rionguyenngoc

Hello Everyone,

Up to this point, I am having anxiety whenever I think of not being able to get my dog back to Vietnam from the USA.

I have been trying to contact Asiana and Korean because I heard these 2 are the best, but due to the pandemic, the phone line is always busy and email service answer is absolutely terrible. I asked them 6 times already whether my chihuahua could travel in the cabin with me during the international flights from Seattle to Incheon, and from Incheon to Da Nang, Vietnam. I feel like they are dodging the answer.

So I come here to ask you guys about your experience. My dog's in cabin carrier's total dimension is 93cm, which is below the requirement of 115cm. And the height of the carrier is 25cm, which is below 26cm for a soft case. His weight is 4.5kgs

Would it be possible that my dog could travel in the cabin with me throughout the two flights either with Asiana or Korean Air? Would they allow my dog to be carried in the cabin?

LondonElite

Both carriers give pretty detailed information on their websites. You will also need to check transit requirements through Korea.

Short answer, yes it is possible, under some restrictions. You will have to pay an additional fee.

https://flyasiana.com/C/US/EN/conten...ling-with-pets

https://www.koreanair.com/content/ko...ices.html#pets

bhomburg

There's no covid-19 related restrictions on pet travel. All regular policies apply. If flights are operating, you can take pets along as usual.
One word of caution: with all these travel restrictions in place, document checks and the check-in procedure will definitely be more thorough than it used to be.
Korean has a 5kg weight limit for pet in cabin travel. With carrier and bedding, you will exceed this with a 4.5kg dog. An appropriately sized soft-sided carrier will weigh at least 1,3 kg.
Asiana has a 7kg weight limit for pet in cabin travel. I`d rather book on Asiana to be on the safe side here.

edit: Asiana looks like the better option for other reasons as well: The layover in ICN is shorter, and: Korean doesn't fly to Da Nang on their own planes but codeshares on Jin Air, which is a low-cost carrier. Even if they do accept pets in the cabin (I didn't check), you would need to book the animal separately with them, pay a second fee, and change terminals in Incheon. Really, don't do this and fly on Asiana. One airline, one stop, one pet fee, a single, quick one-hour layover with no transit woes, and widebody aircraft all the way (A350 for the long transpacific flight to Korea, then A330 to Da Nang - much better than the high-density no-legroom 737 you'll have to endure on Jin Air for almost five hours)
There's a few other threads already dealing with transiting ICN with pets.

rionguyenngoc

Thank you for the respond, I really appreciate it,

Have you ever flown with Asiana? My fear is that they won't allow pets in cabin on long international flights, such as from Seattle to Incheon and from Incheon to Da Nang. And their policy does not say anything for pets in cabin for international flights

bhomburg

Yes I did (I have a service dog, though but brought rescue dogs along as flight companion). No restrictions on long flights that I know of (yet). Nothing in the CoC as well.
If you can't get them to respond to requests on the phone or e-Mail run into any issues, the current covid-19 travel waivers allow you to cancel tickets booked online without penalty.
Tip: Call the Seattle office directly rather than the 800 number (206-516-0300 for sales, or try 206-246-0755). No idea when or if that may be open. But it has to be if the flight is operating.
And don't forget to download, print and complete this form

I don't know if you plan on flying business class, but their business cabin layout is perfect for flying with pet carriers. On the A350, A/K Window seats in the odd-numbered rows (1,3,5,7) have space for the carrier between the seat and the window where it is totally out of the way and very private.
If flying economy, I would normally recommend going for the extra-legroom "economy smartium" seats with a pet carrier (36" of legroom for an upcharge of $170, available only on the A350). However, if you plan on traveling in the near future, and with planes being as empty as last seen 18 years ago I think you'll be able to enjoy a whole empty row for yourself and there's no need for paying for premium seats.

rionguyenngoc

Thank you,

Asiana told me to contact each airport's animal control department to prepare the paperwork. Do you have any ideas how to prepare for Incheon's Animal Quarantine Department's paperwork requirement for live animals?

They told me to first book the ticket and then contact them again to make a reservation for my dog to travel in cabin (only 2 spots in cabin per flight)

bhomburg

bhomburg

So you did reach them finally!
You don't need to so anything as far as Korea is concerned. Transiting through Incheon, you'll not be passing through immigration/customs/agricultural inspection entering Korea. You only need all the animal import paperwork for your final destination. With Asiana, you won't even have the time to exit the airport as your layover is just an hour.
And what they told you (book ticket, then call to add dog) is SOP with all airlines. Pretty sure they'll let you rebook for free if the dog cannot travel because all spots are taken (highly unlikely given current loads, planes are super-empty currently)

rionguyenngoc

bhomburg

Yea I was fortunate to reach them,

I have not yet booked a flight yet and I am trying to be patient. Their flight schedule for June kinda has me worried, Asiana only has 2 flights each day from June 1st, and those 2 flights have the same departure time, but one has 1h5mins layover and one has 15h layover. It goes the same for the rest of June as far I can tell. That's why I hesitate to book a flight.

