f you love your dog, do not use United - at least Newark NJ Smart Pak place. As suggested, I checked my dog in 2 hours before the departure around 1:30pm PST. The check in was courteous and efficient in SEATAC. The departure was delayed by one hour due to the delay in arrival of a pilot about 4:55pm PST. We arrived at Liberty at 0:49am EST. According to my photo record, we got our dog at 1:53am EST. Her trip was 9 hours and 30 min. Why did we have to wait for 1 hour and 4 minutes? We could retrieve our luggage immediately. I even sent my husband to pick her up as I was sure she would be there before us. And the female staff who wheeled her in from outside was beyond rude. I called for my dog, and she was very distressed. And the woman just wheeled her away without acknowledged me. When I got her, she was shocked and did not apprehend any of us. I really was very upset about United's service. I am so sacred that I might have lost her because of my poor choice of the airline. I paid for the petsafe program, which was more than a ticket for my 17-yera old son, because I trusted the service. Delay happens, but why did it take over one hour to retrieve my dog? She might have been the last one in the aircraft. And I really resent the female employee who completely ignored me and took my distress dog away. My dog travelled as a luggage on Alaska Air from NJ to SEATAC. By the time I came to the bag claim, she was already there waiting for me. And I paid 1/4 of the United Petsafe. It proves to show that paying a lot of money does not means that you get a better service. Shame on you United. I posted it on United Facebook, and I was asked to put the details in the private message so that they could investigate. A week passed, nothing has been done. Worst experience, and I will never subject my dogs and my friends' dogs to this treatment. If you love your dog, do not use United - at least Newark NJ Smart Pak place. read more

I would NEVER trust my pets with the people that work here!!! They switched the labels on the crates and I ended up with somebody else's dog... when i brought the dog in to tell them that this wasn't my dog, Monica- the lady that works at the front desk, literally said that it wasn't her problem and that i couldn't leave the other persons dog there. Complete lack of compassion, she didn't even care or wouldn't help me find out where my dog was. Thank god the supervisor came out and explained where my dog was and took the other persons dog to transport the next morning. My dog ended up on 3 flights, i waited at the airport until nearly 4am ( my dog originally was supposed to be there at 3PM in the afternoon) After nearly 15 hours of traveling, i finally got my puppy.... when i pet him, his fur was coming off. It took several weeks for his fur to come back. MONICA should not be working with animals or people!!! Even the workers there joked about how she has an attitude and doesnt like people. HOW DO YOU PUT A PERSON IN CHARGE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HANDLING PETS WHEN THEY HATE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS??????? read more

We have currently three animals that Pet"safe" is supposed to be transporting. Problems from the beginning. First, we had reservation for a day that THEY later confirmed with a phone call to us and when we showed up , they were closed! Told to come back next day ( another 1.5 hour ride in car, one way) and they would take them but asked us to pay even though we did already. So , paid again, so as to not miss flight, will straighten out later was the idea. Then!!! After a five hour flight and three hours on ground the United crew didn't place our pets on the last connection!!!! So, at 1:00 AM- their pick up time- we go, but no pets, stuck in another airport until 7:45 in am! On way out to pick up, now- just hoping they are alive!!!! After reviews on line, not sure. Didn't sleep a wink- terrified. Not taking the kids with me, they cried enough lastnight. read more

AVOID this awful service if you can! Rude treatment at check-in on both ends of my flight (LaGuardia in NYC and Reno, NV), irresponsible treatment of the animal - NO WATER was given to my dog for a total travel time of OVER 10 HOURS. PetSafe LOST DOCUMENTATION on my dog: 1. they asked for a rabies certificate, which is not required for travel within the US; 2. they lost both the rabies certificate and the health certificate "somewhere" along the way. PetSafe didn't want to release my dog to me upon arrival without the paperwork that THEY LOST!! Also, apparently I'm supposed to carry scissors on me to let the animal lose at the end of the flight b/c the United office is not allowed to. And of course I got no response to my complaints, not even an acknowledgment or an apology. WORST SERVICE EVER. If I could give it negative stars, I would. read more

I have to admit that after reading all of the reviews about United and their handling of pets in general, I was absolutely terrified of flying from Kosovo to Cleveland with my 5 month old dog which was gift for my mother. I specifically chose Newark due to the ease of picking up my dog at arrivals and taking them to United PetSafe the next terminal over. I was a nervous wreck from the moment I let her go in Kosovo till I saw her again in Newark and again for final pick up in Cleveland I flew in on Austrian Airlines and had no problems with the dog in terms of transport or her condition after arrival. When I got her to PetSafe I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised. The staff made sure everything was in order and helped to keep her calm as I was going thru the process and nice lady in the office assured me that she would make sure that she would get on the plane and would be well looked after. I arrived in Cleveland a few hours later and picked her up. She was obviously tired from such a long day, but other than that, she was perfectly fine. Maybe the Newark PetSafe is better than others or maybe I just got really lucky. For THIS trip, I cannot complain about the service I received from PetSafe. I doubt I will try my luck again but at least this time there were no problems. read more

