suggestions for shipping animals from Kahului, Maui (OGG) to Charlotte, NC (CLT)?

hey_mikey

hey_mikey

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we have to ship our dogs from OGG to CLT, and we were originally gonna go through Delta Cargo because they have climate controlled facilities in a lot of their airports. However, after being on the phone with Delta trying to book a flight for the better part of 30 minutes (most of that waiting for the rep to find an actual flight that the dogs could go on), the customer service rep hung up on me before we even finished discussing everything and getting it booked. I called right back, and got a message that their offices were now closed. Apparently, they cut off their lines right at 11:00pm EST (5:00pm HST) regardless if you've concluded your conversation or not.

The one thing I absolutely cannot stand is shitty service, and cutting off a customer while he's in the middle of asking a question just so you can leave work on time is up there with the worst. I don't know of many other options at this point, especially with the heat in the south, but I'm definitely open to suggestions.
 
bottom of Maui's humane society web page claims these airlines accept pets out of Kahului Airport:
====

Below is a list of airlines along with contact numbers who are currently flying out of Kahului Airport and will accept pets.
Hawaiian Airlines 1-877-422-2746
American Airlines 1-800-227-4622
United Airlines 1-800-864-8331
Delta Airlines 1-800-221-1212

no experiences myself with pets flying to give much advise beyond this above
 
Go to Consumerist.com and do a search for "pets". You will find a large number of articles discussing the transport of pets and the horror stories that go with it.
 
How big are the dogs? mainly weight....I'm assuming you have bigger dogs.

I know we have flow with my parents weiner dog in a small carrier with us in the plane.
 
they're miniature dachshunds. they're small, but it wouldn't work anyway, because we have two, and most airlines only allow one pet per person in the cabin. since my wife is already in NC, that wouldn't work. Plus, even though it's not specifically stated on their websites, there really aren't many airlines that would allow pets as carry on when flying to or from hawaii. i'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that we don't have rabies, so most dogs from Hawaii aren't vaccinated for it, and they want to be sure dogs coming in don't have it. we had to get them vaccinated against rabies and get health clearances and deal with a bunch of other crap, and now have to deal with this from delta.
 
I would call again and double check. I want to say it is by weight.

I will ask my brother about this also since he works at delta.
 
I personally would not ship them as cargo. Having them with me in the cabin of a commercial plane (me and my wife if needed), or actually charter a private plane myself would be the only way. I know this could be very expensive, but that would be my only route.
 
KennyGS said:
I personally would not ship them as cargo. Having them with me in the cabin of a commercial plane (me and my wife if needed), or actually charter a private plane myself would be the only way. I know this could be very expensive, but that would be my only route.
Click to expand...

I did actually consider chartering a private plane from OGG to CLT, but I'd be looking at minimum a super mid-size jet, with about 10-11 hours of flight time, not counting layovers to refuel, at a cost of around $4,000/hr. If I had $45,000 to blow, I'd definitely rather do that than pay Delta any money.

if we had any other choice, we couldn't send them as cargo either, but no airline is gonna accept both of them to fly in the cabin when i'm by myself, and most airlines don't take pets in the cabin period when flying in or out of Hawaii. They won't accept our dogs as baggage either (on the same plane) during the summer months because of high temperatures on the ground. Delta is one of the few airlines that actually has climate controlled facilities that allow them to fly pets year round.
 
BTW Delta DASH (Priority cargo) is already costing us almost $900 to ship them one way
 
This is what my bother said....

No no cargo. dogs are not allowed in cargo during summer season. they go on the plane and it will be 150 each and they have to under 40 pounds each to go on your lap

I would go to the airport and ask what the options would be at all the airlines.
 
