Has anyone here transported pets by plane from elsewhere in the world to Poland? As some of you may know by now, my wife and I will likely move to £omża in the near future, and we're wondering how we'll bring our two cats with us. We're thinking of taking LOT, since the airline has a non-stop from Toronto to Warsaw.
If you have traveled with your pet with LOT or any other airline, did you carry it in the cabin with you or did it have to travel separately in the cargo compartment? How did you cope with your pet's distress (if any)? Did you pet need to relieve itself at any point, and if so, what happened? Any feedback would be much appreciated.
call LOT and find out. on US carriers it's really not problem. you have to have an approved pet carrier and you may want to talk to the doc about some dizzy pills for the animals. there may also be an issue of vaccinations etc.. again, best to call the airline.
It's almost certain that your cats will have to go in the luggage hold in approved pet carriers.
The only way to get them into the cabin would be to buy seats for them but even then it's all at the discretion of the airline. Most limit in cabin animals to "famous" animals.
Last time I squeezed my two cats in my suitcase, between shoes and jeans. Thy are scared of small spaces now and they bite me when I want to pet them, but beside that, everything is ok.
It's almost certain that your cats will have to go in the luggage hold in approved pet carriers.
That's why I was afraid of too. One of my cats gets 'panic attacks' whenever she goes into the car for moving; I can't imagine how she'd cope with the jet engines blaring for 8 1/2 hours straight (not to mention cabin pressure changes, etc.).
How 'famous' does the pet have to be, I wonder? If I could dress our cats in a drag-doggy suit and pretend we're taking them for Paris Hilton's 'Wild in Warsaw' video party I'd do it...
I would imagine there's more involved in bringing a pet from another country (you might PM Krysia, because I know she has brought dogs from Poland over to the USA)....as for domestic flights in the US, I have seen people bring small pet containers that fit under the seat, but I doubt that's something that could be done if you are flying internationally.....the size and number of luggages pieces are limited in Europe....you can only carry on one piece (whether it be a purse, computer, travelbag)
As for your kitty, I'm sure the vet could give you something to knock your cat out for the flight.
I've transported pets on planes from England and Poland. You can take a small dog or cat with you in the cabin as long as it fits in a carrier under the seat. LOT does not allow transporting pets in the winter months as well as certain short-nosed dogs in the summer as they will suffer from heat. Your cats will do fine in cargo, it will be better for them because they will have more room to turn around while if you take tehm with you in the cabin they will feel cramped. You have to call the airline ahead of time. They will need all their shots, they do not need a passport, it is only rquired when flying in all Euro-contries, nor do they need to be microchipped.
To take them into the plane with you, it varies by airline, bu it costs about $100-$200 per pet and 1 pet per ticketed passenger is allowed.
If they fit the size and weight guidelines, you may put them in a carry- on bag that is airline approved for transporting pets (typically, the soft-sided version of a large tote bag by a brand called Pet Taxi is used, or those pet "purses" with drop-down mesh sides).
Most of the airlines say as long as with the pet in it, the carry-on fits under the seat in front of you, you're good to go. But I have seen what I'd call BIG dogs come out of those things while on flites to and from the US/Poland.
People walk them up and down the aisles without muzzles on and in general, do not trank or subdue them in any way. The cats are generally too scared to come out while on the plane.
They do have to have all their shots and the rabies vax, plus have had a vet cert them as safe to travel--and you must have proof of that with you on the day of travel, and in some cases the cert must be dated within 48 hours of your flight, so the airline knows the animal did not get sick between the day the vet saw them and the day they fly.
I've flown with my miniature dog and she flew in the cabin with me (under the seat in front of me). I flew Lufthansa and I believe the In-Cabin weight restriction for a pet is 7kilos (I think it's the same for LOT). I'd recommend you to purchase a Sherpa bag because they are very sterdy and comfy. The first one (off-brand) I bought fell apart after one trip!! I flew from Poland to USA and back. I also got "sleeping pills" for her and she was very calm during the flight. That was very relaxing for me because she is a very hyper out of control dog. I had a connection in JFK and luckily they had grass areas around the airport and she could use the bathroom and run around for 2 hours. (Last month I flew via IAD and there was no possiblity to exit outdoors in the gate area). Before departure, she got the microchip and a health certificate for travel. Which was totally useless because NO ONE EVER checked it. They never weighed her at the airport either. You also need to take your pet out of the bag at the security point. The bag will go thru the x-ray machine and you will need to hold your pet when you go thru the metal detector. My dogs meds didnt kick in until about an hour after given and it was total h*LL trying to get her to go back in the bag.
I've never sent my pet in the cargo but I've heard of people doing it and it turned out just fine. I can understand the stress you will have throughout the flight. :( If you're flying with a cat then i'd advise you to take her in the cabin with you. :)
We brought our dogs (two small dogs) on LOT for $100 a piece and they were under the seat with us. We had no problems with them, we didn't give them any anti-anxiety medicine. The flight attendents let us take them out of their crates to stretch and put them back in. We were in the very back of the plane so we didn't cause a problem.
Customs was very easy. They didn't even check our papers. I imagine the way home will be a little more tricky.
