Need help with Delta Dash

Can some one educate me on delta dash and the process I need to take to ship live reptiles.

Also, I would love to see pictures of the type of boxes used.

Dash for Delta (which used to be Delta Air Cargo I believe) is airline shipping service, so you bring the package to the freight hub at the airport and the other party picks them up at the airport.

I've only used air services (I used Northwest Cargo) to ship large boas, I received a small boa via airlines and I believe it's the only legal way to ship venomous.

Rates are usually higher than fedex/UPS but it is generally a faster service as the animals don't get transferred around as much.

You can use the normal shipping boxes (corrugated box with foam inner liner) and you can use crates for very large animals.

I'm not an expert and never used Delta personally, for a long time after 9/11 they would only allow previously approved shippers to use the service. I believe they have relaxed those requirements now.

Here's a link to their site so you can find more info:
https://www.deltacargo.com/ProductsR...ress/DASH.aspx

I hope that helps a bit.

Delta DASH is a premium service, Cargo is more like basic. Shipping Cargo means no guaranteed flight, and that your package may get bumped to a later one for various reasons. With DASH, your package is scheduled on specific flights - meaning you know when it is going to arrive. (There's more to it, but that's the simple version.)

While I have seen some people report that they've been able to ship DASH without being a known shipper; I've never had that experience. I have always been required to provide my shipper number. The process is fairly simple - there's an application, a fee (I think it was $55, when I did it years ago - it's up to $75 now), and a site visit for confirmation. The site is nowhere near as clear as it used to be, IMO; there are a couple of old threads on the subject that will probably be more helpful than the Delta page.

Harold I have 4 adult female boas around 23 pounds each. I know the safety of these animals is the priority but is there a way to ship them without a spending 500$ ?

And thanks April

Originally Posted by davidsimon6

Harold I have 4 adult female boas around 23 pounds each. I know the safety of these animals is the priority but is there a way to ship them without a spending 500$ ?

Delta is probably the best way.
Delta freight/cargo is probably the cheapest - we used to use it regularly...but I'm not sure if animals can still be shipped that way. Even if they can, it's not a great option because of the risk of delays. (Most of the time, it's just a bump to the next flight - that can mean arriving 4 hrs later, or the next day; depending on the itinerary; but I've had the misfortune of experiencing 2 day delays)
Contact the Delta cargo office at your closest airport, and ask about their requirements for DASH. If they're going to require that you be a known shipper, you can go through the process (or not). If you're talking about shipping them separately, there's no getting around the cost, though. If they're all going to the same person, you can box them separately and strap them together (crating them would be more secure, given the weight). If one person is buying all you might be able to stack/strap 2 boxes, and present the 2 doubles as a single shipment - you'd have to check with Delta about those options. It's been a while since I used DASH, so I don't remember the weight cutoffs. You might be better off with 2 x 50 lb shipments vs 1 x 100 lb

Excellent info Harald.

I too have always needed to have an account to ship Delta, but it has been a few years, and I have heard rumblings that they dropped the "known shipper" requirement.

I would box those large boas separately and then strap them as Harald suggested. Delta Dash bookings are for a single box (with a weight limit), but you should be able to book multiple pieces as "one shipment" as Delta Air Freight (cargo).

Be very wary of weather and temps, and don't bother with "declared value" on the paperwork, it is NOT any type of insurance, and they will not pay.

For large/heavy shipments, air freight is typically going to be the most economical.