I can see there are a lot of very experienced people on here--I need to find out how soon in advance I need to start vaccinating dogs in case we go back to the US (it will sadly be a one way trip for all of us), is the process/cost the same as the Pet Passport  and whether you recommend using a pet transport service to book flights, arrange transport etc. Are there any carriers that allow dogs in the cabin, and in your experience is there anything "they" don't tell you that I need to know...

Had an email back from one pet transport business that suggested it would be cheaper if I shipped them via Frankfurt and if needed they could spend the night in the airport kennels :( no thank you!!!!!!

Thanks everyone--biting my nails over this already and we don't even know for sure if we have to go yet.

I'm not much help (as ever!) but my friends flew the puppy they bought from me back to the US in the cabin, I'm not sure which airline it was, but it shows they do exist. I think there's a weight limit though, 15kg or something, and also a limit on how many dogs can be in the cabin. Pretty vague I'm afraid...

What size dogs are we talking about?

I am planning on taking my 18 - 20kg dog with em to New York in January.  She will have to go in the Cargo hold but will travel as checked baggage as I will be on the flight.  It is cheaper this way than sending the dog Cargo.

Rabies vaccination is compulsory and it needs to be done certain time before leaving, for EU counties it is at least 21 days, but I think for USA it might be 30 days.

I would get the dogs Pet Passported with titre tests for the Rabies and as long as you keep the Rabies shots up to date (you must not go even one day over the booster time) then you would be able to return to UK if necessary, you never know.  UK return would not be possible until 6 months after the blood test that gave a good titre.

Go the the US embassy site and get details from them re general requirements and also any state requirements.

Alot use in and out of Europe - USA via Amsterdam.  More direct flights to major US cities.  KLM and Continental have excellent pet transport records.  American Airlines, and some others forget.  I have used both KLM and Continental and they were excellent.  BA was a nightmare.  AA just lost another 7 dogs on the tarmac last month due to heat.  Also depends which state you are flying into, many have an embargo in summer months due to the heat index.  Ditto some northern states embargo for extreme low temperatures in winter.

Having flown dogs in and out of the US I have never, and would never do anything but a direct flight to the final desination.  Too too many times you hear of mishandling of dogs on changeovers, or layovers.  Dogs getting loose, put on the wrong connecting flights etc.

Rabies - as suggested check with the US FDA direct.  The requirement used to be that animals originating in recognised rabies free countries (i.e. UK) did not require rabies vaccine.  But of course once there many city districts do require it by law (but it is not enforced).  But again it would be prudent to do the pet passport route anyway in case you move back to the UK.

Also check with the airlines as some require health certificates issued within so many days of date of departure.  And some require a shipping agent to do the crate sealing.

Forgot to ad a friend used a shipping company to fly 3 dogs to CA, one dog died at LAX after being left for 6 hours, yes 6 hours, without food or water after landing (12 hours direct UK - US flight) in a corridor in it's crate.  Total of 20 hours without anyone checking it.  I used an agent only once and never again.

What are Virgin like, i'd heard good things about then flying pets back and forth?

I going with American airlines as they do have direct flights on Boeing aircraft.  I am going Heathrow JFK and then retraining JKF to Brussels, makes for a shorter drive back home than Amsterdam which is KLM's hub.

thanks Brainless, they are all welsh springers, so about 20-22kg. I had a look at prices using pet transport agencies and prices seem to be around £2,200-2,500 for the three dogs, exclusive of vet fees, so about £3,000 by the time we add that on.

I had planned to be on the same flight so I can be as near as possible as soon as we leave and land. We'll be going from Manchester to Newark using Continental since they are one of the few offering direct flights from up here. If you check your dog in as baggage how does that work in terms of cost?

With the Pet Passport, does that mean that coming back from the US they wouldn't need to go into quarantine?

And is the cost £200 every time it's renewed?

If you are going to the USA and not returning the the UK you do not need the pet passport. In fact you need very little. Vaccination and most states even let you " home quarantine them" for whatever period the say. Generally a couple weeks.

I flew a dog to Hungary as 'excess baggage' after getting stupid quotes to take her as cargo.  The price was (three years ago) around £8 per kilo = 40 kilos for dog and crate.  She had a passport and was flown back 12 days later from Vienna and I must say the cost was much less from that end.  Rip off UK strikes again :-( Can't comment on the USA/UK import/export rules I'm afraid.

Thanks Blue, that was how I read it--but if I should want to bring them back here would it be possible to do it wothout them going into 6 months of quarantine, even if they have an up to date Pet Passport?