IS THIS any way to run an airline.....??? Can I rate PetSafe with minus stars? If not, may I suggest a new category. Let me tell you about the most horrible airline experience I have ever had. It is ongoing, as I am still in the air, and I hope that God knows where my champion Golden Retriever is. Here's what happened (so far): Nero and I set off to Newark airport today, SPECIFICALLY to fly together on a non-stop flight to Seattle (Newark has the only non-stops on United, which is usually touted as the airline with the best record regarding safe and sane air transport for dogs. When we got there, I was told that the carrier that he has been flying in for two years (FROM Newark on United) was "not big enough" for him. He has not grown, by the way. IN fact, he was a bit chubby and has LOST 14 lbs since last year. Now 80.6 lbs. SO, I was forced to buy a LARGER carrier for $250, since I HAD no choice. The airport taxi I used had already left, and I needed to check in. After signing all the papers, and PAYING $809. for one-way transport for Nero, the friendly attendant mentioned that, "oh, so he's going to Chicago." Really? I thought he was going to Seattle! as it turned out, they booked him, WITHOUT ASKING ME, to Chicago with a connecting flight to Seattle. Am due to arrive at 8:02pm; Nero's arrival was now scheduled for 11:15. THEN, I paid $6 for lousy "beta" WiFi service and found out, lo and behold, that Nero's 6pm departure was now scheduled for 8pm, putting him way past any opportunity to make his connection (changing planes, BTW) to Seattle. SO, DOES ANYBODY know where T** F*** my dog is? Apparently, United does not. Caveat Emptor, big time. i am beside myself. Great start to a vacation... read more

We flew our dog via PetSafe from DCA to IAH on Monday, August 18. The staff at DCA cargo was very nice and assured us that our dog would be very well taken care of. However, when we arrived at United Cargo in Houston to pick up our dog, she was in another crate not her own and visibly agitated and anxious. Her original crate had a huge crack and hole on the lower side and there were blood smears on the outside of her crate and on her crate towel. United said that when they opened the cargo hold, our dog was loose and they believed she had broken through and out of her crate. First of all, I do not comprehend how someone can believe that our dog broke through a heavy-duty crate from the inside. Second, the fissure and size of the crack and hole clearly appeared to be from impact with another heavy object. This really worries me that her crate and other objects were not securely anchored during the flight. Luckily, our dog only sustained minor scratches (hence, the blood stains) and the vet said she will recover quickly. Third, we've flown our dog many times since she was a puppy and she is very happy in her crate and she has never ever had any issues with traveling. This is the first time we've used PetSafe--previously, we flew with Lufthansa, Delta and Air Canada and we were very happy with their services. We have a ten-hour flight coming up from Houston to Buenos Aires and I am just worried that if this happened on a 3-hour flight, what can happen to my dog on a ten-hour flight??? We've always had happy travel experiences before, so thanks United, for traumatizing me and my dog! How will we have peace of mind now? We noted that PetSafe claimed to provide the ability to track your pets but when we boarded the plane, none of the flight attendants could provide us with sure knowledge that our dog was boarded. This is starkly different from our experience with Lufthansa when someone delivered us notification about the safe boarding of our dog on the flight for each leg of our international trip from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt to the US. Maybe because our flight was domestic but it would have been nice to know that someone visibly saw our dog loaded on the plane and was safe. Since the incident, we've submitted written complaints to United because I was told by PetSafe reservations desk that there is NO HUMAN that I can talk to about this incident. We finally got some attention when my husband tweeted about the incident. United, you really need to improve this PetSafe program because from what I have experienced, this program is NOT SAFE. read more

I was a little worried based on past reviews, but needed to get our 5 month old Lab puppies across the country. We were deliberate in our planning so that a) it was a one leg trip with no connections, and b) the temperatures were moderate at both our origin and destination. Most of the bad stories I've read involve missed connections and/or hot temperatures, so we drove 6 hours to the nearest airport where we could grab a direct flight (Newark to San Diego) and chose a time when heat wouldn't be an issue. The Newark employee was helpful and efficient enough, making sure all paperwork, stickers and food and water were ready to go. I think I was more nervous than the dogs. In San Diego, they were promptly taken off the plane and waiting for us in cargo, just before the terminal. They guys were great there. As I took the puppies for a walk they broke down the kennels for me so they could fit in the car, without me even asking. I tried to tip the gentleman and he refused my tip at first until I wouldn't take no for an answer. It was a good experience overall. Making sure it was a one leg flight and choosing an evening departure when weather was cool were key to their safety and our peace of mind. I would recommend United Pet Safe. read more

