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I just had a TAP representative inform me that the US is now restricting the total weight (dog plus crate) to 70 lbs (31 kg). I am incredulous. My dog is not so large, at 60 pounds, but with the crate, total weight is 95 lbs. I was told a few days ago that the restriction was 99 pounds (45 kg). There is no option of paying a higher fee for overweight, US is simply restricting, according to the agent.
I plan to call KLM (no direct flights like TAP though) and confirm this. But, has anyone else heard this??
After reading this, we looked it up on the TapAir website and that is what their official policy is. So...we may be scrambling also. These last two days have been poor in terms of moving to Portugal related news.
@ralf Between this and the delays and issues with Millennium, I am at high anxiety.
Is it possible to fly Lufthansa. I would urge you to go with them.
Also KLM, I have heard they are good with dogs. I have put in a request and will find out on Sunday (US). TAP indicated this is the same regulation regardless of airlines and said the only way for dog to travel is by cargo ship. I'll see what KLM says
This is distressing. We have a 106 lb. labrador and he obviously won't fit into any of these restrictions. Fortunately we have quite a bit of time before our actual move, so I will be doing a lot of research between now and then.
Grateful for the heads up!
@wjjkmorris we moved with. Great Pyrenees and five cats. We engaged Starwood Pet Relocation and they were worth Every penny. I really encourage you to connect with them and would be happy to chat as much as you need
@wjjkmorris Check these guys out for pet transportation to Portugal: Global International Relocation | Expats Portugal
They are awesome but the quotes are very high. They quoted me over 4000 Euros from Chicago-Lisbon.
@hapie3 ugh. It’s a rip off. Especially for a critter that is a key part of ones life.
@wjjkmorris It seems unreal to me. I considered what I will do if in fact I cannot bring my dog. It's almost a deal breaker.
@hapie3 On the other hand, veterinary services in Portugal are surprisingly less than US. We came from Chicago area also. I have been really impressed with the quality.
@ralf It's been a really bad day. Bank issues, pet issues... I'm so discouraged. Thanks for the uplift!
@hapie3 have you looked at KLM yet? Looks like their weight limit is much higher. This is pasted from their site:
Pets in the hold
Is your pet too big to travel in the cabin? You can bring up to 3 pets in the hold. They can share the same kennel if they weigh no more than 14 kg each, and they’re:
- 2 adult animals of comparable size, or
- 3 animals up to 6 months old from the same litter.
Make sure the combined weight of your pet and kennel is no more than 75 kg. The kennel itself can be maximum 122 x 81 x 89 cm on KLM flights, or maximum 102 x 69 x 76 cm on KLM Cityhopper flights (operated with Embraer aircraft).
Make a reservation for your pet travelling in the hold as soon as possible after booking your flight. To make a reservation, please reach out to the KLM Customer Contact Centre.
Contact us
Exceptions
It’s not possible to bring your pet in the hold if:
- you have a transfer time of more than 3 hours, or
- your flight is operated with a Boeing 787-9 or 787-10 aircraft.
Are you planning to travel between 1 November and 31 March? Then you cannot bring your pet in the hold on some KLM Cityhopper flights (operated with Embraer aircraft).
Do you have a connecting flight in Paris? Unfortunately, you cannot bring your pet in the hold. Please contact the KLM Customer Contact Centre for more information on possible exceptions.
@ralf on Sunday KLM will let me know whether my pet travel request has been approved. Not ideal to have a layover, but I’ve heard they are good with the animals, so that’s something. 🤞🏽
@hapie3 ok. Yes, I’ve heard good things about KLM! Pulling for good news tomorrow for you and your dog dog.
Thank you! I'll definitely contact them. We had really wanted to travel on the same flight with him, but it remains to be seen now if that will be possible. He's a big guy, but he's our baby!
@wjjkmorris Yes, we travelled on the same flight. It is a matter of coordinating with Starwood. Lufthansa has a stellar veterinary facility in Frankfurt, and they will take the pet off the plane, transport them to the clinic where they will kennel the pet and feed and water them and make sure they are OK. You will most likely be spending the night in Frankfurt. We live in Porto, but we had to fly to Lisbon because that is where customs is for pets. We waited for customs to clear them and then followed the Starwood transport van (big dog, remember) to our Porto destination.
@vandfdavid Thank you, you have given me some relief! I had looked into Starwood about a month ago and it had great reviews. I had hoped to have a direct flight, but then we've never been to Germany! I only want to make sure our guy is well taken care of. While cost is important, his welfare is the most critical. I'll check Starwood out again as well as Global International and we'll go from there.
@vandfdavid Good also to know that veterinary care is less than in the US. As with medical care for us humans, veterinary care in the US is really getting out of control.
I tried obtaining an online quote from Starwood and Portugal is not available as a country they serve. I called and await an answer on this. FYI
@hapie3 What's the cost they quoted you, ballpark figure? The quotes I've been getting for Alberta to Portugal are all between $8000-11,000 USD for my two dogs that weigh about 65Lbs each.
@techcowgirl We just flew our two large dogs (around 80 pounds of dog weight + kennel weight) from Alaska to Frankfurt. Then tomorrow we fly from Frankfurt into Porto. While it wasn’t inexpensive, it was FAR less than the rip off fees being charged by these pet shipping outfits.
@techcowgirl I believe it was $5900 from Chicago-Lisbon, for one dog weighing 55 lbs. This was through Global Pets, they are on this website business directory. They are super nice and helpful. Marcia Fonseca was my contact
