Cat from LAX to Heathrow Questions and Concerns

[jbookout7]

Hello,
I am moving to the UK from Phoenix at the end of August and plan on bringing my 6 year old cat with me. We have not booked our flights just yet but it seems that we will most likely be going with British Airways. I've been in contact with someone at their sister company, IAG Cargo, gathering information on transporting the cat. The idea of having my cat in the cargo hold for over 10 hours is quite nervewracking and scary, to be honest.

So my question is: Is British Airways/IAG Cargo the best way to go?

The price estimate the woman gave me was quite shocking especially since the cat is required to go down below, but I am willing to pay what it takes to make sure she is safe and healthy during the flight.

Any other tips, advice, and important information is welcomed and encouraged. Thank you!

[admin]

Re: Cat from LAX to Heathrow Questions and Concerns

jbookout7 - our biggest concern is flying out of Phoenix at the end of August. That airport is banned by most major airlines in August due to the high temperatures. Note from your title that your cat will be flying from LAX and that is better. British Airways flies your route non-stop as does Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand so you can do a price comparison. It is very likely that an agent will be required to book the transport as air cargo. (definitely for BA) We can help you with this if you need it as we are licensed transport agents in the US.

There are options around the air cargo requirement if you have extra time. You can fly with your cat in the cabin to Paris, take the train to Calais and ride Le Shuttle to Folkestone. There are also pet friendy ferries that run routes between the EU mainland and the UK. Most of them require that your cat travel in a vehicle, however. The DFDS ferry out of AMS to Newcastle will accept foot traffic and they have pet friendly cabins. A bit longer ride, tho.
Susan

[jbookout7]

Re: Cat from LAX to Heathrow Questions and Concerns

jbookout7 - our biggest concern is flying out of Phoenix at the end of August. That airport is banned by most major airlines in August due to the high temperatures. Note from your title that your cat will be flying from LAX and that is better. British Airways flies your route non-stop as does Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand so you can do a price comparison. It is very likely that an agent will be required to book the transport as air cargo. (definitely for BA) We can help you with this if you need it as we are licensed transport agents in the US.

There are options around the air cargo requirement if you have extra time. You can fly with your cat in the cabin to Paris, take the train to Calais and ride Le Shuttle to Folkestone. There are also pet friendy ferries that run routes between the EU mainland and the UK. Most of them require that your cat travel in a vehicle, however. The DFDS ferry out of AMS to Newcastle will accept foot traffic and they have pet friendly cabins. A bit longer ride, tho.
Susan

Yes! I forgot to mention that we did decide, at least for now, that we would drive to Los Angeles so we could fly out of LAX to get past the heat restriction.