Airport to Airport options?

[kurpak]

What are my options (if any) for shipping airport to airport without being
certified, or a known shipper? I have a parsonii I need to ship,
and don't feel comfortable just handing a box to the fedex kid behind the counter I'd like the in-box time to be as short as possible, since it's the middle of summer.
The only service I know of is Dash, will they accept walk-ins without the certified status? What about the other airlines?
I'm also open to a courier service since this is a one time thing, and would rather
pay a little extra to know the package is going to make it o.k.
Thanks-

 

[hhmoore]

The following can be viewed at http://www.delta.com/business_programs_services/delta_cargo/cargo_products_services/index.jsp

Cargo Products & Services
Regulatory changes, following September 11th, require all Delta cargo weighing more than 16 ounces be tendered only by:

Known Shippers: if your company ships at least six times a year, submit a Known Shipper Request form online and allow 2–3 weeks for completion of all screening requirements.

Indirect Air Carriers: for details on approval to tender cargo as an indirect air carrier, contact your area representative.

Note: With the exception of pets that can be visually inspected, shipments by individuals are no longer accepted on Delta passenger aircraft.

Domestic Shipments
Delta Cargo offers the following services for shipping within the United States and certain regions in Canada:

Delta DASH: Whether it's contracts, videotapes, eye glasses or emergency supplies, no long-distance delivery is faster than Delta's Same Day DASH. See details.
Delta Priority First Freight: The perfect solution for shipments that can travel as air freight and need fast delivery, but exceed the weight and size restrictions. The space for any shipment is limited only by the available capacity of a particular flight.
Note: Shipments may be tendered up to 2 hours prior to flight departure and will be available for pick-up 2 hours after flight arrival

click on Contact Delta Cargo, and you will find this option

Pet First
To ship an animal or pet in cargo within the United States, call Pet First™ at 888-736-3738, and for international, call 866-782-2746. To learn more about shipping animals, see Pet Travel Options.

Entering the search term reptiles finds several entries, the most useful of which is:

Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Containers
Reptiles, amphibians, and fish are only accepted as air cargo, not as carry-on or checked baggage. Shipments must comply with the container requirements of the current edition of the IATA Live Animal Regulations.

Reptiles, other than snakes, need to be placed in a container constructed of wood, plastic or corrugated material. For flight purposes, animals in this category include:

Caiman
Chameleons
Frogs
Geckos
Iguanas
Lizards
Newts
Salamanders
Toads
Safety and security concerns for Delta personnel and customers prevent removal of live snake shipments from shipping containers.

Delta will not accept shipments of live snake (venomous or non-venomous) or venomous reptiles for carriage from an unknown shipper.

There is a bit of ambiguity there, so your best bet is to just call and ask. Delta Cargo is the cheapest option (last time I used it, which was years ago, it was about $33 for the average sized box - usually the size that is used for fish transport...I don't recall the dimensions, probably around 15x15x12?). Keep in mind that, at least when I used it, Cargo did not offer a guaranteed arrival time. They were consistent about 95% of the time, coming in on the same flights (depending on point of origin, of course), but packages do get bumped periodically, and you have no recourse but to wait til it gets there. I never had a problem associated with the delays, but I think that (and the convenience) is why most people moved away from that service.

 

[kurpak]

Wow, thanks for the detailed response! I wanted to be
a little more informed before I called them up, I was afraid of the
default response "we don't ship animals."
I guess calling it a "pet" would sway them from shutting me down
immediately.
Thanks-

 

[Gary O]

I get venomous sent to me all the time via Delta Dash. The people at Delta know what is in the box when they see it. Or they knwo what is coming in when they see me. If I can not get up there right away they take my box and put it in the offices! I love the Delta Dash crew lol

 

[hhmoore]

As an unknown shipper, when I last used the service, D Cargo staff would occasionally have you open the box to view the contents...I am not sure if the wording

With the exception of pets that can be visually inspected,

means that they still do that, or if it refers to the viewability of transport kennels used for warmblooded pets.

Regardless, if you will be shipping snakes, you have to be a "known shipper"

 

[BryonsBoas]

I get venomous sent to me all the time via Delta Dash. The people at Delta know what is in the box when they see it. Or they knwo what is coming in when they see me. If I can not get up there right away they take my box and put it in the offices! I love the Delta Dash crew lol

Its the same for me here. I love those guys & gals. They always use the " open the box and make sure its OK " ploy to see what I got lol. They keep asking me to get a shipping account so they can see the babies before they go out. I get much much better service from Delta than any other service. On a rare occasion my shipment will be late but taking into account the service , ability to insure the package and in some cases same day ship & receive I can tolerate a extra hour wait.

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Delta has really tightened up out this way. They not only will not ship a reptile unless you go through their verification process, they asked me to bring the package in unsealed, and they verified what was in the box, and I sealed it in front of them.

But you can tell them exactly what's in the box unlike other carriers. Venomous or non. The DASH service is also a bit more than the freight service, but it's worth it for same day guarantee. It's worth the hassle to get Delta verified IMHO.

 

[hhmoore]

. They not only will not ship a reptile unless you go through their verification process, they asked me to bring the package in unsealed, and they verified what was in the box, and I sealed it in front of them.

That actually isn't anything new, Rick. They did that to me the first few times I shipped Delta Cargo/Freight about 14 years ago. The basic premise is that all cargo is subject to inspection. Better to have them tell you to bring the box unsealed than to make you open it there and make a mess of it all, lol. After the first few times, they'll probably lighten up on that...unless you rarely use them. I've got the "inspector" coming over on Monday morning, right after work.