I had the best experience ever. My puppy was going from Spokane through Denver to Washington Dulles. Petsafe called me when she made it to Denver and offered to put her on an earlier flight to Dulles. I agreed...and promptly received an updated itinerary AND a photo of her being held! That photo really eased my mind. "Tom" in Denver, when I thanked him, said he treats all of the pets as if they were his own...and he seemed very sincere. So shout out to Denver petsafe staff...Puppy arrived safe and sound at Dulles, no problem! Would highly recommend based on my experience!! read more

My Boxer dog (55 pounds) traveled on Dec 21, 2014. A direct flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Newark, NJ. I moved to NY a couple of months ago so when I called United Petsafe so they can oriented me they let me know all the details and things I had to have for my dog (a bigger size kennel because my dog is a short nose breed, vet certificate, her shots to date,etc) to mention a few. Since I was already in NY they ask me who was going to drop off the dog and I gave them the names and they told me that they needed valid ID. It's the first time I ever shipped a live animal before, I was really nervous. Everything went well. My cousin got to the cargo area in Puerto Rico and they were really nice and very attentive with my dog and I know this because I told my cousin to Video call me via Tango. So I saw everything. They let my cousin to walk her for awhile cuz she got there a lil bit early. When the time came they went to picked her. Of course I called to verify that she was on the plane and the confirm that. I went to Newark to pick her up at the petsafe office they told me it was going to take like 30-45 mins to bring her. Which was more like an hour and a half later. And I was getting really anxious. But after that wait I had my dog with me. I had a great experience with then including costumer service on the phone and in the airports. If I ever have to travel again I will definitely pick United Petsafe. Hopefully this review can help anyone out there. read more

I have flown my dog in cargo through Delta and United, and I would recommend Delta over United. Overall, the United experience was very stressful and harrowing. Overall, United fails on 3 marks: 1. Unorganized and stressful experience 2. Very stringent guidelines overall (crate size specifically) 3. VERY EXPENSIVE compared to other airlines 1. Unorganized & stressful experience: When we got to the PetSafe office, I was told someone would be out to help me shortly, but ended up waiting 20 minutes for this lady to come out. When she did, the first thing she did was look at my reservation with a look of disgust on her face, shake her head, and say "you might not make this flight". She then continued to process our paperwork, while in between repeatedly putting her hands over her face like she was crying. I think this is because she was stressed out, and ultimately it did not instill my faith that my dog would be on board of my flight safely. 2. Crate size requirements: When we got to the counter, we were notified that the crate was too small (although as a dog owner, you know his crate is supposed to be his "safe space" and should actually be a cozier size). United requires at least 1-2 inches of space above the dogs head in the crate and they conveniently sell crates for ridiculous prices at the airport, which we ended up purchasing. We utilized our plastic crate at home for our Delta flight previously, so took a chance to see if United would allow us to use it, and they would not. We spent $160 on a new crate at the airport. 3. COST: United was double the cost of Delta, and overall the Delta experience was actually very pleasant. All I did with Delta was bring my dog to the check in counter in his existing crate, and they processed my paperwork in a friendly professional manner. Ultimately, I guess United did get my pet to my destination which was appreciated. However the overall process was so awful and stressful, as well as very expensive. I could get behind the cost of there was some sort of benefit here, but all I got was an awful experience with a $500 bill for a one way flight. read more

I was very skeptical to use this service after reading the reviews. We went through a breeder who utilizes united pet safe frequently and has never had any issues. I put my faith in her and we flew our new puppy. Using the tracking system, we were able track everything. I called United several times to ensure that he was taken care of and would be in an air conditioned environment and I emailed them my concerns as well. In the end, our puppy had a long day with a layover. The flight was on time, we got our puppy from cargo quickly and efficiently. He was spotless and he had eaten all his food. Im am so satisfied with this process and everyone was so helpful that I talked to. read more

I was worried about my dogs making it to our new home safe and United did a great job. My dogs made it safe and they took great care of them. I flew from Louisiana to Hawaii read more

My three boxer flew safely from CCS to EWR on Jan 20th. After 12 hours traveling, they got to EWR in very good shape. In what was one of the longest days of my life I called UA several times from NY (I already arrived there months earlier than my dogs) and always the customer service desk gave me all the info I needed. I even let them know that one of the dogs was not very easy to handle, and she told that to the agent in HOuston, the agent in Houston sent me a reassuring message: Im a boxer person too. The guys at EWR where courteus, proffesional and expedite. MY dogs where delivered to me in less than 30 minutes after plane landed (even though it was 11pm). Thumbs up. read more

