Airline with the most pet fatalities

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/more-pets-died-delta-flights-2011-why-211100693.html

More Pets Died on Delta Flights in 2011, but Why?

More pets died on Delta flights last year than on any other airline, a government report reveals. But a closer look at the records shows that the pets' owners may have been as much to blame as the airline.

The report, issued each year by the U.S. Department of Transportation, shows that 19 of the 35 air-travel-related pet deaths in 2011 took place in the baggage holds of Delta planes, up from 16 in 2010. Five pets were also injured on Delta last year, more than on any other airline.

"The loss of any pet is unacceptable to us," Delta spokesman Anthony Black told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We are working to improve the processes and procedures to ensure that every pet arrives safely at its destination." Delta pointed out that it transports more pets than many other airlines (some, like Southwest and AirTran, don't allow pets to travel in the cargo hold at all), and that less than 0.2 percent of pets that fly Delta have been injured or killed.

Delta representatives denied that the pets had been mishandled, and detailed accounts of each incident seem to confirm that. Several of the pets had medical problems that were disclosed during check-in; other pets were found to have congenital defects, and a few had to be euthanized after self-inflicted injuries in their carriers. Age may have been a factor in some of the deaths, such as those of 17-year-old and 14-year-old cats, and the length of the trips may also have been an issue (13 out of the 19 deaths were on overseas flights). One dog, a mini pincher, died without even making it onto the plane -- handlers refused to load him because he was having trouble breathing. Three of the victims were English or French bulldogs, which Delta usually refuses to transport because of the snub-nosed breeds' respiratory problems.

According to Delta's guidelines, the airline "does not accept animals which exhibit signs of injury, distress, or are demonstrating efforts to escape and that Delta reserves the right to refuse pets as checked baggage if the health of the animal is in question and/or if the animal's health may be jeopardized by the extreme conditions." But a few of the pets that died were over the allowable weight limit, had been sedated, or had recent and obvious injuries, yet had been accepted for transport anyway. Delta also does not allow pets checked as baggage from May 15 through September 15, in order to avoid exposing them to extreme heat in the cargo hold, but eight of the 19 deaths occurred during that time frame last year.

Delta is not the only airline having a problem transporting pets. Last year, five pets died on American Airlines, four on Alaska Airlines, three on continental, and two each on Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines, according to the report. In 2010, seven out of 14 puppies died on an American Airlines flight from Tusla, Oklahoma, to Chicago after it was delayed in hot weather.

This week, United Airlines announced that, starting in March, the carrier and its subsidiaries will transport pets only as cargo rather than checked luggage. The third-party fees are astronomical, they admit, but spokeswoman Mary Ryan told ABC News that pets "will now have a dedicated staff and temperature-controlled vans instead of the inhospitable baggage compartment," which will "lead to a better experience for pets."

The Humane Society recommends not transporting pets by air unless absolutely necessary, and suggests bringing small pets with you into the passenger section whenever possible.

If you are planning to travel with pets, take them to the vet for a complete physical first (airlines may require health certificates in order to allow your pet on board, and other countries may have quarantine and vaccination requirements to meet upon arrival). Check with your airline to make sure your pet's carrier meets their standards, and take the time to familiarize your pet with the carrier before his or her first flight, suggests the experts at WebVet.com. Booking a direct flight will minimize the chances of a missed baggage connection and exposure to extreme temperatures.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/united-airlines-policy-change-could-cost-pet-owners-164309658--abc-news.html

United Airlines Policy Change Could Cost Pet Owners Thousands

By Genevieve Shaw Brown | ABC News Blogs – 6 hours ago

On March 3, United Airlines and its subsidiaries will change the way they transport pets. And although the airline's fees for transporting animals are in line with what other carriers charge, the change could end up costing pet owners thousands of dollars.

The change in policy means pets will now be transported as cargo rather than checked luggage. In certain countries, like Japan, it is required by law to pay a third party to ship cargo. And that's where the real cost lies: While the one-way fee for transporting your pet on United from Japan to the United States is about $300 for a 10- to 50-pound pet, per United's website, the additional fee means the consumer will pay an additional $1,440 to $3,869, according to Stars and Stripes, the newspaper of the U.S. military.

The additional shipping cost has the greatest impact on military pet owners who live overseas. United is a federal contract carrier.

United fees are based on the size of the pet and the destination, as are the third-party costs. United told ABCNews.com it does not collect any additional money from the third party.

Shipping pets as cargo rather than checked luggage will lead to a better experience for pets, company spokeswoman Mary Ryan said, adding that pets will now have a dedicated staff and temperature-controlled vans instead of the inhospitable baggage compartment. The change is an adoption of an existing Continental Airlines program called PetSafe . United and Continental merged into one airline, called United, in October 2010.

If United's Facebook page is any indication of consumer reaction to the new policy, people are outraged:

"As a military member with upcomming [sic] orders to Europe, and with 2 Golden Reyrievers [sic] my wife and I will be taking with us, I will do everything in my power not to use your airline. It is outrageous to charge so much."

"They [military] fight so you can stay in business and ya still put the screws to them. No more United for this family!"

"These new fees are supposedly the result of Japan charging a freight fee for cargo. Oh wait…this only happened after United reclassified pets as cargo instead of excess baggage. Seriously United? You get a huge government contract only to screw over US service members? Someone tell Jeff Smisek to shove it where sun don't shine!"

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Lufthansa ftw! They have the best track record going for pets. We used them to fly the wife's cat here to the US and they take special care of animals.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Lufthansa ftw! They have the best track record going for pets. We used them to fly the wife's cat here to the US and they take special care of animals.

Thanks Skip, always did like Lufthansa for a reason.

[Reyan 56]

We also few via Lufthansa airline, and brought my wife's dog over from Minsk to Seattle. There was no problem.

[Adriene H 89]

Before I came to England and was still living with my old buddy Hazel in Long Beach ... I think I spent like 2 days with little to no sleep scouring the web for info on how to bring my best friend with me across the pond. Not only was the whole process a small fortune, I gave up when I'd started estimating $5,000 (I felt like a piece of my heart died when I gave up). The process is rigid. There were only a handful of approved airlines and a smattering of approved airport departure/arrival points they could travel via. Then .. this is also not a quick and speedy process. First things first .. the pet Must be microchipped and be of a brand of chip that can be scanned by the destination country. After that .. you must have a rabies vaccination. Then, if I remember, you must have a blood test to confirm no rabies, and it's like a 6 month process. There is only ONE place in all of the USA that does this test. Then you must get several certificates from like a state certified vet. You must fill out forms from the other country, pre-obtaining permission for your pal to cross the border. Once at the destination, an approved vet there must examine the poor fuzzy and check all the paperwork against the microchip data.

[X Factor 1,112]

Oh shucks!

[MaggieT 4]

Oh shucks!

I read that story today - so sad

[natty bumppo 297]

Lufthansa ftw! They have the best track record going for pets. We used them to fly the wife's cat here to the US and they take special care of animals.

good to see they took care of the pus5y ....

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

good to see they took care of the pus5y ....

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

good to see they took care of the pus5y ....

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

We used British Airways to bring our two cats back to the US about 3.5 years ago, It cost a small fortune (more than both our airline tickets combined) but they were fine. Although one of them was so traumatized from the flight that I honestly think he needs Valium! When I leave to go back to the UK...my mum and dad are keeping the cats with them here. I can't put my poor Scamp through it again, he's already a basket case!