Cargo Shipments and Pets Traveling Alone

DASH - Same Day Live Animal Shipping: DASH is the standard product for transporting pets and commercial shipments of other small, warm-blooded animals and is the fastest total journey time - from origin to final destination.

• Acceptance Location Service is available at all airports served by Northwest Airlines in the 50 U.S.
• Drop-off/Pick-up Times
  • Airport Ticket Counter: Common pets can be tendered at the airport ticket counter in as little as one (1) hour prior to flight departure and available for pickup at the Northwest Baggage Service Office within one (1) hour after arrival.
    • Common pets are categorized as dogs, cats, household birds, guinea pigs, rabbits hamsters and gerbils.
  • Northwest Cargo Office: DASH allows for most other animals to be tendered at the local Northwest Cargo office only two (2) hours prior to departure and available for pickup at the local NWA Cargo facility within 1-2 hours after arrival.
• Size: Shipments of up to 100 pounds (45 kg) - pet and kennel combined and kennels with a size of 120 linear inches (305 cm) - Length + Width + Height.
• Payment: DASH shipments must be prepaid by cash, check, credit card or Northwest Cargo account. Collect and cash-on-delivery (COD) shipments are not accepted.

General Cargo: This is an economical way to transport the largest array of kennel and container sizes and the widest variety of animal species.

• Acceptance Location: All animal species are accepted at Northwest Cargo facilities (where available) and at select Northwest Ticket Counters. Certain restrictions apply.
• Size: General Cargo is ideal for large animals and for multi-animal bulk shipments. Maximum weight and size is based on local handling capabilities and aircraft capacity.  Northwest's fleet of 747 freighter aircraft and 747, DC-10, and A330 passenger aircraft are uniquely equipped to handle large animal shipments.
• Payment: Collect shipments are accepted within the 48 contiguous U.S. and Alaska. All other shipments must be prepaid by cash, check, credit card or Northwest Cargo account. COD shipments are not accepted.
• Connection: Interline connections are available between Northwest and select carriers.

• Acceptance Location: Direct service to Amsterdam is available from our gateways at Boston, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis / St. Paul, Newark and Seattle / Tacoma.  Convenient service to the Northwest gateway is available from over 200 cities in the U.S. and Canada.  From Amsterdam, interline connections are available on KLM to 51 destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.
• Flight Schedules: Northwest and KLM flight schedules may be viewed on-line through Cargo Portal Services.When planning your itinerary please remember that a minimum four (4) hour connection is required for inbound flights at the Northwest gateway.  At Amsterdam, the minimum connection time between Northwest and KLM flights is five (5) hours.
• Size: Maximum weight and size is based on local handling capabilities and aircraft capacity.  In many cases 700-size kennels weighing up to 300 lbs. are acceptable.  KLM 737 aircraft can accommodate 400-size kennels.  Larger kennels (including size 700) can be accommodated on KLM's 747, 767, 777, MD11 and A330 aircraft.  Please note that animals are not permitted on KLM's Fokker 50, 70 or 100 aircraft.
• Animal Restrictions: This service is limited to the transportation of dogs and cats only.  All other animal species are prohibited. The minimum age for travel is 10 weeks.
• Temperature Restrictions: Northwest temperature limits apply to Northwest-operated segments of the itinerary.  No temperature limits apply to flights operated by KLM.
• Health Certificates: For destinations within the European Union a standard USDA or CFIA health certificate dated within 10 days prior to departure is required.  A European Union "Veterinary Certificate for Domestic Dogs, Cats and Ferrets Entering the European Community for Non-Commercial (or Commercial) Movements" is also required.  Both certificates must be endorsed by the USDA or the CFIA.  For destinations outside the European Union, a standard USDA or CFIA health certificate, issued within 10 days prior to departure and endorsed by the USDA or CIFA is required.
• Payment: Shipments must be prepaid at origin by cash, check, credit card, Northwest Cargo credit account or IATA account.  Collect and cash-on-delivery (COD) shipments are not accepted.

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• Advance arrangement is required for all live animal shipments
  • DASH: Contact Northwest Cargo at 1-800-NWCARGO (1-800-692-2746) at least five (5) hours prior to departure. 
  • General Cargo: Contact Northwest Cargo at 1-800-NWCARGO (1-800-692-2746) according the schedule indicated in the table below.
  • Northwest - KLM Interline Service for IPATA Members:  Contact Northwest Cargo at 1-800-NWCARGO (1-800-692-2746) according to the schedule indicated in the table below.

• Flight schedules Use Cargo Portal Service (CPS) to view Northwest and KLM flight schedules. Please note that faster transit times may be available via the VIP - Same Day Live Animal Shipping service. 

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• DASH: The pricing for our DASH service is based on the combined weight of the animal (or your pet) and its kennel.

  Effective: April 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009
  Segment	1-20 lbs.	21-50 lbs.	51-70 lbs.	71-100 lbs.
  Between points in the Continental U.S. 48 states	$260	$280	$340	$496
  Continental U.S. to/from Hawaii, Alaska, Canada*	$340	$364	$444	$644
  Between SFO/LAX and Hawaii	$324	$352	$424	$620
  Note: * Canada: NW 012 air waybills only available from Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul to Canada. All rates shown are in U.S. dollars and do not include applicable taxes and surcharges. Rates are subject to change without notice.

  
  
• General Cargo: The pricing for shipping live animals varies based on the origin and destination, as well as the size and weight of the animal's kennel/container. View domestic rates and cities served. 
• Northwest - KLM Interline Service for IPATA Members:  Contact an IPATA member near you via IPATA's web site at www.ipata.com for rates and additional information.

For more information, contact your local Northwest Cargo Sales Office or within the U.S. and Canada, contact Northwest Cargo Service Center 1-800-NWCARGO (1-800-692-2746).  You can get details on schedules, rates and how to establish a Northwest Cargo Account.

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U.S. and international regulations require that all warm-blooded animals shipped as DASH or General Cargo be accompanied by a health certificate.  The health certificate must be issued by a veterinarian licensed in the country of origin within 10 days prior to travel.  

For animals traveling roundtrip within the U.S., the original health certificate may be used for the return journey provided the return occurs within 10 days from the date the certificate was first issued. If the return journey is past 10 days from the date the certificate was first issued, a new health certificate will be required for the return journey.  Please note that in order to expedite the clearance and handling of your animals, Northwest is unable to accept health certificates and other documents that have been altered in any manner, including those with crossed-out or obliterated information. 

It is the shipper's responsibility to determine and comply with all applicable local, state and national entry requirements. In addition to the mandatory health certificate, many states and foreign countries have more stringent requirements. Information on these regulations can be found on the web sites listed below.

• > State Regulations (excluding Hawaii)
• > Hawaii Regulations
• > Foreign Regulations

Note: When traveling internationally, failure to comply with all requirements may result in your pet being refused entry, placed into quarantine or returned to the origin at your expense. For the most up-to-date information, contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate General office for each country on your itinerary at least four (4) weeks prior to departure

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All kennel need to adhere to the requirements mandated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). You may use your own kennel or purchase an approved kennel at most pet supply shops.

• Kennel Regulations: View additional details on these regulations and guidelines
• Container Guide: Download our Measurement Guide for Dog and Cat Containers to assist you in the kennel selection. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this guide.

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Northwest Cargo accepts all species of live animals for transportation. To ensure a comfortable environment for the animals, U.S. and international regulators mandate certain restrictions be enforced. View additional information on these restrictions

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Careful planning is essential to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for your animal. To prepare your animals for travel, download Checklist for Cargo Shipments. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this checklist.