I used united petsafe to fly my 10 year old dog from portland maine to fort lauderdale florida. The booking was easy. There were very long hold times to speak with an agent ( about 45 mins) . Maybe this was because of recent hurricane . The day was very long for the dog she flew from maine to Chicago then Chicago to Florida . When i picked her up from the airport that was easy aswell she was already unloaded and waiting to be picked up. I showed my id and left with my dog 5 minutes later. The reason for my 5 stars is because this was the dogs first air travel ever a long 12 hour day in a kennel. When i removed her from the kennel she was happy- not nervous or anxious in anyway , which tells me the transportation was easy and she was treated well! Thank you united airlines for bringing my baby home safe! read more

Don't get me wrong, the customer service on the phone for United is excellent, but the Newark Airport's United service is extremely slow. Only a couple of people before me and it took a hour+ just to pick up. On top of that, the staff are very rude. Better off using another courier. read more

United petsafe rejected our dog on day of flight saying he was just a bit too large for the crate. Now we are forced to pay for a private charter for last leg without the dog that was reason for the flight. My 4 yr old is crying and we have to leave our dog in Chicago and come back to find some other way. Never use this program if you have a larger dog. Supervisor was cold and uninterested. I won't fly United again for this regardless of traveling with pets. If I could give zero stars I would!!!!! read more

Great experience transporting my sensitive Ragdoll sweet cat from Newark Airport to Orlando International Airport. The process is very specific you need to have a Health Certificate from your veterinarian stating specific your pet is free of any contagious diseases and is clear to fly for domestic flights. You need signed Acknowledgement Form and pictures of your pet that clearly shows their face and the kennel. The requirements are specific and you will not be approved until it is exactly as requested. Booking a trip is seamless as is changing a reservation if you do not have all the document requirements approved. Yes, it can be frustrating to get it exactly right but this is how you can be assured everything is by the book and your pet is in the best hands. Order the PetMate Sky Kennel through Amazon highly recommend and on the approved list. You have to make sure your pet can stand and stretch it has to wide enough for them to stretch their tail. This is important as you will not be allowed to board your pet the day of the flight. Everything is online so make sure you follow all the steps and bring copies and photos as requested on the day of the flight with you. I called and emailed (quite a lot as an obsessed nervous furry mommy) Customer Service Line petsafe@unitedcargo.com and petsafedocs@united.com for the documentation approval- they are open 24 hours and best customer service ever! You check in at United Airlines Terminal C Upper Level by Door 1 and you have to be allowed in for the safety of the animals. The customer service was just as awesome again very specific in what they requested the pet safety is the most important service. They check and recheck. They ask to see the pet outside of the kennel they want to make sure it is the right height and width. You have to arrive 2 hours prior. My cat is a very sensitive cat so I was worried but my worries were put to rest. I walked out feeling confident and at peace that my baby was safe and in the best hands for her flight. She arrived safely and happy. Thank you thank you for taking care of my baby! United PetSafe is the Best furry babies transportation! Best team ever! read more

My 60lbs Alaskan Malamute has flown on United PetSafe twice between Honolulu and Tampa. He was well taken care of for both flights. He had layovers in Houston. PetSafe staff in Honolulu and Tampa were caring and professional. I was especially appreciative of my dog arriving back in Honolulu and going to Animal Quarantine in a fast and efficient manner. While I've read about other horrible experiences here on Yelp, hopefully our two positive experiences of United PetSafe will assure other dog owners. read more

I flew with my pet from SFO to Newark. I was very nervous after reading about nightmare stories online. I dropped my pet off at SFO. The people who check you in aren't PetSafe employees. They said, however, that the PetSafe ppl try to put the dogs in cargo facing each other. My dog arrived in Newark, no problems. This is right around Christmastime, so I imagine that they are quite busy with pets flying in cargo. Finally, after landing in Newark, getting my luggage, rental car, etc., they had my dog ready to go in her crate. They also helped me bring the crate out to my car and were as sweet as can be. Heading back to SF tomorrow and hoping i have a similar experience. However, based on speaking with other people, United flies the most cargo pets and are the most on top of things/reliable. read more

