A quick update now that our HAM-CDG-DEL trip is complete. We flew AF on this outbound leg of our trip, with an overnight connection at CDG.
In general, IATA's live animal requirements ask for stickers pointing
this way up and indicating
live animals are in the crate. We might have gone a bit overboard since AFKL also provide these stickers, but we did prep the crate ourselves too:
The requirement is that the stickers should be high contrast. The
this way up should be pasted at each corner, at minimum. We decided to make the stickers multilingual as well (English, German, French), just to be on the safer side.
We also included stickers with the exact flight info, PNR and our contact information. I have blocked these in red in the pictures above. Additionally, I made stickers with her name on there as well, just so the handlers know who it is they are moving. There is also a sticker with a feeding and water record, where we can record when we gave her food and water so that the handlers know, if needed. The same sticker has feeding and water instructions as well.
In case someone needs such stickers in the future,
here are PDFs for all the stickers we used (minus the name and personal info).
Experience at Hamburg
We had done crate training with Nova for a while, and she was super calm getting into the crate. In fact, she walked in to it on her own, as soon as we parked and unloaded.
During check-in at HAM, the staff was already informed about a dog traveling in the hold (AVIH). As soon as we got to the desk, the duty manager was there with a list of documents they would need to verify for the trip to DEL. This included:
- Import license from DGFT.
- Advance NOC from AQCS (the quarantine agency).
- Health certificate issued by the German state vet.
They also needed us to submit a
copy of the AF liability release. We had already included a copy of all the paperwork on the crate in a plastic sleeve (see pictures above), but they also put a zip lock bag attached to the crate with the flight information inside it. They didn't have AF branded docs at the desk, so they used KL ones. They also added a green colored
live animals sticker to the top of the crate, and had red
this side up stickers, but skipped those since we had put enough already.
All our bags were checked directly to DEL, but Nova was checked in only till CDG. Her crate even got a priority tag, though I'm not sure this matters much based on how she was handled everywhere (it was really good, keep reading).
We had presented ourselves exactly 2hrs before departure, and the check-in of our bags and Nova took about 20 mins. So we had a lot of time to go, but the AHS staff (AFKL contractors in HAM) told us we could stay with Nova until about 20 mins before boarding. So we stuck around near the check in desk with her. At about the 25 minute mark, we gave her a bit of water, and a staff member escorted us to the oversized baggage drop-off in Terminal 1. Check-in was at Terminal 2, but only Terminal 1 has an elevator suitable for pets. The very kind people there checked the crate, then it went for an X-ray, minus Nova. After that Nova went back in, and we zip tied the door at four corners.
At about 15 mins to boarding, we went through security and straight to the gate. Within 5 mins of us getting there, Nova was already being boarded on to the aircraft and we were able to observe this from the terminal:
One of the things I truly appreciated was that Nova wasn't brought out with the rest of the luggage. She came on her own dedicated trailer, with a dedicated vehicle. Pretty much as soon as she arrived, she was taken on board. From what we could see, the crate was handled very gently as well.
As Ulti, we were pre-boarded, which gave us a bit of time before the rest of the passengers came on board. So I had a chance to talk to the purser right at the entrance, who was well aware of Nova being on board. The cockpit door was open, and we even got waves from the captain and first officer with a shout out that they would make sure Nova was taken care of.
Nova also wanted to bring a bit of cheer to all the staff involved, so she made sure we handed out these cards to the ground, cabin and flight crews (click for larger versions):
Just as boarding completed, the purser came over to let us know that ground crew had informed them that Nova was on board and doing well. But then, the coolest thing happened. The ramp agent came on board to our seats, and showed us pictures and videos of Nova being loaded and doing well. To our surprise, she was very calm, and this gesture from the ramp agent meant the world to us. I know this was an exception that they don't always do, because the Ulti TA had put in requests to help us along the way, so I appreciate it even more. Being able to "see" Nova before departure was deeply touching and calming for us.
Just before departure the captain came by as well, and let us know that all was well with Nova. He even showed us a picture of his pet to let us know he was a pet person and would make sure to do the best for Nova. Even the purser shared pictures of her own dogs. Nova enabled for us one of the most human experiences in flying we've ever had.
This is becoming quite long, so I'll make another post about the experience at CDG shortly.