Pet Checkin within EK

[Rim-job]

Colleagues,

Have any of you checked your dog/cat in with EK as checked baggage?

I've just come to find out this is an option now for traveling with pets. Before we had to go through Dubai Kennel and Cattery an quite an expense.

I'd prefer to keep things simple and checking small animals as checked baggage is much simpler and cheaper than dealing with DK+C.

If anyone has experience in this department I greatly appreciate any info.

Thanks in advance.

Rim

[picollo]

Hi there.
You have to be traveling on a confirmed ticket. Make sure you have all the documents and that a " reservation" has been made for the pet. You will be asked to show up 4 hours prior to the flight. Just wheel the crate up to the agents and you will be directed to the pet checkin area. You have to pay a fee depending on your destination.
If flying to the UK ,pets have to be flown as cargo so this will not work.

[Enos]

Hi Rim

We had a false start with DKC, our fault not theres, they were good and charged for it, after this the wife did it on her own to save money.

Vague recollection of what she told me.

Its going to be expensive depending on how much your animal weighs.

Pet passport or vacination book has to be up to date, go to the vets near Medan Heights, Nad Al Sheba vet see the german lady, she can sign off european paper work if thats where your off to, shes very helpful and will give accurate advise on whats involved.

You need a confirmed seat, and the animal needs to be booked on the flight I think 3 days before departure, ring EK reservations with PNR number and approx weight and dimentions of cage with animal in it.

There was a trip to see the vet at the emirates cargo village a few days before the flight, for him to sign something and take some money off us, take the animal in the cage when you go.

A lot of the documents have to be signed for within 10 days of travel.

When you checkin at the airport, EK charge you the excess baggage fee for the total weight of the cage and everything in it, this is regardless of how much baggage you have checked in, suggest you put the animal on a diet now, and the water you send in the cage freeze so it doesnt spill everywhere.

For a beagal it cost close to 4000 AED after paying for the airport vet visit and the weight of the dog at check in.

Good Luck

[Fire Ball XL5]

If traveling to Europe, consider buying a ticket on a "pet friendly" airline like Lufthansa (if the dog/cat is below 16 kg??) and carry him/her on! Better for the pet...and your pocket book!:ok: (follow on flight to NA can be considered as well!)

[picollo]

Has anyone carried on a small cat on board Lufthansa or klm? If so how does security at the airport deal with this.

[Rim-job]

Thanks for the replies!

[BlueSkye]

Has anyone carried on a small cat on board Lufthansa or klm? If so how does security at the airport deal with this.


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[Paraffin Budgie]

We took two cats to France when we relocated.

As we were "a bit busy" packing up the house, we got a company called Snoopypets to help out - and they were great. Supplied the right travel boxes and did all of the paperwork.

On the night of the KLM flight we picked up the cats from Snoopy in Al Quoz and took them to the airport where we already had "reservations" for them as checked baggage. This was so that they were not in the same climate controlled hold as an angry alligator (for example). We had to pass up our first flight choice because of a clash.

When we got to the airport, we checked in at the KLM desk designated for unusual cases (I guess), and it all went really well. KLM has a well deserved reputation for dealing with animals. Actually, my wife had rather more trouble getting on the flight because her Schengen visa was not what they wanted to see.

After checking in and paying the $200 each cat as excess baggage (we were all going via Amsterdam to Toulouse - one way), we were taken downstairs to a security area where we had to take the cats out of their boxes, which were then x-rayed. Cats back in, and we didn't see them again until they emerged on the belt in Toulouse.

Hope that helps.