Is this something Airlines in crisis time do to see if they sell enough seats to start, and if not they will just reschedule the one that does not have enough seats sold?

bhomburg

Do not be patient. With pets - given the limited number of them accepted on flights - it is always advisable to book as early as possible. I`d strongly suggest you book ASAP to ensure you'll be able to travel on the dates you want.
There' s one flight a day from Seattle to Seoul: Flight number 271, operated by an Airbus A350, departing SEA at 2pm, arriving in ICN at 5:45pm. This flight remains the same all the time.
And Asiana has two flights a day from Seoul to Da Nang: one in the morning (Flight number 757), departing at 11:10 am, long before your connection from the US arrives; and one in the afternoon, (flight number 755) departing at 6:50pm, arriving at 9:35 pm. You need to book the afternoon flight (755) which will make for an easy transfer with a layover of an hour - long enough to give doggie a short break from the carrier.
Booking the morning flight the next day is definitely not recommended. This would make for a decidedly long overnight layover as you have noticed. You definitely don't want that.
There's nothing crisis-related about those flights, they've always been there.
Full service airlines like Asiana will not typically cancel flights with low bookings, no.
And Asiana doesn't look like they're poised to go out of business, either (a real probability these days for almost all airlines). They have secured billion-dollar funding to get them through the covid crisis.

If, and that's a big if, anything happens to your connection - say, the flight from Seattle is late and you can't make it - Asiana will rebook you on the next available flight, which will be the norning one the next day, and take care of you. The'yll arrange accommodation for you and your dog, don't worry.

rionguyenngoc

Thank you so much, without your help, I would be loss.

My chihuahua gets anxious with loud engine, and traveling in the car makes him cry. Do you recommend any products that you could help to ease him for flying? He is not neutered yet, and get quite angry around other animals

rionguyenngoc

Thank you so much, without your help, I would be loss bhomburg

My chihuahua gets anxious with loud engine, and traveling in the car makes him cry. Do you recommend any products that you could help to ease him for flying? He is not neutered yet, and get quite angry around other animals

bhomburg

no products, but training, training, training. And more training. Just get him used to being in his carrier and public transport before you fly. Assuming you live in Seattle, take him on metro rides as often as possible, starting NOW. Transpacific flights aren't exactly ideal for acquainting animals with public-transport travel...
Not-acclimated-to-travel, incessantly barking anxious dogs (or vocal cats...) are a real nuisance in airplane cabins. Something nobody wants and one of the reasons why more and more airlines impose ever-stricter limits on in-cabin travel.
Other than that, see that he's well tired-out from exercise and bowels are empty when it's time to get to the airport. As the flight leaves in the afternoon and you have to be at the airport by around noon, this should not be too great a disruption - just give him dinner early enough the night before so it'll have 'come out' before you start on your trip.
Ask your vet about possible medication, but use only as a last resort. The air in airplane cabins is thin (A350 is better than average in this regard) and there may be respiratory issues with sedated animals.

rionguyenngoc

bhomburg Thank you again,

I also want to ask about flights that, let say its Asiana and its operated by different airlines, so if one of my flights is operated by another Airline but still sold under Asiana. Do I need to contact that specific airline to discuss my pet traveling circumstance?

bhomburg

Yes you will need to contact each airline separately, pay the fees separately, and normally have to check in at the counter with each airline to verify documents and pay the fee etc.. This means you and the animal cannot do a simple airside transfer but need to go landside to access the check-in counters. That means you'd need to pass through immigration and customs / agricultural inspection in the transit country and adhere to all rules governing this. For Korea, this means you might need a transit visa for you (depending on what kind of passport you're traveling on), and there's some paperwork required for the dog. Find Korean animal entry polices here
Do not do this. Repeat: do not do this. Use the flights researched above. Everything else is an oversight waiting to happen, turning your trip into a potential nightmare.
Also,you didn't say when you were trying to travel. I would not attempt this trip as long as the current rule of mandatory 14-day quarantine for all individuals entering Vietnam is in effect. You'll be confined to a hotel room with the dog for two weeks. Not fun.

rionguyenngoc

bhomburg Because Asiana changed their upcoming route, I can't find any that go straight to Da Nang, only for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh cities. And I looked into Korean airline, but their trip from Incheon to Danang is operated by Jin Air most of the time, and Jin AIr Only allows up to 5kg pet + carrier. So this is definitely not the option for me.

Vietnam currently denies all entries so that's I am unsure when I would book a flight.