Reports from our good friends in the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s Schipohl International airport are that the Dutch National Veterinary Authority is looking carefully at microchip insertion dates on the EU Travel Certificates coming from the USA and elsewhere as pets (dogs, cats, ferrets, etc) either are destined for Netherlands entry or are journeying through Amsterdam on their way to final destination.

As you and your veterinarian plan your pet’s travel and relocation, Air Animal recommends to be sure the microchip insertion date precedes the Rabies vaccination date so that the pet is accurately identified at the time of Rabies immunization.

A member of the Armed Forces stationed in Germany contacted us recently to inquire of the shipping of his dog from the Baltimore/Washington area indicating he had “heard” of the following: “Live animal air cargo rates are seasonal in nature, and tend to decrease over a period of time”.

Let’s refer to the caller as “Ben” for discussion purposes. Ben was not able to take his pet “Scooter” on the Freedom Flight/Rotator from BWI to Germany recently. Having left “Scooter” with a service buddy in the Baltimore/Washington area, Ben wanted to employ Air Animal to ship the pet in the fall of this year, as he had “heard” the live animal air cargo rates were seasonal in nature and the fall of the year was less expensive than the summer.

Sorry, Ben, it’s not true.

Air cargo rates are calculated by two different and varying formulas; one airline will charge air cargo rates based on the weight of the dog and/or cat, plus the weight of the flight kennel.

Another airline will charge air cargo rates based on the calculated volume of the flight kennel occupied by the dog or cat; the larger the flight kennel, the greater the cost.

If anything, air cargo rates rise incrementally over a period of time and there are monthly changes in the surcharges for fuel and security which are in addition to the live animal air cargo charges.

For the record; there is no relationship between live animal unaccompanied air cargo charges and ticketed passenger cabin baggage and/or accompanied baggage live animal charges. On average, air cargo charges tend to be five times the rate of checked baggage charges

Summary: there are no seasonal variations to live animal air cargo charges.

In talking to a pet owner who has relocated frequently over the years, her comments regarding June brides and moving requests struck me as very similar.

For example, every bride wants to be married in June and has scheduling issues: who to invite, who did we not invite, the invitations, the event location, the wedding cake, the bridesmaids dresses, and all those myriad of details associated with a wedding ceremony that must go as perfect as possible.

Moving pets for relocating families is no different.  June is the month of Air Animal’s heaviest inquiries and the questions, the organization, the planning are similar to a wedding and its planning.

• When do the packers come to the origin residence?
• When do the children go off to summer camp?
• When do they return?
• When do they finish the pack & load?
• When does the moving van roll away with your worldly possessions?
• What is the anticipated delivery date?
• What is the interim housing situation like?
• What do we take with us in our family automobile?
• And oops, what about our pets?
• Does our company cover the costs of pet moving services?
• Are we on our own?
• Does our miscellaneous relocation allowance include the pets moving costs?
• Does the relocation management company contact the pet movers?
• Can we afford the cost of hiring a pet moving specialist?
• Our pets are on various medications.
• Who will administer to their medical needs?

And the list of questions goes on and on as you remember you have pets to relocate as well.

Air Animal has many of the answers, and our 33 years of experience will give you the comfort of knowing we have the experience to move your family pets whether within the continental US or worldwide.

A telephone phone call, a visit to our Contact Us form on our website, an e mail all begin the process of moving your pets as you relocate with care, concern, and compassion when you contact Air Animal, the USA pet friendly mover of relocating pets.

All Airlines and Airport Authorities have just advised all UK Airports will be opened as of 10PM and will take some time to get flights and airports in order to accommodate our furry friends back to the families!

Great news and lets hope that this is the case.

Civil Aviation Authority will be monitoring the situation over the next few days and all aircraft will be safe to fly…

Thanks and kindest regards

Jayne Besbeech
Red Coat Pet Travel / UK

Howard Altman, a reporter with the Tampa Tribune called this morning to discuss if Air Animal had any pets stranded at European airports due to Iceland’s volcanic eruptions.

Pen, the pensive Basenji, owned by Paul Robinson of Lublianja, Slovenia, on leave from the University of Florida, recovered his dog on Saturday at the Frankfurt Animal Care Lounge rather than wait for the skies to open.

Air Animal’s pets scheduled to be shipped from Europe to the US are either in residence with the pet owners or are in safe, secure boarding with Air Animal’s EU service partners.

The 2010 AMSA Phoenix conference ended on Tuesday last week with Elaine McPeak of Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Town & Country Movers winning the $100 drawing from Air Animal Pet Movers.

Congratulations, Elaine!

See everyone next year.

The weekend blizzard shutting down the airports in the Washington area brings back memories of the Chicago Blizzard of 1979 when my late wife, Millie Woolf, flew to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to meet the representatives of five companies whose business activities were similar to Air Animal.

Representatives from Pet Express/SFO, JetPets/LAX, Worldwide/JFK, a local veterinarian from Chicago; Dr Gus Gillespie(now deceased), a New Jersey company, J & J transport (no longer in business) and ourselves, Air Animal, gathered for the weekend.  Fast and long-standing friends developed due to being blizzard-bound at O’Hare for the weekend.

From the Chicago Blizzard of 1979 and its O’Hare gathering, emerged IPATA, the Independent Pet & Animal Transportation Association, a global trade association of pet and animal transport professionals.

And, the weather continues to play a day-to-day role in the activities of pet shippers, pet movers, and pet transporters.  Whether it be winter blizzards, summer heat or any weather condition potentially affecting live animal airline transport.

Some things never change.

Whether Air Animal’s live animal air cargo shipment terminates at Frankfurt, or has a connection to a Lufthansa destination beyond Frankfurt, we know our clients’ pets are well cared for by the dedicated staff at Lufthansa’s Animal Lounge, located on the airport property.

A recent visit to Frankfurt allowed us a behind the scenes tour of the facility, revealing the attention to detail that went into the planning and construction of this state of the art animal care facility.

With separate areas in one building divided for export, transit, and import, the areas are designed to facilitate the handling of animals in a safe, humane, kind, and yet caring manner.

Whether your shipment concludes at Frankfurt, or flies beyond, you can trust the professionals at the Frankfurt Animal Lounge to provide the care of your pet that you expect.

The task seemed simple when the mom called Air Animal seeking the means of airline transport to Germany for the daughter to receive the gift puppy.

The health certificate needed updating, the puppy had grown changing the container size, the arrival date needed confirmation with the daughter, the unaccompanied air cargo shipment required booking and a comfort level needed to be established with all parties concerned.

Air Animal to the rescue.  Serving as the facilitator for the shipping mom, the receiving daughter, and the Frankfurt weather notwithstanding, Lola arrived Frankfurt, with the family awaiting her arrival.

The loop was closed when we received the photo of Lola in the Mannheim apartment.

Mission accomplished ! With the cooperation of all parties and Air Animal’s logistical expertise in place.

Kudos to Virgin America as they have provided the lift capacity to move the California Chihuahua’s to dog adoption centers in New York.

With aircraft cargo capacity going unused, along with little space needed for our canine friends from Califonrnia, homes will be found quickly for these lovable little creatures in a city longing for small breeds.

Good work Virgin America.  You have become eligible to receive Air Animal’s  “pet friendly” award.