Direct flights to STX!!!>>>???

Leave your large dog in the states is my advice.

We've never had wide body jets if by wide body you mean a multi aisle Boeing 777, 747, 767 or Airbus A330, A340 or A380. Most airports in the US do not get these types of planes either.

We do get 2 daily 737-800 series planes from Miami from American, an MD-80 a few times a week from Delta, and an A319 or A320 from US Airways on weekends. These are single aisle but large jet airliners.

I don't know much about animal Kennel's but if the Kennel you seek to bring requires a "wide body" jet you wouldn't be able to fly it to to most airports in the US so I doubt that's the case. If I am mistaken though one option you could try is to take the morning US Airways flight from Philadelphia to San Juan which is an Airbus A330 that can haul a ton of cargo. From San Juan there may be a ferry or maybe Seaborne airlines can move it for you. But again, I don't think the issue is lack of "wide body" jets.

The problem is more likely the airlines won't haul a pet this time of year in the belly of the airplane due to heat and the narrowbody jets likely don't have climate controlled cargo sections. While this has been the case for awhile I know more and more airlines have been instituting policies, not just for the VI, but in general, about carrying animals in the cargo section during warm months. You could check with US Airways, their A330 from PHL might be able to get your dog as far as San Juan as that aircraft may have a climate controlled cargo area. You could also check to see if the restrictions are relaxed come winter.

Hope this helps....

Sean

Call back and talk to someone else. You be surprised at how many agents will act like they know what they are talking about when they don't. Large dogs are transported here all the time. Ask for a supervisor if you still get the same stupid answer. Also there is always a AA cargo plan. They only fly into stt. I talked to about 10 different agents from AA before we came and just about got a different answer from all of them. We came with three large dogs and two cats and were just fine despite all the stress and worry. Worse comes to worse you'll just have to reschedule your flight but I honestly don't think you will have any trouble.

I flew 2 kennels & 2 cats on the same flight with Delta. The best I got was a direct from Atlanta to STX, only having to make one connection before Atlanta. I had 2 size large kennels, I don't know how that translates to series 500.

My friend flew her Rottie to STT, then made arrangements with a private pilot to get her & the Rottie to STX.

For Jumbie: some of us have committed to our animals to care for them, give them a safe environment to live in, and assure them each day they will get to see us. Your advice is not taking any of these concepts into consideration. Sure, we bring our pets to an over-populated community, but we always have room for another. That's the way animal lovers are!

try this link for American Airlines....it give all the info for their service direct to the USVI, either STT or STX.
Both originate in Miami.
Heat at intermediate transfer hubs and also the initial departure city usually deceided the fate of shipping a pet in cargo.
It is the ground service temperature.
AA used to fly wide body aircraft to both islands, that stopped about 10 years or so ago.
Wide body aircraft are considedered any plane with more than one aisle serving the passanger area!
They flew both DC-10 and the slightly larger MD-11 tri engine aircraft.
The present 737-series and latest 800 models are restricted in the size of the door into cargo...kennels size 500 and larger will not fit the door.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp#PetsTravelingAsCheckedBaggage

Thanks everyone for the great information. Knowing that other people have gotten their pets safely to st. croix using AA is comforting to hear. After speaking with 3 different AA general reservation reps I got the answer I was looking for. The 737 does not take a series 500 kennel as the cargo door is too small to fit the kennel through the door. The daily AA flight with the 737-800 series (called a 738 by the reps) will fit a series 500 kennel as the dimensions are slightly larger than the actual kennel itself. It is a tight fit, but it does work and this is the main way to get large breed dogs to stx. The kennel and pet have to weigh under 100 lbs. combined and they also have the daily heat restrictions. But the interesting thing I learned today is that the direct flights from CLT and ATL are no more. Due to low demand and fuel prices the flights no longer exist like they used to. Thanks for everyone's help!

tommy: Many flights are seasonal. They cut back in the summer and increase them in the fall/winter.

A few years back when my wife brought our G. Retriever down from the states, she met his planein Puerto Rico, stayed with him overnight at the Hilton (which has rooms they allow dogs in), and flew him to STX on Cape Air the next morning.

Because the cage wouldn't fit through the cargo hatch, they had to disassemble it on the tarmack, and reassemble it inside inside the cargo hold, then hoist him into the cage.

Somehow horses and cattle are transported, goats, sheep too. All of those weigh more than your dog. May want to call a livestock transport company and get a quote from them, just out of curiosity. I don't have one to recommed, but eventually I will be bringing a couple of young horses down.

