I mentioned a couple of days back that we are about to close on our Kauai home and I am able to start putting the final plans in motion. Sigh of relief…here we go!
The day we can get the dog on a plane dictates all other details. Since we don’t want her on a plane all the way from Oklahoma, which would be a VERY long day for all of us and several plane changes, I have to have this step complete before I can determine when to start driving to California to catch a mere 6-hours flight. I sent off an online booking request to United PetSafe for the dog’s first airplane ride! However, I received the distressing news as follows:
Hello Tracy,
We could not process your request at this time. Lihue does not allow for United to ship pets that have a combine weight over 99.99 lbs. The combine weight of Ruby and the kennel would be 109 lbs.
Thank you for choosing United Cargo.
Why couldn’t they have told me that last Fall when I started checking on this information! At that time, I couldn’t find any carrier that flew animals directly to Lihue (side note-in years past, the only way animals could be brought to Hawaii was through Honolulu first, then another plane ride to neighboring island, usually, on yet another carrier), or there were limited flights with limited number of animals allowed and United PetSafe had the best reviews.
After a few phone calls to other airlines, I found that Alaska Airlines would fly directly to Lihue from San Diego but only on certain days of the week. Luckily, Tuesday was one of the days. This works perfectly with the logistics of shipping our car to Hawaii. More on that later. This sounds wonderful and promising!
Then this super helpful lady with Alaska Airlines gets US on the same plane, too!! Best part?! Ruby only costs an extra $100 to fly!! What?!?! United charged over $500, Delta wanted over $800 JUST for Ruby’s ticket…as CARGO, mind you…she’s got to be kidding, right?! Nope!
I purchased our airfare…DONE! And Ruby…I don’t pay for her until we drop her off on the day of travel! We will be on Kauai on May 5!!! FINALLY!! Get a visual of me happy dancing, ok?!
No worries on my part…Mom’s got this!
Now that Ruby’s airfare is confirmed, I contacted Matson to ship the car. The car has to be clean, empty and with no more than a 1/4 tank of gas to sail. No, they do NOT allow you to ship ANYTHING in the car other than car mats, jack, spare tire and a baby seat. Well, that’s too bad, right? We had heard many stories of folks packing their car with personal belongings and away it went! Not any more! *Boo*
They require the car to be dropped off on a Monday before the ship sails on Friday from Long Beach, CA. After an online booking reservation requesting May 4…DONE!
Things are clicking along now!!
Next on the list…get Miss Ruby’s final paper work in the mail for the permit to enter Hawaii. This could only be sent 30 days before our arrival (thus the need for a place to live AND an airplane ride confirmed BEFORE this step could be taken!) After a quick trip to the bank for a notary’s stamp of approval and a cashier’s check for $145 for said permit, off to the post office for a certified mail receipt…DONE!
Now that she is booked for airfare and her paperwork is on its way to the Hawaii Animal Industry Division for the permit, I had to contact the Kauai Humane Society to coordinate meeting us at the airport to compare said paperwork and permit. They are now paid (Ouch! $450) for their part, which includes the dog’s 2-year licence and that’s one more detail…DONE!
So, I can breathe just a bit easier. After getting a place to live, the logistics of getting us and the dog on the same plane and meeting all the requirements for a pet to be allowed in Hawaii and the arrangements for shipping our car was complex but it seems to have fallen into place.
Next up…finding hotels, that accept pets, to stay as we drive from Oklahoma to California. There will be two over-night stops getting to our friend’s home in L.A. and one over-night stay in San Diego. We will need a rental car from L.A. to Long Beach then on to San Diego. Then we’ll need another rental car on Kauai until our car arrives…up to 3 weeks later! *Sigh*
And I have to remember to…breathe! We’re getting closer, but we aren’t there yet!! It’s been a long week, so now I am sure I have earned a glass of wine…or three! 😉
The Beachy Quilter 
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