I have received the worst customer service in regards to your PetSafe service. From the moment I booked this reservation for my two pet cats I have received nothing but miscommunication. I had been told on every phone call confirming flight information or checking flight status that they would arrive in Norfolk at 9:21 pm and pickup location would be at the Norfolk united cargo facility address of 6000 Robinhood road. I had decided to forgo a call to check flight status yesterday afternoon and checked the status online and discovered they had landed in Chicago much later than I had anticipated from the itinerary I had been given. Not once during the several phone calls was I told that flight times were given to me in PST. So when I confirmed the flight information after they had landed in Chicago, I was given the correct time they would be landing in Norfolk in EST. I asked again about the pickup location. It was confirmed again for the united cargo facility at 6000 Robinhood road in Norfolk. Our friend who was picking them up had called me when he arrived at that location because he was told by an employee at that location they were not there. I called again to confirm pickup location and the customer service agent I had talked to gave me the address for the cargo facility again. I told her that an employee at the location said they were not there. She placed me on a hold and then came back on the line to tell me they would not be available for pickup because the PetSafe pickup in Norfolk had closed at 9pm EST. Meanwhile, my friend took it upon himself to go to the united passenger terminal to ask questions. He texted me that he found them at baggage claim unattended. This whole endeavor has me extremely upset. Not once during the several phone calls I had made was I given correct arrival times or pickup locations. As a military family that is relocating across the country, I shouldn't have had to worry about my pets traveling with a program called PetSafe. Moving in general is already stressful and this was one aspect that I was assured on several occasions by united customer service that everything would be ok and that my pets would be in good hands. Honestly, I will never use your service again and will be telling the several military groups on Facebook and other forums I am a member of to find other travel accommodations for their pets. I will be reviewing this service on every platform I can. read more

Unsafe for Pets We used United Petsafe to ship two small dogs from HI to TX. When we pick up the dogs at Austin, both of them were exhausted and very frightened. Seems like they had been put at a unbearable place on the flight or at the airport. read more

it was the worst thing i did. my little puppy arrived so cold. also the water was cold. it was so starved. i think even water them gave to it. so i don`t recomend this company at all. read more

Arrived at Chicago United Pet Safe to be told our kennel was not acceptable. Without hardly a glance the service attendants announced that they were no longer able to take our standard kennel because dogs are chewing at the air vents, then they said it was because the weight of other kennels may cause collapse when stacked. When the supervisor arrived he stated we had a choice of re-booking or buying a kennel from United for $125.00. This dog had come in for xmas 2 weeks earlier from San Francisco in this same kennel with United Pet Safe. When asked the supervisor said that different locations were interpreting new rules differently and "two wrongs dont make a right". Our kennel was in new condition, and was exactly what the signs in the lobby and on United's website called for. We were 2 hours from home with a son waiting in San Francisco to pick up his dog. We were stuck and walked out $417.00 lighter. I am sure Chicago will set a record for employee kennel sales. United Pet Safe , please spend my money slowly as I will never again use your services. read more

I am very unhappy with the PetSafe program, which I used to transport my cat. In Newark, the woman at the PetSafe counter and her supervisor (behind another door, did not see this person) did not recognize the international health certificate that the people in front of me and myself had. This is extremely troubling, as there is only one EU form, in different languages. So, for a moment, it appeared as though neither I nor the people in front of me could board the plane with our animals. The second distressing aspect of PetSafe occurred when they informed the people ahead of me that their transport carrier, although in 100% compliance with United's online policies and verified by email, was not acceptable. As Pet Safe staff members attempted to drill holes in their carrier, they sometimes made mistakes ("oops, that one went through the cage"). The PetSafe employees said casually, "yeah, well there are many things that need to be updated on our website". This is very distressing and unacceptable. Then, when I checked in my cat, the woman told me not to feed her, because she would be placing ties on her cage. Incredulously, I asked why I was asked to provide feeding instructions. The woman shrugged and said she didn't know. Finally, and this is just on the USA side, I asked the PetSafe woman where exactly in the plane the cats are when they fly. Again, she did not know. All of this created an impression that was in stark contrast to the professional image that is sold to the public on the PetSafe website. In Berlin, I was given several different messages about where to find my cat. The United ticket counter manager assured me that the flight I had just taken was a "no pets flight". I had to convince him that my cat had indeed been on the plane. He called around and found that my cat had been mistakenly sent to a WAREHOUSE. This resulted in a 50 Euro cab ride and more hours of stress for me and my pet. read more

