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I'm working on moving across the country, from near SFO to near PHL, and I have a dog, Pavlov, who needs to come with me. This is logistically challenging as it is, since I need to coordinate: - getting all of my possessions packed up (I'll be using full-service movers, gently caress doing all that work by hand) - getting my (Nissan Leaf, EV with max 150-mile range) car to a transport company - getting me and my dog on our own ways Figuring out how to get Pavlov across the country has proven challenging. The only two airlines that do direct SFO-PHL flights are American and United, and neither of them will take dogs. Well, American might be able to, but only if they decide to put one of their widebodies on that route, and I don't know if they do that, let alone when they would. I can be flexible on exact dates and endpoints, so I need to e.g. look into if OAK-PHL on Alaskan Airlines would work. I'm also looking into using companies that take pets across the country via ground transport. That would certainly be simpler logistically, in that I could hand Pavlov over to them, fly to the destination, then receive him at the other end. Pavlov is a 72-pound mutt, and would probably require a "Giant" crate (certainly at minimum, an "Extra Large" crate). I'm open to other suggestions that y'all might have. In exchange, here's some photos of Pavlov:    Thanks in advance!
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Jan 17, 2024 04:21
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 04:59 |
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To be clear: I'm traveling from SFO (or nearby airports) to PHL (or nearby airports). A correction to my earlier post: Alaskan doesn't do OAK-PHL, but they do SFO-EWR (Newark, NJ, which is a two hour drive from Philadelphia) as a non-stop flight. That would also be acceptable, I think.
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Jan 17, 2024 04:51
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peanut posted:Pets are allowed on international flights*, what if you transfer in Canada? I would much prefer a direct flight, assuming I go with flying. ...which I might, because the first estimate I got back from a "drive your pet to their destination" service quoted me $5300  to clarify on the resistance to flying: it's just a giant logistical headache. It'd look something like this: 1: Deliver Pavlov to the kennel he normally stays at when I'm on vacation 2: Movers clear out the house 3: Take my car to a transport company to take across the country 4: Rent a car for local travel 5: Pick up Pavlov from kennel, spend night at a hotel (NB the SFO Hyatt airport hotel only allows dogs up to 50 pounds, not enough) 6: Drive to SFO (flight is at 8AM, so have to get up super early) 7: Return rented car 8: Fly to Newark on Alaskan Airlines 9: Rent car 10: Drive to Philadelphia (~2 hours)
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Jan 18, 2024 01:36
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Beef Of Ages posted:This is, uh, how it works. I expect some level of complexity, for sure. I'm just looking for any options I can find to minimize that complexity. It's never going to be simple. Thanks for the advice on process; that all makes sense. The Marriott in particular would make things a lot easier: it's possible that I could check into the hotel, leave Pavlov in the room, return the rented car, then take a shuttle back to the hotel. That all depends on how far exactly their pet policy stretches, since I'd have to put him on the hotel shuttle to get to the airport in the morning. I've also discovered that Alaskan has a separate service for shipping pets when you aren't on the same flight. That opens the possibility for this sequence: 1: Deliver Pavlov to the kennel he normally stays at when I'm on vacation 2: Movers clear out the house 3: Take my car to a transport company to take across the country 4: Take a taxi to the airport hotel 5: Fly to Philadelphia without Pavlov; rent a car 6: (Next day) kennel people deliver Pavlov to airport; Pavlov flies to Newark 7: Pick up Pavlov from airport, drive to Philadelphia This would omit renting a car in San Francisco, and split some activity across 2 days, but I'm not entirely sure it's worth it. I need to call Alaskan's customer support to clarify what my options are.
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Jan 18, 2024 05:38
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other people posted:Sorry if I've missed it but could you just rent a car and road trip across country? I realize it would take days but you know, flying sucks. This is Plan B, yeah. It's both more expensive and likely more stressful though; Plan A (flying) is one hell day, while Plan B is driving across the country, in winter. And while I like driving, I'm not sure I'm up for 3000 miles of it, plus the risk of road closures due to weather. (Plan C is "pay someone to drive Pavlov across the country", but seeing as the first quote I received for such a service was $5300, I think it's probably not happening) peanut posted:It might be wise to enlist a friend to help with things like airport dropoff and kenneling. Possibly, though I'm not entirely sure what all they would do. The fact that the flight leaves early in the day is also a challenge; I don't want to ask my friends to get up at 5AM.
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Jan 18, 2024 19:15
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Just to follow up on my case: - I contacted Alaska Airlines and verified that they can take Pavlov on the SFO-EWR flight. Unfortunately, I have to call them to make his reservation (can't do it online), and the last two times I called, their hold times were >1 hour. - I verified that the SFO Marriott allows pets, no weight limit but $75 pet fee. They will not take pets on the airport shuttle though. So the plan stays as written: I'll need to rent a vehicle in SF solely so that I can get Pavlov from the hotel to the airport. Hm, or see if a taxi or "rideshare" is willing and able to transport pets...but the rented car feels a little more reliable. If the ride falls through for any reason, then I'm hosed.
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Jan 20, 2024 01:27
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 04:59 |
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everwake posted:Perhaps I've missed something but Uber specifically has an option to order a car that allows pets. You can reserve it ahead of time. One of my petty rebellions against the world is not using Uber or other "rideshare" companies. They're farcically illegal in multiple ways; most notably, the ways they abuse "contractors", and the fact that you need to have a commercial-class driver's license to drive other people around for money, instead of the class C license that the vast majority of people have. Mind you, regular taxis probably have pet-friendly options as well. However, since I'll absolutely require a vehicle at like 4AM, I'd prefer not to rely on other companies. My anxiety is bad enough as it is. It's possible that the moving company will need multiple days to get the house wrapped up: one to pack, one to load. If that's the case, I'll be spending an extra night at a hotel, and Pavlov will probably spend an extra night at the kennel.
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Jan 20, 2024 22:57
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