Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Illysook]

I am to be in Korea on May 29th. Some airlines do not allow pets as checked baggage between May 15 and some date in September. I have 2 cats. One can be carry on and one cargo. Korean Airlines has a flight from Chigago to Seoul that's priced okay, but it will be $260 per pet. Has anyone else flown with a pet recently? What was the fee for the pet?

[simonandmartina]

Last year I flew with Spudgy to Canada. Cost 270,000 won. We flew at the end of July, and had no issue with it. We had to call before our flight, though, and reserve a seat for him. If you already have your ticket bought, then I'd call Korean air and do the same. For some reason, though, flying back cost $300. Everything's more expensive in Canada...

Also, make sure you get your pet's paperwork. There's a vet we like in Hongdae/Sinchon who speaks great English and will do it all for you.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[simonandmartina]

Sorry, I meant to say that my dog's flight cost $300. It cost 270,000 won to fly him to Canada, and $300 to fly him back.

[TheUrbanMyth]

Ah I see...I was just about to PM you for the name of your travel agent...

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I flew Northworst last summer and paid $150 for each of my daughter's two cats. They sat under our seats in cages and were fine. The checked bag regulation is in place because in some very hot cities (such as where I was, Las Vegas) the pets could die sitting in a cage in the sun waiting to be put in the cargo hold.

$260 is a real irritance for something that isn't really different from any other 15-pound carry-on, but it's a fairly typical gouge. Find out if there is a weight limit as well because it will be enforced to the airlines' advantage. One of our cats was something like 14.9 lbs with cage and I could see the agent momentarily drooling at the idea of extra-charging us.

[Troglodyte]

Have you ever traveled with your cats in a travel box (cage) before? Some cats don't like and will completely lose bowel control. Bad enough for the cat. Worse for all the passengers sitting near to you who have to smell that for the whole 12 hour flight.

I had to ride in a taxi once with a friend and his cat. It was less than a 30 minute trip but the windows were down and it's probably one of those few times when a taxi driver wasn't even considering taking a longer route.

[noobteacher]

Hi! I've been doing a lot of research on that same exact thing because I will be leaving in June and wanting to bring my cat from the southwest where it will be scorching by then. I have found that flights out of LAX and San Francisco don't have those restrictions whereas if you were to have a layover in say Phoenix or Las Vegas it would be absolutely not allowed due to the heat. Is it possible for you to get a flight from Chicago to LA or San Fran and then on to Korea? Or maybe flights with layovers in the wee hours of the morning or night? I think those would be the best options if possible.

[Illysook]

I'm looking for a flight out of Chicago with as little fuss as possible.