Policies for pet travel at United Airlines are particularly confusing these days. The airline has announced that they will be conforming to Continental’s PetSafe program as of March 3 due to the merging of these airlines. This will mean that United will no longer offer checked baggage as an option for pet travelers. There will be an exemption for military personnel who have been relocated from Guam.
The March 3 date may or may not be in effect at this point, but we suggest that, if you use United, that you get written verification from United officials if you are attempting to transport your pet as checked baggage.
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Omg, thanks very much for posting this! It’s going to be so helpful when I am thinking about going to AMC Veterans 24 in Tampa! I am from Warrington, PA so I am not familiar with Tampa. Next time I see my family will be much better! So Fabulous!
Hi Whitney – you need to give the Animal Quarantine Station in Japan over a month’s notice prior to entry. Your pet will need a microchip, vaccination and health certificate endorsed by the USDA. Requirements can change, so you will need to check closer to the time you leave. You can find details here: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Japan.cfm
A lot of people need to fly with their pet in the cargo hold. The key is preparation and picking the best route. Your pet must stay on the same airline the entire trip as airlines do not interline pets. Find the most direct route and try to keep the layovers short (2 hours or under), especially if your pet is traveling as checked baggage. The cost for that will be less, but the airlines may not care for your pet as long during the layovers. We don’t recommend airlines except for route preferences, but US based airlines take this business very seriously and have to report incidents to the Department of Transportation. This is not to say that foreign based airlines are poor because this is not the case. KLM and Lufthansa have very good records for transporting pets as do other airlines.
Get your pet in its crate and out of its environment a lot prior to travel. Take it to the dog park in its crate. Travel to a friend’s house. The more you get your pet out of the house in the crate, the easier it will be come travel day. Pets are resciliant and will sleep most of the trip. Keep your pet in good health and it should be fine.
Susan
My husband and I are planning on relocating to Japan a year from now and are in the research stage (we don’t yet have jobs but are in the process of applying.) Our big concern after a lot of research is how safe is it really to fly our dog, a 30 pound corgi mix, to Japan with us. We don’t want to leave him but worry about his safety. What are some things we should know? Is this way more common than I think and worrying too much? Which airlines and methods of transportation do you recommend and feel are the safest? What kind of cost am I looking at incurring? If you think of anything else I should know, that would be great! Thanks for the help.
James – you can find information on where to pick up your pet here: http://www.unitedcargo.com/OurNetwork/stationDisp.jsp?name=stationInfo&type=stationInfo&StnCode=&Airport=FRA&Submit.x=14&Reset.x=&. This is assuming your pet is traveling unaccompanied.
Susan
My dog will be shipped here to Frankfurt, Germany; which terminal do I pick him up at on 30 June 2013. We are having him shipped here by United Airlines Petsafe. Flight 46.
Terri – what airline is flying your pet? We are not an airline.
Susan
Where do I pick-up my pet being shipped to Seattle (SEA) and what are the hours and do they have a direct phone number?
Hello – small pet dogs and cats can travel in the cabin on certain airlines depending on their pet policy. United, most likely, will not and there may be a requirement that a pet transporter handle the transaction. If your kitty travels as checked baggage in the hold, you would claim it at baggage claim (pets are normally put beside the baggage carousel, but it varies by airport – the airline will be able to tell you depending on your destination.) Then you and your pet would go through customs. If your pet has a health certificate issued within 10 days of entering as well as a current rabies vaccination certificate, you should be fine. Have your vet inspect your kitty for ticks and fleas as well.
Susan