Pet Travel with Qatar

[Razoray]

My wife and I are traveling with our cat as excess baggage with Qatar Airlines from IAD - DOH - CGK. We are flying on a 777-300er on the 1st leg and a A330-300 on the the second. We seem to have the basics covered, proper documentation, IATA crate...We even have a professional pet service meeting us at CGK.

I spoke with Qatar and they said the pilot would have the cat on his manifest as live cargo and would adjust the baggage area temperature control.

My question is does anyone have any last minute advice for our VIP...very important pet?

Thanks so much.....

[Razoray]

Does anyone have any feedback or advice about pet transport. We are leaving in a few days and any advice.....or humor...would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Alsacienne]

In 1992 I took my moggy to Eastern France. She was booked to go with the late, much-lamented Crossair from Heathrow to Basel in the heated hold, but when I got to check in, the agent, who was a cat lover, didn't want to take the cat any sooner than necessary and so asked me to check in my cat at the gate!

It was an almost out-of-this-world experience to trundle my cat carrier - a bulky, plastic job rather than a neat wicker basket! - on my baggage cart through immigration and security and into the duty-free shops!

At the gate, the agents suggested to me that my cat could travel with me in the cabin if I was prepared to swap my no-smoking seat for a smoking one. (That seems like ancient history!!) I said that if I chose not to inhale smoke having chosen a particular seat, why should my cat be forced to inhale smoke. The gate agent agreed and called up the person who was due to be sitting by me - there was a spare middle seat (another trip down memory lane!) and this lady came up to the desk looking very stressed and scared. When she was asked if she would accept a cat in a basket next to her, she was very relieved and of course said yes.

Velvet the cat travelled in comparative luxury, never disgracing herself once during the flight and making no noise whatsoever. I had a really good flight.

It was only when I arrived at Basel with the cat on my baggage trolley to go through customs and immigration that I started to received shocked looks and remarks and had to explain why the cat was with me and not in the cargo section of the airport ......... and show all the MAFF documentation!!

Hope you have a good flight with your cat. I think airlines take the welfare of their four-pawed passengers very seriously, and I wish you all well at journey's end.

[dubh12000]

Even if its on the manifest, I would just mention it while boarding.........em....its been known to happen you know.

[Agaricus bisporus]

As if here's such a thing as an unheated hold.

But there really any control over hold temperature?

[dubh12000]

Yup, hold cmpt 5 on the A320. Max 3 kennels for example.

Not entirely sure about other ac

[Razoray]

Even if its on the manifest, I would just mention it while boarding.........em....its been known to happen you know.

That is good advice. Who would be the best contact to pass this request along too. Is there anyway to get this directly to the pilot? Also should we pass the request along again during our layover?

Thanks!

[dubh12000]

I've mentioned it in the past just as I enter the door. This was with Swiss, and they tend to have one of the flight deck there meeting and greeting though.

[419]

Don't be temped to give your cat any sedatives before the flight, even if this is recommended by a vet.

A short while ago, I also took a cat on a flight (on one leg of the journey she was cabin bagage, and in the hold for the 2nd leg).
I had given the cat something to calm her down (as recomended by my vet), but when the airline staff saw that she was a bit dozy, they would not allow her to go on the planned flight and was delayed a few hours until the medication had worn off a bit.

This was due to the possible side effects of the drugs, and the enhanced effects due to the reduced pressure, and the airline not wanting t held liable if there a problem. ( I couldn't blame them in the least)

[Diver_Dave]

advice.....or humor...would be appreciated....

With the emphasis firmly on the word humor.

Totally irrelevant but, I read the title of the
thread as...

"Pet Travel with Otters."

Twice!

Oh well, new glasses!

Regards

DaveA

[Avionker]

As if here's such a thing as an unheated hold.

But there really any control over hold temperature?

As I recall on the 747 the fwd cargo is "heated", as such, by the exhaust from the avionics cooling fans.

Aft cargo is not heated directly, although cabin air will pass through there on it's way to the outflow valves. Bulk cargo where pets will travel have electric heater mats under the floor. The heaters have 2 settings and the higher of the 2 will be selected when live animals are "in residence".

Long time since I worked on them so any corrections will be graciously received.