Some military families living overseas are outraged by a new United Airlines policy that will require pets that can't fly in the cabin to travel as cargo — potentially costing their owners hundreds of dollars more.
As of March 3, United, which is merging with Continental, is adopting Continental's pet transport program known as "PetSafe."
That means Fido can no longer be checked as luggage, which generally costs $250 when pets fly from the U.S. to most foreign destinations. Now, some military families say they've been told it could cost up to $1,400 to fly pets home as cargo, and they've launched online petitions to get the policy change reversed.
"Everyone is talking about it and stressing out over the impending changes," says Jessica Simmons, a Marine pilot's wife based in Okinawa, Japan, in an e-mail.
Simmons says she was able to check the family's cocker spaniel, Zeke, for $130 when they moved to Japan in 2008. She's now told it will cost "a minimum of $1,400" to send him home as cargo. "I am fearful that those who cannot afford these new prices will leave their pets behind," she says. "If I'd known it wasn't going to cost the same … to get Zeke back to Texas, I would have left him with family."
United says the cost of shipping pets as cargo isn't significantly greater than for checking them. For instance, the cargo rate for an animal that weighs between 10 and 50 pounds coming to the U.S. from Micronesia would be $309. A smaller animal would cost $259, United spokeswoman Mary Ryan says.
The significant costs are for animals coming from Japan, where a law requires an extra fee be paid to a third-party handler, Ryan says. "There's some confusion," she says. "That's not a United-Continental cost. That's a government-mandated cost. Our pricing remains competitive."
Most big U.S. airlines will ferry pets, but their policies vary.
US Airways allows some pets in the cabin, but they can't be sent via cargo. Starting March 1, they can't be checked like bags. American allows some dogs and cats in the cabin on some flights, as well as their checking and shipping. Southwest will carry dogs and cats only in the passenger cabin.
United says it's making the switch to PetSafe because of the program's many resources for handling those in its care. The program has been lauded by pet-transport professionals.
"They're fantastic with their animals," says Gay O'Brien, former president of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. "We're all so pleased that United is picking that up."
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