Qantas

[Eija]

AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC PET PACK - TRAVEL INFORMATION

UPDATED - 17 OCTOBER 2014 (PETS PER CHECKED BAGGAGE POLICY)

This just came to my attention today - heads up dog people!

[gillbear]

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/travelling-with-pets/global/en

On Australian domestic flights to and from eligible airports* that are ticketed before 1 December 2014, pets which fit into a small or medium sized pet pack can be taken as part of your free baggage allowance, subject to the exceptions below.

On international flights or the domestic sector of international flights, or if you are not travelling with your pet, your pet must be sent as freight.

At this stage only service dogs can be carried into the passenger cabin of the aircraft.

For all bookings ticketed on/after 1 December 2014

All customers travelling on Qantas domestic flights within Australia will be required to book and lodge their pet with Qantas Freight prior to commencing travel and adhere to Qantas Freight's local handling policy and procedures.

Pets will no longer be part of Qantas' free checked baggage allowance on Qantas domestic flights.

For further details, refer to Qantas Freight's Domestic Pet Pack guide or visit the Q-GO Pets product page

[BCPuppy]

This will be devastating for animals in areas only serviced by Qantas. The WA rescue group SAFE have started a petition please find time to take a look and sign if you agree.

It will now be cheaper for me to hire a car and drive the 1300km to Perth if my dog requires any specialist treatment

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/385/117/002/tell-qantas-their-freight-hikes-will-kill-thousands-of-pets/

[YOLO]

This will be devastating for animals in areas only serviced by Qantas. The WA rescue group SAFE have started a petition please find time to take a look and sign if you agree.

It will now be cheaper for me to hire a car and drive the 1300km to Perth if my dog requires any specialist treatment

I'm not sure how big a change this is for Perth.

When last I looked at bringing a dog in, they were banned from the Perth terminals and so they HAD to travel as freight anyway.

Animals require (and I hope receive) specialised handling. I would hate to see "fluffy" flying down the conveyor and then being hurled into a cargo pod like my suitcases.

It is unreasonable to expect not to pay for that service.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Big D

[pie]

This will be devastating for animals in areas only serviced by Qantas. The WA rescue group SAFE have started a petition please find time to take a look and sign if you agree.

It will now be cheaper for me to hire a car and drive the 1300km to Perth if my dog requires any specialist treatment

Actually this does not represent a change for us.

For as long as I can remember pets have been banned from the Perth terminals, meaning that they had to be sent via freight.

BCPuppy is referring to the freight cost increases:

From the link in their post:

"Homeless animals in Australia's North West, which would have previously been saved and rehomed by being flown throughout Australia by a statewide animal rescue group, now face little chance of survival as a result of a massive increase (400-1000+%) in freight charges introduced by Qantas last month.

Examples of the price increases include the following: to fly a 45kg dog from Karratha to Perth now costs $421, where prior to the rate charge it was $79, and to transport a 10kg dog from Kununurra to Perth is now $354, previously it was $33."

Edited December 15, 2014 by pie

[Pjrt]

I saw a report on this on the ABC 24. They said that qantas has been heavily subsidizing this service for many years. And now qantas has decided not to offer subsidized rescue freight. While I can understand the frustration from people who were relying on this subsidized service to transport rescued pets and wildlife, qantas is a business and should run their business to their best advantage. Rescue should not expect this service to be subsidized. It's not a massive increase, it is a reversion to normal charges.

Edited December 15, 2014 by GrufLife

[Pjrt]

Where is the petition and outrage urging people in the North west to be better more responsible pet owners in the first place. That is where efforts and outrage would be better directed IMHO.

[YOLO]

This will be devastating for animals in areas only serviced by Qantas. The WA rescue group SAFE have started a petition please find time to take a look and sign if you agree.

It will now be cheaper for me to hire a car and drive the 1300km to Perth if my dog requires any specialist treatment

Actually this does not represent a change for us.

For as long as I can remember pets have been banned from the Perth terminals, meaning that they had to be sent via freight.

BCPuppy is referring to the freight cost increases:

From the link in their post:

"Homeless animals in Australia's North West, which would have previously been saved and rehomed by being flown throughout Australia by a statewide animal rescue group, now face little chance of survival as a result of a massive increase (400-1000+%) in freight charges introduced by Qantas last month.

Examples of the price increases include the following: to fly a 45kg dog from Karratha to Perth now costs $421, where prior to the rate charge it was $79, and to transport a 10kg dog from Kununurra to Perth is now $354, previously it was $33."

oh ok, my bad.

Whilst I believe in "user pays" those new rates seem extreme. Depending on when you book there are probably cheaper "human seats" available on those flights.

The old rates may have been a little low, but at the end of the day the dog cage is just freight with some special care required. Hard to see how that extra care equates to such high prices.

I have no idea, but I wonder if maybe insurance/ liability issues have something to do with it?