Many dog lovers and owners inquire about an alternative way, other than the cargo
hold of a commercial airliner, to transport their dogs.
Before you plan a trip internationally, check out our Customs
and Quarantine section for pet travel.
Alternative Transportation Methods
1. Try traveling across the ocean from the U.S. to Europe (and Europe to U.S.) by
freighter/cargo ship. Currently the only one we know of is the QE2,
but please talk to them about any possible quarantine restrictions.
Pets are not allowed in the cabin with you. They are required to stay
in a limited number of kennels that can hold up to about a mid-size
dog. I believe you can visit with your dog once or twice a day. Click
here for the Cunard/QE2 web site.
2. Charter a plane from the U.S. to Europe or within the United States.
The cost can start at $50K and up (one-way). After finding a charter,
you will need to verify that they will allow your dog on their
airplane.
3. Find an "empty leg" on an already chartered airplane. The empty leg
is when the original trip is booked as a one-way flight. The return trip or "backhaul"
must then return to base. Some charter companies allow the empty leg to be priced
less than if you were to charter your own airplane (up to a 50% reduced rate). For
more information, check out Leg Seek.com They
offer flights within the United States. They do allow dogs, however, you will have
to make sure that they allow dogs on a particular flight.
Pet-Friendly Airline
Updates
DogFriendly.com wants to promote
airlines that allow
medium to large size well-behaved family dogs on airlines in the cabin section
with people. If you are interested in any news or updates about this issue,
feel free to add your email address to our list.
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