I'm having a mare trying to find a way to pickup a pup at the end of May

Is it true that pups have to be over 10wks to fly on a domestic flight?

And how is this verified? Thx

I didn't think there were any domestic airlines that carried pets in UK.  Love to know who does???

I have had several pups go to Scotland the owners were easily able to visit on cheap flights to Bristol yet had to make a marathon two day trip to get pups home.

I have certainly had pups (prior to new eutro pet rules, and further afield, in Cargo and in cabin.  It all depends on the airline.

I'm not sure any UK airlines allow pets on domestic flights any longer.... (May be different for Isle of Man, Channel Islands etc).

I agree - I doubt UK domestic flights would.   But in any case, personally I'd not subject a puppy that young to a flight, cabin or not.   I flew a puppy from London to Geneva, but he was 4 months which, for me, was quite young enough really.    If I could have realistically taken him by car, I probably would have.

Yup, BA take pets on domestic flights for one.

Problem is that pups have to be 10wks, say their website, and obviously my pup is 8wks. 

I was wondering how they check this, though. However pup will be chipped by breeder & I'm sure the chip will have DOB on... Sigh

I once had 2 pups going to Jersey from the same litter (Different owners ) The owners chartered a small plane between them, it was someone who flies animals for a living. They went together in a large crate and it took me 45 mins to drive them to the airstrip. We loaded them and I watched them take off and fly away (Oh that was hard) I drove home and as I walked in the door the owners rang to say they had arrived safe and sound. They were 8 weeks old and never looked back both having real happy characters. The BIG experience did them no harm at all !
Aileen

where are you hoping to fly from / to, maybe someone can come up with other ideas if you can give us locations?

Having flown puppies out from 8 weeks accompanied in cabin and 9+ weeks in crates in hold, pups fly really well at a young age, probably better than driving a long way (also done), and adults have coped really well, especially accompanied where time in crate prior to departure (usually half hour or so) is much shorter than with Cargo.

The problem with the private plane idea (because I've looked into that too), is that I don't think pilots want to wait at the airfield for 2-odd hours, whilst I choose a puppy.  Everyone I've spoken to who has done it by plane, has had the pup driven to the airfield to be met by the plane.  I wouldn't get to meet the breeder in person (except to say hello briefly!), meet mum and dad, and even choose my puppy.  (I'm not sure how much of a choice I'll get, but I think I can influence things and if I really take a shine to one, that would be ok - the other 2 are going abroad and the breeder is choosing which ones they are for those owners.) 

If I wanted to do all that, I'd have to fly over by myself earlier, meet the breeder and pups and choose earlier, and then arrange for the breeder to take that pup to the airfield.

I've spoken to a pilot and as the private plane option would cost about £720 anyway, adding onto that the cost of another trip there to choose a pup beforehand is just pushing it up to being ridiculous.  (I haven't yet found out where the nearest airfield is and if it's feasible for the breeder to drive the pup there if I let her choose me one.)

If I take a ferry and drive, we're looking at about £540 total cost including diesel - a 4 hr ferry followed by a 6hr drive, then that in reverse back again - and an overnight stay somewhere with a pup, because the ferry times don't work out. 

I'm not a very confident driver on motorways and generally get my husband to do the driving, but he's working out of the country at this time and I have no one else that can come with me - so I'm a bit worried about pup getting stressed and me not being able to comfort her, because I'm driving on a motorway. 

I thought about getting the train so the pup could have my full attention, but that would involve 3 changes, one with a trip across London by taxi, and I'd also have the added stress of not missing trains.  Plus, since I'm going back by boat, I need to have my car on the mainland anyway, so the pup can stay in the car on the way back on the boat.  So it seems silly to take the car over, then park it and get a train to Yorkshire.

It's all a bit stressful really.  Breeder wants a deposit now and I'm hanging back because I can't figure out a way to get the pup...

Where are you travelling to and from?

I did a 3 hour drive bringing my pup home.  Got her in a little cat box, she whinged a bit when we stopped at traffic lights but otherwise was asleep most of the way.  She now pretty much always settles down and goes to sleep on any long car journey.  I think this early experience helped her.  I did take her in the car on other occasions, always in her crate as a puppy.  However I am pretty relaxed about driving so I would imagine that helped her state of mind

Have you another dog you can bring as company, even if it is in another cage side by side? I found this helps a lot. When I last bought a pup and we had a 5 hour drive I brought an adult bitch and even though she'd never met the pup before they travelled together and were absolutely fine. They've been best friends ever since.

Not sure I'd be all that happy about a breeder insisting on a deposit though. Of my current litter all but one are going far away (closest not local will have a 3 ½ hour drive, furthest away in the UK at least twice that and one is going abroad). The one going abroad is needing to stay until 16 weeks and another is staying until 11. I wouldn't dream of asking for a deposit despite this.

Well, I think deposits are fine to discourage time-wasters - but it is v early to be asking for one really, as the litter are not yet a week old - so who knows who's going to survive till they're a few weeks older anyway...

That's an idea about bringing another dog along.  I could, but I just have one cage in the car and if the adult was in that, the pup would have to be on the seat in front - so they wouldn't see each other.  Might still help. 

I live in Cornwall and went to get a puppy from Nothern Ireland - so in total one hour on the ferry and probably eleven hours in the car.

It sounds horrific, but it was fine.  Puppy travelled really well, husband did all the driving!  At the time I was quite worried about it, but I would happily do it again.  The nice thing was, because we were in our car, we could stop whenever we wished.