Step by step
How pet relocation works
Flying a pet means lining up many pieces: a crate, papers, the airline reservation and a person waiting at both ends. Below you will find every step, the parts we handle, and the parts we need from you.
Leaving Seattle
Your pet flies from Seattle, step by step
Your pet travels alone as airline cargo, from your door to the new one. Choose the pieces you would like us to handle.
1. Get your price
Complete the quote form: your pet, both addresses and your dates. Email and phone come before the price, so we can save it for you and send you the link to your own page for the move.
For most routes, the price appears on screen as soon as the form is sent. A few moves need pricing by hand, such as some breeds, very large pets, more than two pets or certain dates. In those cases the price arrives by email within 24 hours.
What you receive: a single price, the list of what it covers, any taxes, and how long it stays valid (7 days). Read what affects the cost.
2. Crate and measuring
For the flight itself, every pet rides in an airline approved crate. That means hard plastic joined with nuts and bolts, a solid top, a metal door, vent holes, no wheels, and dishes for food and water fixed to the inside of the door. The airline turns away wire, fabric and collapsible crates.
Four measurements tell us the smallest crate that works: tip of the nose to the base of the tail, floor to elbow, shoulder width, and floor to the top of the head or the ear tips. The crate size calculator lets you try it yourself.
This crate size is our best guess from the details you gave. A larger crate can turn out to be needed once your pet is measured in person, and the airline has the last word at check-in. We confirm the size with you before ordering.
A crate you already own is fine if it passes the airline rules. Or we can supply one, set up for the flight with bedding, dishes, labels and ties. Read about airline pet crates.
3. Vet visit and health certificate
Any pet riding in the cargo hold needs a health certificate signed by a licensed vet within 10 days of departure (14 days for dogs and cats bound for Hawaii). Your regular vet can issue it. Some states add their own entry rules, so we go over the rules for your destination together. If you like, we arrange a ride for your pet to the vet and home again; the vet bills you directly. Read more about the vet health certificate for flying.
Heading to Alaska when it is cold? If any airport on the trip is below 45°F, the airline also wants a vet acclimation letter. Your vet can write it during the same appointment.
4. Booking and airline confirmation
Happy with the price? Press "Review and book": it opens your own page for the move, where you check the details and request the booking. Next, we request cargo space from the airline, picking a flight and a time of day that suit your pet best.
The airline has to confirm space before anything is set. When it does, you get the flight, the air waybill number and the pickup time from us.
5. Pickup and check-in at SEA
On moving day, your pet is collected at home and driven to the airline's cargo building at SeaTac, a separate place from the passenger terminal. Check-in happens at most 4 hours ahead of departure, with the crate labeled and the papers attached.
6. The flight
The trip itself is in the cargo hold. We watch the flight and tell you once it has landed.
7. Arrival and delivery
The airline's cargo office normally has pets ready around 1 hour after the plane lands, and they have to be picked up within 4 hours. We arrange that cargo pickup and the drive to your new home. Would you rather have a person you choose collect your pet at cargo? Just say so 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
It works the same way in reverse: pickup at your current home, a flight into SEA, and delivery to any address in the Seattle area.
- 1
Get your price
Enter your pet's size, both addresses and your dates. Most routes show a price straight away.
- 2
Crate and vet
We settle on the crate size and ship one if needed. Your vet issues the health certificate within 10 days of departure (14 days for dogs and cats flying out of Hawaii).
- 3
Flight booked
We request space on a flight to SEA, and you get the details once the airline says yes.
- 4
Pickup and check-in
Your pet leaves home for the cargo office at your local airport and is handed in at most 4 hours ahead of departure.
- 5
Home in Seattle
Once the plane is down, your pet is picked up at SEA cargo and taken to your new address in the Seattle area.
Flying with your pet instead?
We can sort out the crate and the vet visit, and get your pet to SEA. Because owners do not ride along on the rides we arrange, your pet travels to the airport separately and you meet up there. The airline's pet fee is paid by you. Read about airport pet transport.
Who does what
What we take care of, and what you do
Our part
- The plan, plus picking the flight and the timing
- Working out the crate size, and supplying a crate if needed
- The cargo booking with the airline, the air waybill and the airline paperwork
- Pickup from home and check-in at airport cargo
- Collection at cargo after landing, then delivery to your door
- An optional ride to your vet for the health certificate (Seattle area)
- Following the flight and sending you updates
Your part
- Accurate weight and measurements for your pet
- Breed, age and health details, such as recent surgery or any medication
- The vet appointment and the health certificate (paid to the vet by you)
- For Hawaii: the microchip, shots, blood test and state forms, all on schedule
- An adult at home for pickup and for delivery
- Enough crate practice before the flight
- A collar with an ID tag, and a leash
Timeline
When each step happens
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Once your dates are known | Get a price. Begin crate practice with your pet. |
| 2 to 4 weeks before | Book. We settle the crate size and ship a crate if you need one. |
| Up to about a month before | We request cargo space and confirm the flight as soon as the airline does. |
| Within 10 days of the flight | Vet visit for the health certificate (within 14 days for dogs and cats heading to Hawaii). |
| The day before | Crate, papers and a familiar blanket packed and ready. We confirm when pickup happens. |
| The day of the flight | Pickup from home, hand-in at airport cargo at most 4 hours ahead of departure, the flight, then delivery on arrival. |
Keeping you posted
What you hear from us at each step
| When | What you get |
|---|---|
| You request a price | The price on screen, with a link to your own page for the move, and a copy by email. For a move we price by hand, an email within 24 hours. |
| You request the booking | A note confirming your request arrived and that we are asking the airline for space. |
| Flight confirmed | Flight details, the air waybill number, the pickup time and a list of what to prepare. |
| Pickup day | One message once your pet is on the way, and one once the airport cargo check-in is done. |
| Landing | A message as soon as the plane is down. |
| Arrival | A message once your pet is out of cargo and dropped off at your door. |
All updates go out by email, so check your spam folder if one does not arrive.
Safety
How we keep your pet safe
Rides are for pets
Owners do not come along on the rides we arrange. Licensed local partners handle every pickup, check-in and delivery.
On the ground: what suits your pet
Between home and the airport, a pet may travel in a carrier, in its crate or loose, whatever suits that pet. We settle this with you ahead of time.
In the air: always an airline crate
Pets in the air are always inside a well fitted, airline approved crate with bedding, water and labels.
Weather and breed rules
As a rule, the airline carries pets in the cargo hold only when the forecast is between 45°F and 85°F at each airport on the route, and snub-nosed breeds are not allowed in the hold. We check both before booking. Read about summer heat rules and snub-nosed breeds and flying.
Before you start
- The minimum age to fly is 8 weeks, and the pet must be weaned.
- The pet and crate combined can weigh up to 150 lb. If your pet needs something larger than a 500 series crate, we send a custom quote.
- Birds, reptiles and other temperature-sensitive pets are priced as a custom quote. Check with us before anything else.
- Snub-nosed breeds are barred from the cargo hold, though they may fly in the cabin with you when the carrier fits under the seat.
The FAQ has more.
Questions people ask
How early should I book?
Does my pet have to fly on my flight?
Who has to be there for pickup and delivery?
What if the flight is canceled or the airline turns my pet away?
Will I know where my pet is?
Last checked against the official pages on October 6, 2026.
Airline and state rules can change, so check the official page before booking.
Ready to hand it over?
Start with step one. The rest of this page is what happens after you press the button.