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  • K1ngston
    Participant

    I may have stated on one or more occasions that my husband and I are heading back to Singapore as soon as we can (COVID has made things a little complicated to say the least!) However we all know this but one of the issues we are finding is about transporting our wonderful dog and 2 cats back with us.
    Now there are strict vaccination and quarantine rules that apply and my husband is busy going through this process but we were astonished to find that certain aircraft are not designed to carry our beloved pets.

    For instance, 737, A20, A21 are not designed to carry pets so we are therefore compelled to carry them on larger aircraft, which means we have to go to BKK to do so. This is acceptable as we have found someone who will drive the 9 hours from Phuket to BKK so we can then meet the animals there! Now at this time Thai Airways are not flying so that leaves us SQ who at this moment are only using 787-10s on the route which I was interested to find out that they are only suitable for flights under 2 hours with live animals in the hold but any Airbus that flies (normally A330’s) there is no time constraint! Now the flight without delays is about 2.20 so that precludes us using SQ at this time!. My question and it may well not be able to be answered is why a modern jet like a 787 can’t move animals over a 2 hours when clearly it is designed to fly long haul and that Airbus is….? We of course have to wait for some form of normality before we transport the furry children but it would be interesting to know! My question to the staff at SQ was ignored hence the question … thanks


    cwoodward
    Participant

    K1ngston
    Cathay fly from Bangkok to Singapore using a 777 or large airbus,everyday as I recall.
    Without checking I am not sure of the current ‘virus’ schedule however.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1009119][/postquote]

    Thank you so much cwoodward but in these COVID days that is not happening for the moment, I had flown a few times from Singapore through BKK to HKG but unfortunately whilst probably showing on schedules its not the case, the SQ 787-10 is classed as a repatriation flight 3 times a week! … we shall keep trying


    DavidSmith2
    Participant

    All I can say is that we certainly transported our dog on an A320 a couple of years back – albeit not long-haul. She was in a ‘large dog’ animal transporter (they go up to XXL depending on the size of the dog/animal.

    The discussions I had with the company (Austrian Airlines) did reveal some issues with the size of the access door to the freight area where pets can be carried though. She explained that they can only be carried in one specific part of the hold. The rep then had to check precisely what size transporter I had (all dimensions) and compare that with the model of aircraft flown on that route. Fortunately she said ours was ok for both legs of the journey.


    FrDougal
    Participant

    B737s, A320s and A321s are more than capable of carrying live animals in the hold, in fact most aircraft even smaller ones such as ATRs and Embrears can too,

    I think you’ll find it maybe the airline your choosing which does not carry live animals. I know a lot of no frills airlines won’t due to the extra manpower and insurance required.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1009130][/postquote]

    Its actually SQ in their local guise of SilkAir who are stating this, so thank you for this information, much appreciated


    canucklad
    Participant

    Might be talking through my backside here Kingston, but have you considered taking the train ?
    assuming there is one !

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1009137][/postquote]

    Good idea canucklad the problem is quarantine through each country which will be Malaysia and then Singapore and procedures here in Asia are not simple to say the least…. Thank you for the thought however 🙂


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Morning K1ngston – initially it may appear OTT, but have you considered a PJ? I have worked with an operator out of Don Muang and have transported pets to many destinations both in Asia and worldwide. Depending on what else you may need to move to your new home, it could provide an alternative solution, especially with the number of empty legs floating around.

    One of my last flights pre lockdown was Malta to the North of England with 4 dogs in a G4 – considering what the clients loaded as additional luggage, it wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t OTT. Borrowed another clients aircraft for this trip. With the growth in PJ travel, there should be options.

    Your other option is to speak to a soi dog charity in BKK / or even the BCCT. They often have other cost effective solutions for transporting pets out of Thailand.

    Pre COVID 19, the papers needed for a dog to travel were relatively simple.

    Happy to help my friend…

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1009143][/postquote]

    Thanks for this thought Martyn, my husband is active within the Soi Dog charity (where the dog comes from ) I will contact you off line if that works to get your thoughts
    Really appreciate your thoughts and ideas


    nevereconomy
    Participant

    I well know the worry of this – when I moved back from the US I did it on the QM2 to avoid my older furry kid friend being in the hold of a plane.
    I did a lot of homework and there are a good number of specialist companies out there who may or may not be able to take away some of the headaches.
    I just Googled “Specialist Pet Transportation Companies” and quite a few came up. Good Luck !

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1009143][/postquote]

    Thank you for your excellent work behind the scenes Martyn, I await the quotation back and will see where we go from there. Not only have you earned yourself a seat at the BBQ table I will break out the best 25 year old Single Malt I have hidden from you in the past as I would like to keep some of it 🙂 All joking aside Martyn you are a treasure thank you my friend ……

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    My favourite animal transport service is the company “Air Horse One”. I don’t think they have their own website, but https://www.cnet.com/pictures/air-horse-one-photos/ gives the idea. They win because of the imaginative name for the airline.

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