comsecfor

Hello all:

My wife and I will be arriving at ATL from an international flight and from there to CLT. Does anyone know if there is a place in the ATL airport (inside terminals) where we can pay our pet fees (two cats)? Is there a Delta special desk or something for this? I don't want to have to exit to ticketing...time will be short. Thanks.

guv1976

1. Are you flying DL or a different carrier into ATL?

2. Have you already reserved space for your pets on your ATL-CLT flight? DL has a limit on the number of in-cabin pets allowed.

3. You are aware, I trust, that when you clear Customs at ATL, you will find yourself airside and have to go through TSA screening with your pets.

Details of DL's pet policy here:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/pet-travel/overview

("Pet Travel on Delta")

comsecfor

Yep, I know to do the reservations, how-to's etc, but I am trying to avoid leaving the airport and back through just to pay a pet fee, especially after we have to go through immigration (for her) and our luggage. Isn't there a special desk domestic side where we don't have to exit???

guv1976

What you're asking is whether Delta has a Special Services Desk airside at ATL where you can pay the pet fee. Unfortunately, I do not know the answer to that question. Perhaps you can ask a Moderator to move this thread to the Delta forum; you are more likely to find others there who know the answer to that question.

Otherwise, you can call Delta and see if a phone agent knows the answer to your question.

flyerCO

As you're arriving international, you exit the secure area no matter what. There is a DL checkin desk right outside customs, however it can be backed up and understaffed.

Make sure and have bags checked through to CLT. While will still need to collect at ATL and drop at belt, if your flight arrives at E, you can take advantage of E immigration/ customs. (Only available for those connecting onward from ATL whose international flight arrives at E) E customs/immigration/ DL assistance is generally much quicker IME. If bags are tagged only to ATL, you will need to clear at F even if arrive at terminal E.

wanderingtheearth

"Isn't there a special desk domestic side where we don't have to exit???"

They don't just need to collect the fee, unfortunately, they need to inspect the pet and carrier to make sure the pet is not visibly unhealthy and the carrier is compliant with the airline requirements. Thus, you have to find special services, not even just a check-in desk. And then cross your fingers that a whole lacrosse team on a group package isn't checking in in front of you.

You're going to get funneled out of the sterile area after clearing customs, anyway, unless you're flying from somewhere with preclearance.

flyerCO

OP is coming in international. I think if pet is clear on that flight, they'll likely be good for domestic. (I'm guessing they have separate tickets. Otherwise this shouldn't be an issue to begin with)

guv1976

But it might be the case that the only Delta desks which can accept payment of pet fees are the same ones that can examine the pets and the carriers.

flyerCO

I've never had to goto nor seen a special desk for pets. Any agent should be able to handle.

Orange County Commuter

but the problem is I think the OP wants to do it at baggage recheck for international and I don’t know that they can do it. You have to go to a check in desk.

The OP also posted in Tripadvisor and honestly it looks to me like maybe they’re two different tickets involved because otherwise you would pay the Delta the fee when you got on the first flight you wouldn’t have to pay it again it’s not per flight. It’s per trip.

flyerCO

The desk after customs is a checkin desk. DL doesn't have checkin positions that do different things. (Theres seperate lines for Priority) A checkin agent at front of airport and at checkin desk right after customs can/do the same exact same job.

Yes separate tickets, I pointed out that myself in earlier post.

guv1976

This is what delta.com says:

"When you arrive at the airport, you will need to visit the Special Service Counter to check-in with your pet. At check-in, a Delta agent will ensure your pet and kennel meet the necessary requirements for your trip and collect the required pet fee. Remember to allow extra time at check-in for us to ensure your pet is ready for take-off.

"Once you are checked in and have your cabin pet tag, you are ready to go through the security checkpoint where you are required to remove your pet from their kennel."

Note that it is not a special counter just for pets; it is the "Special Service Counter," which presumably handles lots of special situations. I imagine that some smaller Delta stations lack a Special Service Counter.

If any Delta agent can now check in a pet -- even at a station with a Special Service Counter -- then I guess Delta's website needs to be updated.

flyerCO

What they're trying to do is keep passengers with things that might take bit longer from clogging up other lines. Special Services isn't a special desk with special powers. It's just a normal checkin agent. The special service line isn't always even open.

This, is No different than saying a D1 passenger must use the D1 checkin if there is one.

wanderingtheearth

If that's the case, possibly useful info, but the Special Services desks screw up pet check-in often enough that I hesitate to try it at an ordinary check-in. There is, in fact, some specialized knowledge required, at least for international travel (also, you need to have the pet tags, which are distinct from ordinary excess-baggage tagging). But, just curious, have you ever actually done this yourself, or is it your inference?

Since OP is on separate tickets (I assume, for the reasons others are), Delta will presumably want to check the carrier for conformity to *its* in-cabin requirements, as those may not be the same as the other carrier's.

flyerCO

I'm assuming they will be arriving on DL into ATL. If that is the case they'll already have been measured.

In fact if they where to check bags across tickets, DL would be able to check them in for the ATL-CLT flight at international point of origin. (The two tickets would be linked at point the bags were checked through)

Yes, I've done it before. At least for domestic (which is what OP would have ticket for ATL-CLT) it shouldn't be an issue.

Again the agent assigned specifically to special services is the same as assigned to normal checkin. It's not a special trained agent or one with extra training. As I noted, the line isn't even always open.