Once we figured out our Visa paperwork, we had to figure out how to get our whole family over to Europe. We have 2 dogs and refused to consider putting them in cargo, Bella is 15, tall and skinny and Finn is 9, short and chunky. Neither are in the weight range for most airlines to be able to have them in the cabin, so we had to consider other options. There are 2 main ways to take dogs from the US to Europe while avoiding cargo. There is many reputable Pet Movers out there, but we wanted to have them with us instead of sending them with someone else and usually the movers put them in cargo for the flights.
The first option we looked at was the Queen Mary 2- a cruise ship that allows dogs from NY to London- Pets on board – Cunard cruises. This was the cheaper option but once we found out the dogs would be in kennels, not in our room with us, we decided against it. Bella doesn’t do well in a crate, and it would be a week where we could visit her but thought it might be too stressful to be apart from her the majority of the time. Also, there is about a 2-year waiting list for the kennels so if you want to consider this, contact them ASAP. You have to book a room to get your dog on the waiting list but if a spot doesn’t come open for your dogs, they will refund you the money.
The 2nd option is a private plane. I know this sounds crazy but hear me out. We heard about a Facebook group that organized dog owners to split a plane for them and their dogs. 9 people, 9 dogs, no crates, no cargo so we looked into it. I joined the FB group and observed for months how people put out their requests and found others looking for similar routes and options. The FB group is called Chartered Air Travel With Pets, if you’d like to join. I noticed you have to be flexible with timing and locations since you’ll never find enough people for your exact route. I learned a lot about experiences and options and through this group, we ended up finding a company that started offering routes from NJ to Milan- K9Jets. They had been a part of one of these chartered flights and decided to make it a business. This option works to get us close to Greece and Jeff and Bella could arrive in style. As I said- it’s not cheap – $9950 one way for our flight, one person 1-2 dogs, depending on size. But when I heard that putting a dog in cargo is starting to cost $4,000-$6,000 this seemed less crazy. Check out K9’s flight options here: K9Jets.com
Since we had to go to NJ now anyways Finn and I looked into La Compagnie- an airline that allows dogs in cabin up to 33lbs as long as he can fit in the travel bag, which he can, for take-off and landing. This airline only flies to Paris, Nice (seasonally) and Milan so you might not have heard of it but it is very popular in the dog travel world. You can see their Pet Services here: La Compagnie – Special Services. It seemed easier to have Jeff and I each take a dog, the flight would be stressful enough and I didn’t want one of us to have both dogs, so this became the plan. I bought the Katziela travel bag from Amazon and it seems to be the best option for Finn’s short, chunky size- Katziela Travel Bag
We then had to get to NJ from Florida, we considered driving but when we compared driving for days vs a 3-hour flight we decided to fly- JSX to the rescue. JSX is a regional US airline that flies mostly out west but they do have a flight that goes from Miami to NY. JSX allows you to buy a seat for your dog, up to 79lbs check out their pet policy: JSX | Book Non-Stop Flights & Airfare or have them fly in the travel bag for a cheaper price than a whole seat, which can cost up to $1,000. So old lady Bella will be getting a seat, but poor Finn will stay in the bag to save money- sorry Finn:(
If you are planning on moving dogs to Europe, you will also need to find a vet to do their Health Certificate. We are using Air Animal Pet Movers | Pet Relocation Company | Pet Transport in Tampa, they were recommended by our vet. If you contact them, Melissa is great to work with! Please make sure you find a company that has done many of these before, the complications can cause unneeded stress near your big trip. The Health Certificate has to be done within 10 days of travel and they need to be microchipped and be up to date on Rabies shots. This is good for 4 months of travel in the EU; to stay longer you’ll need to find a vet in your new location and get them an EU Passport.
The countdown is officially on- my last day of work is Friday and our cousin got the keys to our apartment in Heraklion today! It’s about to get crazy!
One additional note- recently Bark Box announced they will begin flights as Bark Air, bringing more options to the market and hopefully bringing down costs a bit check them out: BARK Air if you’re starting to make your plans. They do only allow one dog per passenger and they have very limited routes currently.
Journey To Crete 
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