- This topic has 1 reply, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 4 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
We are moving and are shipping our 3 dogs from Canada to CR in the fall. We are able to ship 2 of our dogs via United Airlines with us but must ship our other dog via cargo as he is a great dane and doesn’t fit. We have been quoted what we think is a large sum of money to do so but do not know of any other alternative after researching this. Does anyone have any experience with shipping a dog “cargo” due to the size? I would sincerely appreciate any advice or information. Thanks!
go here it might help
Because he is being shipped as cargo due to his size and is unaccompanied, you will be required to use a broker, hence the expense.
Yes sticker shock hit hard last night on his transport costs. My huge concern is the 2 days from Canada to CR and the time layovers in 2 cities. I will sell my car to get him down there. 😉
Where in Canada are you located? If you are ‘near’ Toronto, consider checking with [url=http://www.copaair.com]COPA Airlines[/url]
I am just now researching this very topic for our move next year. Check with Delta. They are the only airline I’ve found from Texas to Costa Rica (with one short layover in Atlanta) that allows dogs to fly as checked baggage with no need of a broker. The cost I’ve been quoted is about 1/10 of the cost of using a broker and shipping as cargo.
Delta may be your answer. Good luck.
United allow certain breeds/size dogs to fly as cargo which means using a broker.
Also ground temperature must be taken into consideration.
Flying a pet from Canada is more involved…:cry:I thought United flew dogs as checked baggage as well. I even thought I found a website that had prices/weight of dogs/crates. However, on another Costa Rica forum, a nice lady who used to work with United informed me that they would (1) fly our big dogs ONLY as cargo, not checked baggage, AND (2) would I have to hire a cargo broker.
This is the response I received from United (first question was an answer as to where to buy airline approved crates).
Thank you for contacting the PetSafe Desk.
1. These can be purchased at the airport or like a Petco, Walmart etc.
2. Yes you would need a broker for Costa Rica. Two phone numbers I have are 506-834-5056 or 506-2668-1425.
Best Regards,
Anthony Mackinnon
PetSafe Desk
United Airlines Cargo
(800) 575-3335If anyone has inside info that says this info is incorrect, I’d LOVE to know. If United would fly big dogs as checked baggage, my pups would have a mere 3 1/2 hour direct flight. I so wish it could be true.
some airlines have a maximum weight allowance of BIG dogs. if yours exceeds their limit, you need to do the broker thing no matter what.
How about AA? A friend recently flew his dog as baggage. [url=http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp]Pets traveling a baggage[/url]
I would guess it depend on how big your big dog is… and what breed it is.Thanks for the AA reminder. I thought I’d looked at them but will do so again. Just today, I’m trying to order shipping crates that will are airline approved. Of course, what’s advertised as airline approved isn’t always accepted by the airlines. It’s a maze but our pups are worth it.
[quote=”KristaA”]We are moving and are shipping our 3 dogs from Canada to CR in the fall. We are able to ship 2 of our dogs via United Airlines with us but must ship our other dog via cargo as he is a great dane and doesn’t fit. We have been quoted what we think is a large sum of money to do so but do not know of any other alternative after researching this. Does anyone have any experience with shipping a dog “cargo” due to the size? I would sincerely appreciate any advice or information. Thanks![/quote]
In 2007 we brought five (5) cats down on Delta. They had a heated cargo area and an attendant with the animals to make sure everything went OK.
I don’t remember the cost but it was high.It came down to “what is it worth to bring your “family” to Costa Rica.” 😀
I have flown in from the US twice with my dog on Continental (now United) via Houston and using the (very good) PetSafe program. (I took her to the States with me last year for a month so that’s why I’ve done this twice).
She flew as Cargo both times as per United policy. The first time, I landed in San Jose and had to use a Broker and pay a ridiculous fee (about $250) to free her from the Cargo Area (which is offsite from the airport so you need a taxi to get there). Clearing her took about 4 hours, and my poor puppy sat there in her crate while I waited for the “paper stampers” and “fee collectors” to do their jobs. It was horrible.
The second time in, I flew United (Continental) into Liberia via Houston. My dog was hand-delivered to me in the baggage area about 5 minutes after I got my luggage, and there was NO additional Broker fee involved. (BTW, the United people at the PetSafe desk aren’t that informed about each local airports’ policies and procedures, as you might imagine. They do try, however.)
Having said all this, the price of shipping via “Cargo” on Continental / United vs. shipping my dog as “checked baggage” on other airlines was similar. The MAIN difference was, flying as Cargo, the extra Broker Fee to clear her through Customs in San Jose. Considering the size/weight of a Great Dane, I’d suspect that you’d find it hard to ship the dog for a normal “checked baggage” rate on most airlines – probably you’d have to pay an “oversized bag” rate in any case.
My point is, if you can fly into Liberia (if it’s convenient), on United, you will still ship the dog as cargo but you likely can avoid the crazy “Broker Fee”. The San Jose rigamarole is, in my opinion is simply a pocket lining exercise on behalf of the Cargo people. They really don’t do anything other than say “Hola Perro!” to your dog in that facility, then they get the “Health Official” to sign off on your Veterinary import paperwork, (and if he’s not around, then you sit and wait in a crappy little office), then eventually they get around to delivering your animal to you. Meanwhile, your dog sits in his crate in a cargo warehouse, alone, ignored, and if it’s hot…well, it’s not climate controlled, and so it’s not too fun. And, if like me you worry about your dog, you suffer all this time as well.
My advice is to fly into Liberia with your pets if it makes sense, (ideally, they all arrive on the same flight), then hire a private transfer or rent a car to get to wherever your final destination is. Again, United flies directly to Liberia from Houston. If you use them, the PetSafe program will guarantee they are well cared for on their layovers, (they fed and watered my dog as advertised and they have a special pet area), and since they fly cargo, you can actually log into their website and monitor their transit status.
Finally, I bought my crate at Petco and it was fine. You just have to be sure that it’s big enough, noting that for International flights they require more free clearance for the dog to move around than on shorter Domestic flights.
Contact me privately if you want further info.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