United is probably the most ridiculous airline I have ever dealt with in over 20 years of shipping my babies across country. Recently, due to weather embargoes, Delta stopped shipping most animals out of Florida until likely Sept or Oct when the heat relents. United stated that because of their air conditioned terminals, they are able to ship under their PET SAFE program, but only from certain airports. So I called to book 2 puppies. I was told no sooner than 5 days out. I scheduled Saturday morning flights for both puppies. I drove 3 1/2 hours in EACH direction from my home to get the puppies to the nearest terminal with Pet SAFE. They required that I sent the health certificate, pictures of the puppies, pictures of the crate, and a customer acknowledgement waiver FIVE days prior to their flight date. I did all of that, and was APPROVED, by UNITED to fly. I arrived to the facility at 4:30 AM. My puppies were processed over a drudging TWO HOUR time frame. So at 7 am, I left and headed back home. I received a call at 8:33 AM, an hour and a half after leaving the facility! The manager had arrived and had inspected the crates, the other reps had accepted, and decided they were not RIGID enough to meet her definition of firm pressure. I explained that I was already more than half way home and that to turn around would add an additional 4 hours to my travel, as well as time to find two additional crates. Fine, I travelled all the way back and went to two different Petsmarts to find the exact crates listed on UNITED's website.....by the actual SKU and description. I arrived back at the facility to be told that those crates were ALSO not acceptable. I called Petsafe customer service at this point and explained that if they were going to reject crates, then they should have crates available so as to provide a better customer service situation. I wouldn't have been overly excited about purchasing 2 crates, but I could've avoided a whole lot of driving and hassle! Only then (because I chewed out the telephone rep and suggested that someone GO WITH ME to the Petsmart right down the road to pickup a crate that would work), did the manager decide to go with me to the Petsmart. They did NOT think about this solution on their own, rather I suggested it! Once there, she then picked out a crate, that in my opinion had absolutely no more rigidity in it than my own, but okay. I purchased the THIRD set of crates for my dogs and they were able to fly, much later in the day but at least the same day. United's complaints all center around their carrier issues. They now have an approval process FIVE days prior to. If they are going to approve kennels prior to the arrival of the customer, they should accept those kennels or at BARE MINIMUM, have the kennels on hand that the customers need. Not for SALES of kennels mind you, but rather for resolution of these kind of problems. So in short I had to take a day off of work, drive 11 hours, buy SIX kennels,spend an overall of SEVEN HOURS on the day of the flight, and suffer an actual panic attack. And this was AFTER getting health certificates, pictures of the puppies, pictures of the kennels, and a signed waiver for the puppies FIVE DAYS before travel......all approved. This was literally the worst example of customer service I have ever seen in my life. I would not ever use United again if I had a choice. Right now they are the only airline flying out of my area, but they can rest assured that my tens of thousands of dollars of shipping dollars will not be routinely headed their way. They don't care one little bit about their customers, only the bottom line. They say its for the safety of the pets.....perhaps then they can explain what I was told by the customer service rep............that HAD THEY NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH ME THE SAME DAY, that they would have been SENT TO THE SHELTER as abandoned, after their own reps accepted them and allowed me to leave the facility!! They were going to send my babies to the shelter AFTER entering in a contract to ship them across country because and I quote "something might fall on them resulting in injury if the crates collapsed". So they were willing to send my dogs to a SHELTER to be euthanized, rather than securing them in a fashion that would result in their safely being transported AFTER ACCEPTING Them. This is just horrible. And if you don't believe they said that, call and ask them what would happen if they decided not to fly a pet AFTER it was accepted, bc I was told that is United's policy to send all abandoned pets to the shelter, and even if they couldnt reach me, they would be abandoned! Even if it is THEIR error that resulted in their being there. God forbid I had lost my phone, or my phone had died. My 10 week old puppies would have been at a disease infested animal shelter with only having had two sets of baby shots. Disgusting. Pet SAFE is a big fat misnomer for this company!! By no means do they care about the pets! read more

After deciding to adopt a puppy from San Antonio and fly her to Vancouver, Canada, we went with United's Pet"safe" program. The flight was $300US which is $100 MORE than a one way ticket for a human... She had to be dropped off 3 hours before her flight and upon drop off, was told the crate was too small because she has 1 ear that sticks up, so they dinged the foster care for a $100 crate - cash - that was $70 MORE than the slightly smaller one she bought at the pet supply store earlier that week. The total travel time including layover in Chicago was 11 hours. I asked if there was a quicker flight and the operator said no, even though you can get a flight for a person with a travel time of 6 hours. On top of the 11 hours, we were told she had to be dropped off 3 hours prior to the flight leaving, in her crate. The crate was then zap strapped shut and I can assure you, it was not opened for the next 16 hours once she cleared customs in Vancouver. United did NOT give any instructions as to where to pick her up in the Airport. Her flight was 30 min delayed, so she landed at 11:30pm. After finding the immigration office in the airport, we were told to go out to a warehouse, which we had to drive to, pick up her paper work when she arrived (30 min later off the back of a truck) and go back to the immigration office, have them stamp it and then finally go back and pick up the dog... at the warehouse. A warehouse where things that are meant to be stored in a warehouse are, NOT LIVING ANIMALS!! The poor puppy has now been in her crate for about 16 hours +. I was told she would be given water during the layover, but her immediate rush for water and food when she was let out of the crate tells me differently. The puppy was literally covered in her own feces and urine and we couldn't let her anywhere until she was wiped with a wet towel and wrapped up for the car ride. In total, the trip ended up costing us $400 CND because they dinged us with a pick up fee from the warehouse... that must have been for the luxurious ride on the back of a truck from the airplane to the cold warehouse, where she was left while she waiting because her crate smelt SO bad that the people in the office didn't want her in there. I would NOT recommend this program to anyone wanted to give their pet a humane travel experience. read more

