Air Mobility Command raises
weight limits for PCSing pooches
By Sean E. Cobb, Stars
and Stripes
Sean E. Cobb / Stars and Stripes
Shepherd, a 3-year-old collie owned by Kimberly Wright of Rhein-Main Air Base, checks out
his carrier at the Rhein Main passenger terminal Wednesday. Shepherd weighed 105 pounds
with the kennel, and would not have made it on a flight under the old Air Mobility Command
weight restrictions. |
RHEIN-MAIN AB, Germany — Furrier family members — who weigh more than the
average 13-year-old child — can now get a ticket to fly aboard the same plane moving
their owners to or from Europe.
At least they can for the next three months according to a test program for the Air
Mobility Command’s Patriot Express missions.
With the summer change of duty station season in full bloom, the AMC has raised the
weight limit of PCSing dogs by 50 pounds to 150 pounds. (This weight includes the
dog’s transport cage.)
As recently as three weeks ago, the AMC terminals could have denied travel for
relatively medium-sized dogs such as Labradors, Rottweilers and collies — causing
additional expenses and stress for the moving family, said Capt. George Dietrich, chief of
passenger service at the Rhein-Main passenger terminal.
"People tend to get pretty upset when they think their pet is OK to go and find
out it’s a couple pounds overweight — I have seen it first-hand," Dietrich
said.
They also have to pay more to ship their bigger dogs commercially — if they can
ship it at all.
"Many, if not all, commercial airlines stop accepting pets during the
summer," said Dietrich, citing reasons such as heat exposure and delays on the ground
that many commercial airlines face as reasons the airlines restrict pet shipments during
the summer.
"We have very tightly scheduled flights and take-off times so that’s not a
problem on AMC flights," Dietrich said. "This way they arrive at the same time
and the pet doesn’t risk the chance of sitting in an airport for too long."
Even if a dog can catch the flight, (AMC only transports cats and dogs for people with
PCS orders) it could cost owners a bundle of bones.
In the commercial world, shipping a 150-pound pet (and carrier) can cost more than
twice as much as the military charges, said Helmut Schneider, one of the owners of PetAir,
a pet shipping company with an office in Frankfurt.
"It costs $90 for pets up to 69 pounds," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Seksun
Monroe, 726th Air Mobility Squadron day shift supervisor. "For 70 pounds up to 150
pounds, it’s $180."
But money is not the only concern for passengers moving back.
For the Soper family, finding out Amber, the family’s golden retriever, could fly
on the same plane as them was a huge relief, said Cindy Soper, a family member dependent
moving back to the States.
"We were so worried when we found out Amber weighed 106 to 107 pounds in her
carrier," she said. A few pounds over the limit meant Amber would have to take
another flight, most likely a commercial one.
"SATO [Scheduled Airline Travel Office] didn’t know anything about the test
program, but when we found out from the Rhein-Main terminal about it we were so
relieved," Soper said. "I’m very happy now, and I believe this is a move in
the right direction. I just hope more people find out about this."
However, the program may not satisfy everyone’s needs.
First of all, the program lasts only until Aug. 31, when officials will determine its
success and feasibility.
For people who bring pets over the limit, they will need to keep their documentation
so, if the program is canceled, they can ship their dog back to the States when their tour
is over.
Additionally, even though AMC will fly the larger pets to a stateside destination,
there are no guarantees a commercial airline will accept the pet on any continuation
flight past stateside ports of call.
Furthermore, AMC will not accept dogs over the weight limit or if the dog was reported
at a significantly lower weight (even if it’s under the limit), Dietrich said.
"We will be accepting animals up to 150 pounds — that includes the weight of
the carrier," Dietrich said. "But we are going to be very strict with that, if
the total weight is 155 pounds, we will not permit it to travel.
"Put the dog in the kennel and weigh it," he said. "People have to give
us a weight when they make a reservation, if there is a big discrepancy between the
weights when they show up, we are authorized to deny travel for the pet.
"We have only so many spaces available for pets on the flights," he said.
"We used to allow travel by spaces and we could get 10 spaces per flight. Now we are
shipping by weight and it’s important for our information to be accurate so we can
project the spaces available."
Despite possible shortcomings, those who benefit from this test program and those who
are overseeing it, say it’s addressing people’s needs.
"People bring pets over, they naturally get larger, then we have to turn them
away," said Perry Payne, a 726th AMS ground service foreman. "As far as the
weight goes, we are used to dealing with that, it’s a matter of pleasing our
customers."
And if Amber could talk, she would howl her approval.
"I hope they continue this if the results are positive, which they almost have to
be," Soper said. "They just have to do this for us, I definitely think it would
be a bad thing if they didn’t."
RELATED STORY:
Tips for
traveling with pets
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