Traveling with Pets on UA (In-Cabin or Cargo -- not ESA) {Archive}
 

I saw on United Hub that starting on 3-3 United is adopting the same procedure as Continental for traveling with pets NOT in the cabin. I called the Pet phone that they didn't know anything regarding Maui and Boise. It looks like now the dogs will go to a different part of airport (Cargo?) and be checked in, then we go to counter. Anybody have experience traveling with pets down below with CA? I think this will be an improvement, but not sure. We take our 2 dogs back and forth to Maui from Boise a couple of times a year. TIA

I was told the same thing by a res agent. CO treats pets as cargo so at every airport, you need to check your pet in at the UA cargo location which is normally far located in a different building from the main passenger terminal at large airports. UA/CO merged company will no longer take your pets in the main passenger terminal.

Anyone with CO traveling with pets? Doesn't sound like the pets will be treated as well if they are checked in the cargo terminal vs. the passenger terminal.

I volunteer as the lab director at a national animal welfare and recovery organization (including bringing animals from overseas for service men and women)and we have a policy in place to never use airlines that treat animals as cargo...only those that treat them as a special class using cargo space...so we have never used CO for animal transport, even to our facilities in the Houston area! I forwarded this thread to our director in the New York area this morning and she responded that she was able to confirm the UA policy change and that UA will no longer be used by our organization...SIGH!

http://pss.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx

This is the United Preview Site's section on pet transport. It appears to be updated for the post-3/3 world.


From the site:



Pets are accepted at the Continental QuickPac / United SPD Package counters at airports, a ticket counter if designated for QuickPac/SPD, or the cargo facility should the first two not exist.


In BOI, This would be the United Freight Facility. Hours are 5:30am-6:00pm M-F.
Station Information: http://unitedcargo.com/utilities/cp1...x=46&Reset.x=&


At OGG, This would be the Ticket Counter. Hours are 10:45am-9:15pm Daily.
Station Information: http://www.unitedcargo.com/utilities...x=28&Reset.x=&



I hope I have been some help. Good luck.

It appears that this policy is going to affect the military:

http://www.stripes.com/news/shipping...-rule-1.168509

I had gone onto the United Facebook page and it is inundated with posts regarding this policy from military families.

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In the larger airports using QuickPak or (UA "SPDs") which are done at baggage claim offices, kennel carried pets will be handled there.
CSR's are being trained as we speak because normally, agents who bid that area (Baggage Claim) instead of working "in the operation", have not handled (processed) outbound kennels. What was done at the ticket counter will now be done at the baggage claim office (except in small airports where cargo handling is probably very close by anyway).

Pets-in-Cabin will still be processed at the ticket counter, although I can envision a rash of "service" and "emotional" (larger - ordinarily in a kennel) animals.

It seems to me like the old UA policy just wasn't charging enough especially for larger animals. But they are going to get lots of bad press for this change no doubt.

There is quite a firestorm on Facebook on the fees primarily and on the cargo approach secondarily, especially from military families -- UA has a major PR issue and likely to see this in the mainstream media soon. Suspect UA will be forced backtrack some on this -- and it better be soon.

I thought they handled them from the cargo terminal so they could take special care of them under their PetSafe program.

The fee increase seems to be to accommodate the overhead of the better handling using freight forwarders.

Yeah UA is getting absolutely hammered about this on their facebook page. It is definitely not good for the airline. Hopefully something can be worked out that makes everybody happy.

Made my reservations for my civilian government move from HNL-ORD-DCA, with my dog for March 7. Definitely a price hike! Used to be $250 flat rate, now I was quoted $479 since the dog+kennel weight exceeds 100 pounds (by 5 pounds...grrr). Maybe I'll put her on a diet to get below 100 lbs before the move and save over $100. And yes, I have to check her in at the cargo building at least 3 hours prior to the flight.

I have a pet reservation for April out of OGG for an in cabin pet. However the new policy seems to be :

http://pss.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx
Pets are not permitted on flights to and from Hawaii.

I've never had a problem with a dog Ex-Hawaii. I hoping they will still honor my existing reservation.

I would not rely on hope for something like this. Even under the old method I thought it was a challenge for DEN-OGG, and OGG-DEN recently as well. In your shoes, I would be calling now, and again after 3/3 to make sure this goes well for you.

Where exactly do you see that statement?

The only thing I see about Hawaii travel is the need for quarantene upon arrival, but nothing outright barring travel.

http://pss.united.com/web/en-US/cont.../in_cabin.aspx

Pets are no longer permitted in cabin.