when moving from USA to UK with dogs what airline did you use?

Hello,
Just spoke to a pet relocation company and it is going to be $ 6,400.00 for my 3 dogs. I would love to go that way but we would be dead broke with all of the other expenses. So has anyone done this on their own and if so what airline did you use? And what did they charge? Need to leave here within 2 to 3 weeks. I do have the shots,micro chips and kennels in place so far

Nikki oxoxo

We flew ours(10 pound cocker spaniel) into Manchester on Continental for just over $1000 a couple years ago.  What airport are you planning on using?  I just called all the approved ones for the airport we needed and went with the cheapest/ easiest for us.  Some require a person to fly with the animal and others don't.  Also do consider if there are any additional fees when landing or if the are quoting you the entire price.

Something I learned is that the clearance fees at Heathrow were almost double that of Manchester. 

You'll need to call around and get quotes - generally it's based on the cost of fuel so even if someone gave you a price from a month ago it might not apply for you (it also depends on the size of your dogs, the crates they're in, etc).

If you look at the approved routes there are probably only 2-4 airlines that cover that route anyway, so I'd phone them up ASAP and find out what the options are. Airlines start booking pets on flights around the 14 day mark, so if you want to fly in 2 weeks you can book now.

I flew PHL--->LHR in April on BA and it cost $1532 for two cats (9.5 and 10.5 lbs.) in the minimum-sized crates prescribed by IAG Cargo, BA's cargo arm. However, the price will vary based on (1) the length of the route you take (fuel cost), (2) crate dimensions, (3) weight of the pets and crates inclusive, and (4) time of year. So the above figure is only for reference -- you'll have to figure out (2) and (3) so that you'd get an accurate quote if you were to ring the BA pet transport desk.

I flew the kitty on her own Newark to Manchester.  It cost either just over or just under $600 (cannot remember exact price and the paperwork is buried under unpacked stuff.)

We used United (now part of continental)  as it was the only airline that flew from the NYC area to Manchester.  United didn't want to book the flight, as I wasn't flying with my pet, but the ARC sent me an email saying they did accept unaccompanied pets and United eventually booked the flight.

With United I didn't pay anything upfront.  It was all due at the airport. 

Good luck

I just flew my two pugs over from Newark to Glasgow via United.  I did use a pet transporation service, but the paperwork appeared to be pretty straightforward.  I did not fly with them and I didn't have a problem.  They did expect payment at the airport, but the pet service was there when I arrived to take care of that.

They arrived at Glasgow pretty shaken up but are recovering nicely with my wife.  I will join them this Sunday.   

I am flying with my cat from Newark to Newcastle on BA and it is costing $1,500.  The high cost is mainly due to the large crate size -- the smaller crate would have been $1,200.  I did all the paperwork in the pet passport and it is pretty straightforward.  I dealt with BA cargo directly as well as directly contacted the cargo/pet customs people in England. 

I am flying with my cat from Newark to Newcastle on BA and it is costing $1,500.  The high cost is mainly due to the large crate size -- the smaller crate would have been $1,200.  I did all the paperwork in the pet passport and it is pretty straightforward.  I dealt with BA cargo directly as well as directly contacted the cargo/pet customs people in England. 

I thought (and please someone correct me if I am wrong) that you could only bring pets into the UK via London gatwick or Heathrow, Manchester, Bristol, Doncaster, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.  And from the approved list, BA only operates the pets scheme into the London airports.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/250993/pets-air-routes.pdf

Also KittyJuneberry you need to fill out the third country certificate not the pet passport, pet passports are used only from within the EU.

And from the approved list, BA only operates the pets scheme into the London airports.

BA doesn't fly directly to Newcastle anyway, so there'd be a layover at Heathrow. Not sure about BA's policies on cats on board domestic (UK) flights, though.

ok that makes sense then.

Flew from NYC to LHR a few years ago with my 50lb (very loud, barking, nutty) dog via Virgin. They were amazing to deal with; exceptionally helpful, and super kind. Didn't use a pet relocation service; just did it myself. The paperwork wasn't too difficult. It was really just a question of timing -- and oh, yeah...cost.

As I say, this was a few years ago, but I think Star's ticket was abut $1500 (extra large crate). There was also a £250 fee on this side when we landed, if memory serves me correctly.

Flew our very large dog as cargo into Dusseldorf on Air Berlin for 150 euros, then brought the dog into the UK over the Channel.