United are awful to deal with, and honestly, since I haven't actually flown my pets out yet, I may just book them with Delta. After reading every single website I could find about what's required for the dog and cat to travel from the US to the UK, I thought we had it all figured out. We got the health certificates, had them endorsed by the USDA, dog had his tapeworm treatment. I was so careful to do everything as stated. Except when I arrived in Chicago on Tuesday to drop off my dog and cat, I was told I had the wrong health certificate... Now I'm told I need a AP 7001 form for my pets to fly. You will NOT find this info ANYWHERE on United, and unless you know EXACTLY where to look, you also do not see this on the USDA APHIS website, and as far as I can tell, it is not listed anywhere on the London Heathrow website either. When I called United to book, I was asked if I had the international health certificates with the raised seals. No one mentioned them by name. Well, yes, I had International; health certificates with the raised seal, so I had no idea I had the wrong one!!! The staff at United really don't care AT ALL about helping you out. And I had no idea this other form I need had to be USDA endorsed until I called to find out exactly why my pets were denied check in, because the guy at the counter could not have been LESS helpful! I sincerely urge anyone considering flying their pets to the UK to think twice before using United. Now I have to figure out how I can get these health forms and get the dog and cat on the plane in the next 3 days, or I will have to find yet MORE money and time away from my kids so I can fly back to the US to get them, because they have to travel within 5 days of their owner, and no one else I know has a passport. As it is I wasted a tapeworm treatment, trip to Chicago, and to Jefferson City MO (also about 4 hours from where I was staying!) for nothing. And don't even get me started on the expense of the flights for the dog and cat!!!! read more

I flew my boxer mix from Hawaii to rdu. He went to the vet two days prior to his flight and weighed 50lbs. When united weighed him and his kennel to travel they stated that he weighed 75lbs. There is no way the kennel weighed 25lbs. Upon arrival to pick him up his kennel was covered in pee and poop. I am thankful he is home safe but when they state that they understand pets are our family, they sure didn't treat mine like they understood. Wouldn't recommend united when flying your pet!!! read more

United PetSafe - Pet Transportation Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

ATTENTION! I HIGHLY recommend anyone to NOT used United Airlines PetSafe service, because recently I had the worst experience ever. I had arranged to fly my 1 year old puppy with United Cargo from Ireland to Nicaragua with 2 connections (Newark and Houston). Because of the long hour flights from DUB-EWR & EWR-IAH, I choose the option to leave the dog overnight in Houston Petsafe animal centre and then he was suppose to arrive the next day in the morning in Managua. It did not happen as promised. The dog arrived in Managua Airport and was brought all the way to my partner to be collected, but then the employee could not find the folder of dog documents which were suppose to be attached to the kennel. United stated that the puppy cannot be released, because it doesn't have the papers and will be sent back to Houston. My partner insisted to call the Houston office and ask where are the original documents or at least to fax the copies. It was refused, the dog was just taken and put back in cargo flight back to Houston without any explanation of how this process will continue. They just simply said to come tomorrow and collect the dog. We were unable to check the cargo tracking system, it was not updating anymore. Nobody even bother to contact us to explain where the dog was and what was really happening. Then the next day my partner went to airport again with all the copies of the dogs papers (just in case if United had lost the originals), so animal can be finally greeted and released after 72 hrs of being held in kennel. This was the 3rd day that dog was travelling. And the worst has happened: the dog was never put on the flight and nobody was even able to contact the Houston office from Managua to find out if the puppy was even safe. The experience was BEYOND WORSE ever and I never had received such a awful customer service. Dog is not a luggage that can be put on one flight then on another, then sent back, because some employee forgot to attach the documents. The service was 2x more expensive than a flight ticket for a person, so I was expecting much more of United. They have no systems in place and if you love your animal you will never risk him to put through this kind of mess. read more

