10 questions to ask when booking Pet travel in cargo:
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