Cat from Detroit to Belfast - options

Once I get my spouse visa approved I'd like to bring my cat over from Detroit to Belfast, but from the research I've done it's impossible to bring him as baggage with any airline - most don't allow pets as baggage, Ireland doesn't allow pets to be brought directly into the country as the first port in the EU, there are no full-service airline flights from the US into Northern Ireland and the only airline with flights between Detroit and Ireland (Dublin), Lufthansa, does not allow pets as cargo on that route.

Does anyone know whether the only way to do this is therefore to use a pet shipping company along with their extortionate fees? Even most of them will only ship to Dublin Airport unless we pay the extra for door-to-door service and it's looking expensive!

Once I get my spouse visa approved I'd like to bring my cat over from Detroit to Belfast, but from the research I've done it's impossible to bring him as baggage with any airline - most don't allow pets as baggage, Ireland doesn't allow pets to be brought directly into the country as the first port in the EU, there are no full-service airline flights from the US into Northern Ireland and the only airline with flights between Detroit and Ireland (Dublin), Lufthansa, does not allow pets as cargo on that route.

Does anyone know whether the only way to do this is therefore to use a pet shipping company along with their extortionate fees? Even most of them will only ship to Dublin Airport unless we pay the extra for door-to-door service and it's looking expensive!

Are you able to fly out of Toronto? I lived just over the NY border so we used a Canadian cargo company and flew direct from TO to London (where my husband lived), the fees weren't extortionate and the exchange rate helped. But that doesn't help you if you can't fly from there!

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If you were to fly into Glasgow, then it's not a major trip to go from there to Belfast.

Are you able to fly out of Toronto? I lived just over the NY border so we used a Canadian cargo company and flew direct from TO to London (where my husband lived), the fees weren't extortionate and the exchange rate helped. But that doesn't help you if you can't fly from there!

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That's a good idea, I'll see how feasible this would be. Do you know if there'd be any issues getting in to Canada?

If you were to fly into Glasgow, then it's not a major trip to go from there to Belfast.

It is if you can't drive! I don't think there's any direct flights to Glasgow either though.

How about you fly into London (I used Virgin to get my wife's cat in from LAX) and then get a train to Belfast.

https://www.seat61.com/NorthernIreland.htm
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/luggage_animals.aspx

How about you fly into London (I used Virgin to get my wife's cat in from LAX) and then get a train to Belfast.

https://www.seat61.com/NorthernIreland.htm
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/luggage_animals.aspx

Belfast is in Northern Ireland.  Which is not connected to mainland Britain.  Unless the train levitates over the water.... 

That's a good idea, I'll see how feasible this would be. Do you know if there'd be any issues getting in to Canada?

What I did was have a friend bring me to the nearest Canadian town over the border to rent a car w/ drop-off at the YYZ airport. I used that for a couple days as I wrapped up stuff at home, brought myself and kitty to the airport and dropped off the vehicle with no issues. Traffic around Toronto can sometimes be a nightmare so you'd want to plan plenty of extra time. I'm not sure if there are airlines direct to Belfast but I used Air transat w/ Sea Air cargo. It was a lot of paperwork and prep, but they were wonderful. http://www.seaair.ca/live-animals.html

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What I did was have a friend bring me to the nearest Canadian town over the border to rent a car w/ drop-off at the YYZ airport. I used that for a couple days as I wrapped up stuff at home, brought myself and kitty to the airport and dropped off the vehicle with no issues. Traffic around Toronto can sometimes be a nightmare so you'd want to plan plenty of extra time. I'm not sure if there are airlines direct to Belfast but I used Air transat w/ Sea Air cargo. It was a lot of paperwork and prep, but they were wonderful. http://www.seaair.ca/live-animals.html

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One of the problems is that animals can't be transported by air into Ireland or Northern Ireland from outside the EU because there aren't any animal "border force" people to process them. They have to go through an approved airport or other EU country. Even if there are flights, we can't use them!

Doh. Just read this... https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/travelling-pets

It looks like you'll need to first travel to an approved port of entry in the UK, and then use a transport service to bring the pet to NI. There are a number of those if you do a google search, and there are a few companies others here have used when going from France that may also cover NI. They likely could make recommendations for who to complete the paperwork checks in NI as well since that's mentioned on the deara site too.

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One of the problems is that animals can't be transported by air into Ireland or Northern Ireland from outside the EU because there aren't any animal "border force" people to process them. They have to go through an approved airport or other EU country. Even if there are flights, we can't use them!

Enter via another UK airport or look into coming via France.

Enter via another UK airport or look into coming via France.

That would be the plan, but the airlines only accept pets as cargo if you're travelling only with them - i.e. not on any codeshare flights - and there aren't any airlines that fly to both Detroit and anywhere on the island, other than Lufthansa who don't accept pets as checked baggage.

I think it's basically going to involve a shipping company (and the expense of that). I could look at Air France or KLM after a drive to Chicago though...

That would be the plan, but the airlines only accept pets as cargo if you're travelling only with them - i.e. not on any codeshare flights - and there aren't any airlines that fly to both Detroit and anywhere on the island, other than Lufthansa who don't accept pets as checked baggage.

I think it's basically going to involve a shipping company (and the expense of that). I could look at Air France or KLM after a drive to Chicago though...

We sent my kitty over 5days before I came over. Granted my husband was in the UK already.

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That would be the plan, but the airlines only accept pets as cargo if you're travelling only with them - i.e. not on any codeshare flights - and there aren't any airlines that fly to both Detroit and anywhere on the island, other than Lufthansa who don't accept pets as checked baggage.

I think it's basically going to involve a shipping company (and the expense of that). I could look at Air France or KLM after a drive to Chicago though...

Could you buy a ticket to mainland UK and a completely separate one from there into Ireland, would that work?

Belfast is in Northern Ireland.  Which is not connected to mainland Britain.  Unless the train levitates over the water.... 

I'm from Northern Ireland. I live outside London. You can get trains from London to Belfast.