Somehow horses and cattle are transported, goats, sheep too. All of those weigh more than your dog. May want to call a livestock transport company and get a quote from them, just out of curiosity. I don't have one to recommed, but eventually I will be bringing a couple of young horses down.

I'd be interested in what you find in the way of livestock transportation.
6 Dogs and 9 cats moving soon.

CD

I just googled, there are plenty if you want to call
http://search.yahoo.com/search?type=vmnyatb&fr=vmn&lz=us&q=international%20livestock%20transport

We met and fell in love with a very large rescue dog while up in the States a couple years ago. The problem of getting him here was quite a challenge but I'll pass along what we did. There were two main issues at the time we were ready to bring him here to STX. First, the temperature issue - but it was the opposite problem than now - it was winter and the temps were too cold in the Northeast and American Airlines would not take him. The second issue was his size, about 125 pounds. Both issues had to be solved for us to bring him. There were a lot of hoops that had to be jumped through but he was worth it.

The only solution to the temperature problem was to begin the flying part of the trip in a warmer place. So, we rented an SUV and drove to Miami! He was great on the trip and we actually got to know him better. Once in Miami his size became the issue. He and his large crate were over the weight limit allowed to be carried as "baggage" - he was considered cargo. Naturally, St. Croix was NOT considered by American to have a cargo department so he could not fly here. Instead, he had to fly to St. Thomas. So, we all flew to St. Thomas. Weeks before all this, I contacted a pilot friend here in STX and hired him to meet us in STT with his small plane. We hooked up with him after landing and the pilot, my wife and I, and the big dog plus his crate and our luggage all flew safely home to STX. It wasn't easy but it was do-able and it worked. Needless to say, the planning and discussions with American went on weeks before we ever started the trip.

A few weeks later, American published a picture and story about this dog's trip in their newsletter!

Does anyone have any experience trying to go private with a pet on an 'empty leg' from MIA or SJU? I know it's not cheap, and the legs are hard to find, but was wondering if anyone had success ...

I just googled, there are plenty if you want to call
http://search.yahoo.com/search?type=vmnyatb&fr=vmn&lz=us&q=international%20livestock%20transport

Thanks,

Lots of good info there.

CD

I just googled, there are plenty if you want to call
http://search.yahoo.com/search?type=vmnyatb&fr=vmn&lz=us&q=international%20livestock%20transport

OMG, you yahoogled it!

I DID!!! oh M Gee!!! LOLOL Hope I didn't bingle his search!

We had quite an ordeal a couple of months ago trying to fly off the island with a large dog. After checking and re-checking all details numerous times to transport our large dog we ran into a very surly agent at the AA counter in STX. She said, "...we dun transport large dogs!" and refused to help. We went through the ringer for several hours and one of the options we found was Bolke air service. Captain Bolke was more than willing to transport large dog (93 lbs) and crate in one of his planes to Puerto Rico (~$1700 as I recall?) or Miami.

In the end we went back to the airport and found an AA manager who said the problem should never have happened and readily rebooked us on an AA flight (737-800) so it sort of worked out (until we got to Miami and a random agent walking around by a check-in counter decided the small dog's crate was too small and argued and eventually pursuaded our check-in agent not to take us but that's another story for another day...)

Got to love American Airlines...

Does anyone have any experience trying to go private with a pet on an 'empty leg' from MIA or SJU? I know it's not cheap, and the legs are hard to find, but was wondering if anyone had success ...

We went through the ringer for several hours and one of the options we found was Bolke air service. Captain Bolke was more than willing to transport large dog (93 lbs) and crate in one of his planes to Puerto Rico (~$1700 as I recall?) or Miami.

Does anyone know if Bohlke air service will fly from Miami to St. Croix? I know they are a jet charter, but I am wondering because $1700 to Puerto Rico is not bad.

We went through the ringer for several hours and one of the options we found was Bolke air service. Captain Bolke was more than willing to transport large dog (93 lbs) and crate in one of his planes to Puerto Rico (~$1700 as I recall?) or Miami.

Does anyone know if Bohlke air service will fly from Miami to St. Croix? I know they are a jet charter, but I am wondering because $1700 to Puerto Rico is not bad.

I agree. Also, i it Bolke or Bohlke?

They should, but I can tell you right now you'll pay for it. Billy quoted me $11,000 from STX to KIN (Jamaica), and my husband knows the guy REALLY well!! Give him a call at (340) 778-9177.