I checked with all the airlines. NONE of them will fly pets out of Hawaii in the cabin. Here are the excerpts from their respective web pages (which mirrors everything I've been told on the phone and in person) on flying pets to/from Hawaii:
  • United - "Animals are accepted as cargo only*. Dogs (including service dogs) and cats must be quarantined 120 days upon arrival. The quarantine may be reduced to 30 days. Contact the Hawaii quarantine department for details (1-808-483-7151). *Customers traveling with a service animal to Hawaii should contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Animal Quarantine Station in advance for exact requirements and procedures for your service animal to accompany you on board your flight."
  • Delta - "Your pet won't be able to go with you in the cabin, and other restrictions may apply. See Pets to Hawaii for more information.
    You may not carry on more than one pet.* *Exception: Two pets of the same type and 8 weeks (15 weeks for international travel) to 6 months of age may be allowed in one kennel, for example two dogs or two cats. They must be small enough to fit in one kennel provided they are compatible and must be of the same species and size, and they must meet the requirements of acceptance. They will be charged as one pet. "
  • Hawaiian doesn't fly to the East Coast except to NY (JFK), which they started just last month. Even if I wanted to fly into JFK, their policy states:
    "EXCEPTION: Live animals will not be accepted for travel to/from New York City (JFK) both in the passenger compartment and as checked baggage, except for qualified comfort/service animals"
  • American - Carry-on pets are NOT ALLOWED to/from Hawaii or transatlantic/transpacific destinations or to/from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela
I'm flying out on August 1 on United, and didn't plan on taking the dogs with me on board, because their (and every other airline's) restrictions are as follows:
  • Only one pet per passenger is allowed in the cabin.
  • One pet per flight is allowed in the front cabin (select aircraft only).
  • Four pets per flight are allowed in United Economy® on all United Airlines and United Express (except flights operated by Cape Air) flights.
  • One pet per flight is allowed in United Economy for United Express flights operated by Cape Air to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and within Florida.
  • Pets are not permitted on flights to, from or through Hawaii.
Even if they did allow it, the kennel "must fit completely under the seat forward of the customer and remain there at all times aboard the aircraft." Although my miniature dachshunds are small, they would not fit in a kennel that would fit under the seat on all my flights.


Again, all the restrictions are because Hawaii is the only state in the union that doesn't have rabies, and they do everything possible to keep it that way. that mandatory 120 day quarantine on all incoming pets that haven't had a specific testing regiment starting four months prior to arrival is proof of how serious they take this stuff.

So as much as I hate to send them as cargo, I guess I'm stuck with Delta DASH. At least they have a pet-specific service that puts them in a heated and pressurized area of the plane, uses climate controlled vehicles to transport them between their flights and the climate controlled holding facilities, and keeps their layovers as short as possible (1 hour or less). I hope they make it there okay. My wife is worried sick cuz they're our babies, at least until we make some real ones...
 
Nomar06 said:
This is what my bother said....

No no cargo. dogs are not allowed in cargo during summer season. they go on the plane and it will be 150 each and they have to under 40 pounds each to go on your lap

I would go to the airport and ask what the options would be at all the airlines.
Click to expand...

While Delta won't accept pets as checked baggage during the summer season, their Delta DASH and Pet First services are different. They fly pets year round because they pick up the pets from the baggage hold in air conditioned vehicles and transport them to an air conditioned part of the terminal until they can transport them to their next flight. I would pay good money to be able to fly with them, but none of the airlines would budge. United has a similar service, but only Delta has hubs that give us the most direct way to get our pets to CLT while still ensuring they'll have climate controlled facilities the whole way.
 
It just pissed me off that their service sucks so bad that they hang up on you mid-conversation. The guy gave me an option I didn't want and then hung up at closing before I could finish talking. When I called them today to see what the heck happened, I found out he went ahead and changed my scheduled booking without my consent.
 
so delta it is... sucks to hear the service has been lacking
 
Yea. I was hoping someone had better experiences elsewhere and could share their insight but I guess not.
 
Sucks man....

Have you thought about flying to Cali and pick up a different flight from there that might allow the doggies in the cabin with you?
 
Nomar06 said:
Sucks man....

Have you thought about flying to Cali and pick up a different flight from there that might allow the doggies in the cabin with you?
Click to expand...

yeah but i would still have the problem of being able to take only one dog with me on the plane. Hawaiian would allow me to fly to the west coast, but has the same rule that you can only carry on one pet per passenger, and they have to stay under the seat in front of you for the duration of the trip.
 
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