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Pet - moving as excess baggage w/ Cathay to USA and 1-stop

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
    Posts
    8

    Pet - moving as excess baggage w/ Cathay to USA and 1-stop

    Hi all,

    Has anyone relocated back to the US with a pet (or pets), but importantly, on a route that requires:

    1) a one-stop (in my case, likely SFO)
    2) a second flight on a second airline (in my case, Cathay -> American / AA) - but via a SINGLE airmiles booking
    3) pet traveling as excess baggage (passenger traveling with the pet) - versus unattended cargo

    ..and if so, any advice? Particularly if it's difficult to do?

    I've looked at a couple pet relocation companies and their quotes, and a lot of forum posts here. It seems to me that it's best to just pay the full fee and get them transferred via cargo to the final destination. (United / UA seems to be able to do it via 1 flight, and unattended, in my case.) The relo companies have suggested the Cathay (miles) booking is a way to lower cost, but I don't have details on the 2-flight logistics.

    I'm also asking because I have a good amount of AsiaMiles for Cathay...

    The issue I foresee is potential difficulty in getting the pets in SFO, and then re-checking as excess baggage via a 2nd airline (albeit on the same booking). Maybe no issue.

    I did as much searching as possible here in the forums... thanks in advance if anyone has guidance.

    Last edited by white ghost guy; 19-01-2019 at 12:11 PM. Reason: clarity

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    猴山
    Posts
    23,652
    Quote Originally Posted by white ghost guy:
    Hi all,

    Has anyone relocated back to the US with a pet (or pets), but importantly, on a route that requires:

    1) a one-stop (in my case, likely SFO)
    2) a second flight on a second airline (in my case, Cathay -> American / AA) - but via a SINGLE airmiles booking
    3) pet traveling as excess baggage (passenger traveling with the pet) - versus unattended cargo

    ..and if so, any advice? Particularly if it's difficult to do?

    I've looked at a couple pet relocation companies and their quotes, and a lot of forum posts here. It seems to me that it's best to just pay the full fee and get them transferred via cargo to the final destination. (United / UA seems to be able to do it via 1 flight, and unattended, in my case.) The relo companies have suggested this is a way to lower cost, but I don't have details on the 2-flight logistics.

    I'm also asking because I have a good amount of AsiaMiles for Cathay...

    The issue I foresee is potential difficulty in getting the pets in SFO, and then re-checking as excess baggage via a 2nd airline (albeit on the same booking). Maybe no issue.

    I did as much searching as possible here in the forums... thanks in advance if anyone has guidance.
    I did take a pet to the USA as baggage with Cathay some years ago. I went with just carry on and pet was my luggage. The process was pretty simple

    Rabies Jab by a vet on the AFCD list (some time prior)
    Health check by a vet on the AFCD list (close to the date of travel)
    AFCD paperwork CheungSha Wan government offices
    Jump on a flight

    Not so sure Cathay normally allow it but you can try especially if you have lots of miles. Also you need to check with the state and their importation laws and certifications needed. I went on a direct flight to East_Coast USA.
    shri and spode like this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
    Posts
    6,158

    In 2012 I relocated back to the USA with a cat and did a stopover somewhere in CA (LAX or SFO don't remember). Was not an issue, no one gives a damn about pets coming into the US- they dumped the cage in the baggage area somewhere, I had to go find it, then I hauled it over to check it in somewhere. No one looked at the cat. Just make sure you have a couple of hours of layover time, you have to clear customs so that takes time as well. Same cat has survived to come back to HK, so no long-term adverse effects, of course it was traumatic...in those days no direct flight to DC so I didn't have a choice.