Step by step
How pet relocation works
An air move has a lot of small parts: the crate, the paperwork, the airline booking and someone ready at each end. Here is each step, what we take care of, and what we need from you.
Leaving Seattle
Your pet flies from Seattle, step by step
Your pet flies on its own as airline cargo, door to door. You pick which parts you want us to take care of.
1. Get your price
Fill in the quote form with your pet's details, your addresses and your dates. We ask for your email and phone before we show a price, so we can send it to you and keep it on file.
On most routes you see your price on screen in about three minutes, and we email you a copy. Some moves are priced by hand, for example some breeds, very large pets, more than two pets and some dates. For those, we email your price within 24 hours.
From us: one price, what is included, any taxes, and the date the price is valid until (7 days). See what affects the cost.
2. Crate and measuring
In the air, your pet always travels in an airline approved crate: rigid plastic held together with nuts and bolts, a solid roof, a metal door, air holes, no wheels, and food and water dishes clipped inside the door. Wire, soft and folding crates are not accepted.
We suggest the smallest crate that fits from four measurements: nose to base of tail, floor to elbow, width across the shoulders, and floor to the top of the head or ear tips. You can try it with the crate size calculator.
The crate size is an estimate based on the details you enter. Your pet may need a bigger crate once we see them in person, and the airline makes the final call at check-in. We will confirm the crate before we order it.
You can use your own crate if it meets the airline rules, or buy one from us: it comes ready to fly with bedding, dishes, labels and ties. See airline pet crates.
3. Vet visit and health certificate
The airline needs a health certificate from a licensed vet for every pet flying in the cargo hold, issued within 10 days of the flight (14 days for dogs and cats going to Hawaii). Your own vet can do it. Some states set extra rules for pets arriving there, so we check the rules for your destination with you. We can arrange a ride for your pet to your vet and back; you pay the vet directly. More on the vet health certificate for flying.
Flying to Alaska in the colder months? When it is below 45°F at an airport on the trip, the airline also asks for a vet acclimation letter, which your vet can write at the same visit.
4. Booking and airline confirmation
When you are happy with the price, book it from your quote email. We then ask the airline for cargo space on the flight and timing that are easiest on your pet.
Nothing is final until the airline confirms space. Once it does, we send you the flight, the air waybill number and the pickup time.
5. Pickup and check-in at SEA
On the day, your pet is picked up at home and taken to the airline's cargo building at SeaTac, which is not the passenger terminal. Pets are checked in no more than 4 hours before the flight, with the paperwork attached and the crate labeled.
6. The flight
Your pet flies in the hold as cargo. We track the flight and let you know when it lands.
7. Arrival and delivery
Pets are usually ready at the airline's cargo office about 1 hour after landing, and must be collected within 4 hours. We arrange the pickup at cargo and delivery to your new home. If you prefer, someone you choose can collect your pet at cargo instead: tell us when you book.
Home delivery at the other end is subject to availability and confirmed after you book, before you pay.
Coming to Seattle
Your pet flies into Seattle, step by step
The same plan in the other direction: home pickup in your current city, the flight to SEA, and delivery anywhere in the Seattle area.
- 1
Get your price
Fill in the form with your pet's size, your addresses and your dates. On most routes you see your price right away.
- 2
Crate and vet
We confirm the crate size and send the crate if you need one. Your vet does the health certificate within 10 days of the flight (14 days for dogs and cats leaving Hawaii).
- 3
Flight booked
We ask the airline for space to SEA and send you the flight details once it is confirmed.
- 4
Pickup and check-in
Your pet is picked up at home and checked in at your local airport's cargo office, no more than 4 hours before the flight.
- 5
Home in Seattle
Your pet is collected at SEA cargo after landing and brought to your new home in the Seattle area.
Flying with your pet instead?
We can help with the crate, the vet visit and getting your pet to SEA. Owners do not ride along on the rides we arrange, so your pet is brought to the airport and you meet there. You pay the airline's pet fee yourself. See airport pet transport.
Who does what
What we take care of, and what you do
We take care of
- Planning the move and choosing the flight and timing
- The crate size, and the crate itself if you need one
- The airline cargo booking, the air waybill and the airline forms
- Home pickup and check-in at airport cargo
- Pickup at cargo when your pet lands and delivery to your door
- A ride to your vet for the health certificate, if you want one (Seattle area)
- Tracking the flight and keeping you posted
You take care of
- Your pet's real weight and measurements
- Breed, age and any health issues, including recent surgery or medication
- The vet visit and the health certificate (you pay the vet directly)
- For Hawaii: the microchip, vaccines, blood test and state forms on time
- Someone at home for the pickup and the delivery
- Time for your pet to get used to the crate before the flight
- A collar with an ID tag, and a leash
Timeline
When each step happens
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| As soon as you know your dates | Get your price. Start getting your pet used to the crate. |
| 2 to 4 weeks before | Book the move. We confirm the crate size and send the crate if you need one. |
| Up to about a month before | We ask the airline for cargo space and confirm the flight once the airline does. |
| Within 10 days of the flight | The vet visit for the health certificate (within 14 days for dogs and cats going to Hawaii). |
| The day before | Everything packed: crate, paperwork, a familiar blanket. We confirm the pickup time. |
| The day of the flight | Home pickup, check-in at airport cargo no more than 4 hours before departure, the flight, and delivery at the other end. |
Keeping you posted
What you hear from us at each step
| When | What you get |
|---|---|
| You ask for a price | Your price on screen and by email, with what is included and the date it is valid until. If we price it by hand, an email within 24 hours. |
| You book | An email to say we have your booking request and are checking airline space. |
| Flight confirmed | The flight, the air waybill number, the pickup time and what to have ready. |
| Pickup day | A message when your pet has been picked up, and another when your pet is checked in at airport cargo. |
| Landing | A message when the flight lands. |
| Arrival | A message when your pet has been collected at cargo and delivered to your door. |
Every update comes by email. If you tick the box for text messages in the form, we also send texts. Every text tells you how to stop them: reply STOP at any time.
Safety
How we keep your pet safe
Pets only on the rides
Owners never ride along on the rides we arrange. Pickups, check-ins and deliveries are done by licensed local partners.
On the ground: what suits your pet
On the way to and from the airport, pets ride in a carrier, in their crate, or loose, depending on the pet. We agree it with you before the move.
In the air: always an airline crate
Every pet that flies travels in an airline approved crate that fits them, with bedding, water and labels.
Weather and breed rules
The airline generally flies pets in the cargo hold only when the forecast is between 45°F and 85°F at every airport on the trip, and snub-nosed breeds cannot fly in the hold. We check before we book. See summer heat rules and snub-nosed breeds and flying.
Before you start
- Pets must be at least 8 weeks old and weaned to fly.
- Pet and crate together can weigh up to 150 lb. Pets that need a crate bigger than the 500 series get a custom quote.
- Birds, reptiles and other pets that are sensitive to temperature get a custom quote. Ask us first.
- Snub-nosed breeds cannot fly in the cargo hold, but may fly in the cabin with you if the carrier fits under the seat.
More detail in the FAQ.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should I book a pet move?
Can I fly on a different day from my pet?
Do I need to be home for the pickup?
What happens if the flight is cancelled or the airline will not take my pet?
Can I follow my pet's trip?
Last checked against the official pages on October 6, 2026.
Airlines and states change their rules. Always check the official page before you book.
Want us to handle it?
Tell us where your pet is going. On most routes you see your price on screen in about three minutes.