Getting there: I will NEVER fly United Airlines again with a dog. Arrived in Seattle at the Park & Jet to leave my van there for the week I was away. The shuttle was very obliging to take the crate and my luggage to the airport but not having a dolly with me to move the crate I needed to locate one to get my gear to the counter. $5.00 it cost me to use one from the self serve (only 25 cents back when you return it)...at Houston it is $4.00 BTW. Loaded up and headed to the counter to check in and low and behold they no longer accept dogs at the airport!! In order to have Bolli with me as "excess baggage" I had to take him to the cargo facility to "PetSafe" (what a ripoff that is). Now I had no transport and my time was getting closer and closer to boarding. I checked my bags, loaded Bolli back onto the dolly and headed outside to hail a taxi to get me to cargo. A reluctant taxi driver who had no idea where we were going except that it was "over there" somewhere. Top it off the address that PetSafe gave me by phone at the ticket counter was an old one....they had moved last year! We got to where we thought we were supposed to be but there were signs on the door saying they had moved but no address to go to. Luckily the business next to them had moved also and did have an address. The taxi drove me to it but it was not PetSafe. The workers there did know where it was so we back tracked to get to United Cargo. Paid the driver and dragged the crate to the counter. Took at least a half hour to check him in and say goodbye. Outside the building taxi after taxi passed by but would not pick me up. Started walking towards the terminal still hoping to get a ride, past a hotel and there happened to be several people standing outside the lobby entrance. "Are you waiting for the shuttle to the airport?" "Yes we are."...so I stood with them and hitched the ride. Back at the airport and the long security lines, over to the Starbucks to pick up something to eat and drink on the plane, then to the farthest end of the airport to my gate. Just in time as they were already loading!! The whole process took the full 2 1/2 hours I had allotted to be checked through.
The flight was disappointing...don't get much for your dollar anymore. Did I mention that Bolli's cargo fee was well over $200 plus the unexpected taxi fee of $20! Alaska Airlines flew a friend's dog in from the same airport for HALF that cost AND they were able to check the dog in with their luggage at the ticket counter. Hello ALASKA, good riddance UNITED. Encountered some turbulence on the way. Only got drinks (small glass, less than a half a can of pop) and no snacks (peanuts or cookies). Cheap. Arrived at Houston and saw Bolli be offloaded the plane. Picked up my luggage from the carousel and headed to special services to get Bolli. Guess what...you knew this was coming...he's not there. "Sorry, ma'm (hate that term) you have to pick him up at cargo." What the hell!! Fortunately I had a very understanding hotel shuttle driver who obliged and found the cargo terminal, waited for us, and go us to the hotel. Thanks Sheraton!
Now, tomorrow, I have to repeat this mess all over again.. Believe me I have notified both United and PetSafe of my anger and disappointment with their service. If they had even transported the dog to the terminal (a drive of about a block) instead of the cargo (at least a mile away) I would have been much happier....but not that much. It ruined a great start to my vacation....
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