One of the best reasons to fly AMC with a pet is that they do not impose a seasonal embargo. Which means, if you are PSCing in the summer or winter, you will not have to watch the weather to make sure that it doesn't spike above or dip below a magic number before you board. That takes a lot of stress off the pet owner!
Commercial airlines do impose pet embargoes and take them very seriously, and for good reason. If the cargo area of the aircraft is not heated or cooled, it could be a serious danger to the animal. Even though AMC does not impose these restrictions you should definitely learn about them and keep them in mind in the, likely, event that a leg of your trip is on a commercial airline.
If you have more than 2 animals, you will have to move them under the Space-Available Pet Program. I have not had any experience with this program. We only have 1 dog. But I have had experience with Space-A "Human Program"....we didn't get on the plane. There was no more "space available". Hopefully, the pet program has better odds.
Your pet must have all of the documentation that I mentioned before, like the rabies certificate and pet passport. I made copies of all of these documents and put them in document protectors and attached them directly to the kennel. The originals were in a folder to be hand-carried.
The animal's kennel must be approved for air shipment following IATA (International Air Transportation Association) guidelines. The IATA has very specific guidelines regarding the size of the kennel, in regards to the size of the animal, and the types of materials that the kennel can be made of and the amount of necessary ventilation available.
When I was shopping for ours at a big box pet supply store in the U.S., several kennels had tags claiming approval by commercial airlines or by IATA. No airlines endorse particular kennels, nor does the IATA, but most of the kennels available, in fact, meet the standards. Your main concern is probably going to be determining the size you need. So before you go shopping, follow the links I've provided with the IATA guidelines and kennel requirements, do the math to determine the size you need for your dog or cat. Your kennel cannot be soft sided or collapsible. If you show up at the gate with the wrong kind of or size of kennel, you will be turned away. Remember it's all for the safety of your furry loved one!
While you may have a free ride on the rotator, your pet does not. You are charged per kennel. If the pet and its kennel have a combined weight of 70 lbs or less, it is charged as 1 item. Our dog {22lbs} and her kennel cost about $100 to fly. That is $100 per leg of the trip. If you are changing flights {highly likely}, you will be paying double. Be prepared for that.
Pet & kennel weight of 71-140 lbs, is charged as 2 pieces. 141-150 lbs, is 3 pieces.
*Pets and kennels with a combined weight of more than 150 lbs WILL NOT be accepted under any circumstances. If you've got big dogs, this may be a concern for you. Look into it so there are no sad surprises at the gate.
AMC has a brochure with their rules, as well as a lot of great travel tips for your pets. It's a definite must read!
This can be a very stressful portion of your move, but if you have everything in order, have read, understood, and followed the rules, it will likely go smoothly. It is still best to plan for contingencies. Have a friend or family member on standby in case your furry family member needs a temporary home until you get settled in Italy. Plan for the worst and hope for the best!
Next time, I'll talk about shipping your pet by commercial airlines and unaccompanied shipping options. There are a lot of options out there! You just need to find out what works best for you and your pet.
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