> If you check your dog in as baggage how does that work in terms of cost?
>
>

$165 each way, plus I think there is a small customs clearance charge on landing.

Yours would sue the same size varikennels the large/400 size (36x24x26inch)

After the initial cost of getting the Pet passport as long as you keep the Rabies vaccination up to date then the Pet passport is valid indefinitely.

$165 each way, plus I think there is a small customs clearance charge on landing.

WOW!!! Just a bit different to shelling out nearly £1000 apiece!

Obviously your ticket is on top, but if your going anyway makes a huge difference, if like me the bitch is the one that really needs to go, ti is still cheaper for me to go with her than for her to go alone as Cargo.

Also not all airlines (in fact most don't) allow the dog to go as checked baggage.

> Also not all airlines (in fact most don't) allow the dog to go as checked baggage.

Brainless is there a size/weight limit on this for a dog do you know?

thanks so much for this--do you happen to know if Continental allow dogs as checked baggage? If we had to travel from London with American Airlines it would be desperate--far too much stress and expense to add another day's journey with all bags to stop overnight in a hotel even assuming we could find one that would allow 3 dogs!

as a US citizen bringing my dogs in I think we are exempt from paying duty on entry.. small consolation :)

With American Airlines they won't take the next size up crate on some planes, and won't take the 700 series crates at all.

Details can be found here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp

Remember there are also restrictions on flying if ground temperatures anywhere on the itinerary are above or below certain limits.

I have to get an Acclimation certificate that will allow Inka to fly down below 45'F to 20'F, but they won't fly below that, so have to pray for a mild January.

thanks again. Brainless, I have read through the information on their website and see that I will need to ask my son to accompany me if we are going to check all three dogs in--2 per passenger!

A friend of mine has just been enquiring on behalf of others about transporting a dog to the US which has a herart problem so it can't fly.  The Queen Mary take dogs on board as they have kennels and a special exercise area, the trip takes 6 days from the UK to New York, I think it was £500 for this.

Wow not bad, is that for unaccompanied, as I would imagine the human ticket to be pretty hight.

> The Queen Mary take dogs on board as they have kennels and a special exercise area, the trip takes 6 days from the UK to New York, I think it was £500 for this.

That is a great price.. I've always wondered if this route was an option. I'm still toying with the idea of doing a speciality with my dogs out there one day(and never to return :-), if i'm lucky )
The price for a human though is fairly high, and to go both ways would need serious consideration.

found this:

Fares for two people sharing the cheapest 'Britannia' class stateroom start at around £900 per person each way, with children going for around £470 each way.  However, prices vary enormously by sailing date and cabin grade.  You can sometimes get special-offers from as little as £769 one-way.

so with surcharge for a single cabin plus 3 dogs...it would be lovely, but pricey.

i flew a puppy to texas a year or so ago without any probs atall. Dont worry its a simple thing to do. (in paper terms)

lol suejaw if I end up over there you will have an open invitation to visit anytime

> an open invitation to visit anytime

Lucky me!!! :-D and thank you x

Where do you think you'll have to go back to if you do leave?

Thanks sam, good to know. I think if and when the time comes I will take my son so we can each accompany a couple of dogs, but all options considered!

My family lives in NY--but I'm afraid that's a "no" for me--much as I like it, I couldn't do right by my dogs there.

I'm looking at property in Virginia, ideally south/central to western end of the state, so along the Blue Ridge Mts. towards the state line with North Carolina. In US terms I guess a 480 mile commute to my mother's is a mere hop skip and a jump :-). Take a look online--it is beautiful. I'm just checking first that there aren't any less obvious disadvantages...like a nuclear power plant down the road, or the highest radon levels in the world.

Never been down that way. Done quite a bit around NY, Conneticut and Mass. 
I am a beach junkie and love the SoCal scene..

Right off to google the area you've mentioned. The scenery you mentioned is stunning.. All those outdoor activities too..
Oooh I just love the States, soo diverse and lifestyle to suit almost everyone's lives..
I've got to stop this, I'm dreaming a dream that won't ever become a reality.

Beautiful area.  I lived in Buena Vista for a while. Love the whole region down to Roanoke. Have lots of friends in Middleburg, Charlottesville and the Warrenton area too and even there you get so much more property for your money than the UK.

Well where I am visiting is Long Island, I won't be doign City sight seeing, not my sort of thing.

Some nice places at the eastern end of Long Island, like Quogue and Montauk--we used to spend a lot of time there as kids, finding washed up horseshoe crabs and putting them back in the water. A bit on the same lines as dig a hole, fill it in :)