Originally Posted by
lycheelove
Hi - I know ur post is over 3 mo old so Im not sure you will even get this. BUt I am desperately seeking info and advice as well.
Have you completed ur travel yet?? I have posted on several forums and made numerous calls not only to Korean Air but USDA export as well as Pet relocators and still cannot get clarification. I will be traveling in August with two pets from US to Malaysia, ONe is 16 y/o and I need to have her in the cabin with me, The other will travel cargo bc she is over the weight limit.
I finally discovered that even if u can have a pet in the cabin (Korean AIr and Asiana) you CANNOT land in Malaysia with a pet in cabin!! So now I am trying to figure out
if I can travel from LAX to ICN with my pet in cabin and then transfer her to the cargo after I land in ICN. ANY experience with this ??
Unfortunately, the thread starter never came back here to report back on their trip.
I am not aware of any Malaysian regulations prohibiting importation of animals transported in the cabin. Where did you see that? But as Malaysian regulations
require the use of registered agents for processing live animal import permits anyway, any one should be able to give you a definite answer.
From where in the US are you departing? There are no nonstop flights to Malaysia (I assume KUL) from the US, so you will need to connect somewhere anyway. From the East Coast, going via Europe makes sense as flight times are OK for in-cabin animals (under 12 hours). Also, there's a choice of airlines allowing pets in the cabin going via Europe - KLM, Air France, Turkish Airlines.
From the West Coast, going transpacific limits your airline choice to Korean Air (Asiana with a 7kg weight allowance does not fly to Malaysia anymore), who have a 5kg weight limit for in-cabin animals. Also, the flight beetwen LAX and ICN takes about 13 hours plus at least 90 minutes between having to go through security in the US and stepping out of the airport in KUL) which may be too long for your older dog to 'hold it', especially if she refuses to use the airside pet relief area at TBIT.
If you are concerned about the safety of your 16-year-old dog and it is really not possible to bring her to Malaysia in the cabin, transferring her to travelling in the hold as checked baggage in Seoul is possible (the dog will need to
pass import requirements, and you will have to enter Korea and re-check her landside, so plan for a longer layover). But I`d advise against doing this: it's a 6.5-hour flight between Seoul and Kuala Lumpur, which means your dog will be in her crate for a minimum of eight hours.
I`d look into flying into a nearby destination that allows animals in the cabin like Phuket or Singapore instead and connecting from there or even go over land. Unfortunately, animals are not allowed on trains in Malaysia at all, even guide dogs.
Flying into Singapore first has the added advantage of potentially getting around the Malaysian quarantine requirement. I was able to get my (Swiss) dog into Singapore with no quarantine (arriving on Finnair in the cabin).