Our recent experience with relocating our "kids" from Tampa to Kona , Hawaii was truly disgusting. It is now 3 days after the fact , and we are still annoyed. This ordeal began with crate size miscommunication from Petsafe agents. Then it moved to could care less Cargo agents in Tampa , missed flights , flight changes and a drive to Orlando from Tampa , another experience with could care less Cargo agents in Orlando ( there is quite the details involved in our disgust to that point ) and even though United requires labels in regards when to feed your pets etc , were the dogs fed in 2 days ? No ! Were the dogs sufficiently watered ? Well , what I can say is that once the dogs were back in our possession the dogs drank for a solid 15 to 20 minutes , ultimately throwing the water back up because they drank so much. I am beyond disgusted with the Petsafe program. I would truly advise anyone relocating their pets to look elsewhere and with other airlines , nothing is safe with this program. read more

I've used Petsafe for years and never had a problem... I think they have done a great job. Comparing United Airlines pet program to American and Delta Airlines. I like comparing Apples to Oranges they may be round or both fly in the air but the comparison is just is not there... Delta and American has limited to NO shipping availability. They do not except a large number of breeds. I realize there were a number of issues in a short period of time with United and therefore it has come to light. However, American Airlines transported 1/4 of the number of pets and Delta less than half of the amount of United in 2017. I want all of our pets to be safe, and healthy while traveling..... Given facts and with over 100,000 pet transfers in a year there are going to be a few incidents. Thank you United for the work you do. Thank you for taking the time to stop, reevaluate and try to correct and prevent further issues in the future... read more

United PetSafe almost killed my Greyhound on July 3, 2013 on our flights to relocate from San Diego to Boston. My dog and my cat were never allowed out of their crates, even though I had paid extra for a "Safety Stop" in Houston. They were never given water nor food, nor allowed to relieve themselves for 12.5 hours! They were NOT transported in an air conditioned PetSafe van, as promised in United's marketing materials and as promised on the phone and at the airport. The baggage handler kicked my Greyhound's crate, as she tumbled around in the crate, across the tarmac six times, to push her under the wing of the plane and they left my dog and cat under the wing of the plane in Houston's stifling heat. I have video and pictures proving this. The temperature on my phone was 91 degrees in Houston, it had to be at least 100 degrees on that tarmac. My pets were finally put in the cargo where they sat for more than one hour as work crews tried to fix a seat belt problem and then an air-conditioning problem. The cargo door was open allowing the brutal heat to cook my animals. We had to change planes because of the faulty air-conditioning and I never saw the PetSafe van take my animals out of the cargo. I was informed that I had to get off the plane immediately. My animals were still in cargo. Upon arrival in Boston the cargo employee stated, "This is animal cruelty" while looking at my Greyhound and her crate. Her crate was covered in blood, feces and urine. My cat's crate was covered in feces and vomit. My Greyhound suffered severe dehydration and heat stroke. She needed to be hospitalized in intensive care for 3 days; her kidneys were failing due to heatstroke, and her liver was struggling. She was urinating and defecating blood. My vet bill was more than $2700. I detailed everything to United Airlines and asked to be reimbursed for the vet bills. Their offer to me was $1000, and that was to be given to me only if I signed a 4 page non-disclosure agreement. United claims she had a pre-existing condition and they refuse to tell me what this "pre-existing condition" is. I have a letter from our vet in California indicating she was in perfect health and had NO pre-existing condition. The vet who treated her in Massachusetts has written a letter indicating that her medical problems were brought upon by her mistreatment by United, resulting in heat stroke. DO NOT FLY YOUR PETS IN CARGO WITH UNITED. They have taken absolutely no responsibility for the brutal and neglectful manner in which my animals were treated. They killed Maggie Rizer's dog and Michael Jarboe's dog last year. Google their stories. In all of our cases they refuse to take responsibility and blame it on a "pre-existing condition." I only wish I had read about what they did to Maggie and Michael's dogs before I ever entrusted my animals to them. Please share this with your associates, friends and family. DO NOT TRUST PETSAFE. Your animals are NOT SAFE and United will take NO responsibility, whether they injure them or kill them! read more

I would sue United if I had the energy after my move from DC to SF. From the moment i had to drop off my dog at DCA with two clerks arguing with each other over the paperwork, to one of them complaining of back problems so she could not transport my pet (I had to load him myself onto a platform cart), to having to pick up my dog at a hanger way out of SFO, unloaded along with machinery and other dogs amidst construction going on in the hangar. I will never forget the sight of my dog Benji being dumped in the midst of hell, with him barking his lungs out in bewilderment from the transportation, the construction, the dust - and on and on. You are a scam, and I fully intend to expose you in all corners of the internet. I will never fly united again. read more

I used this service to transport my two cats from WI to LA and the experience from beginning to end was not good. I was able to drop the cats off without much issue, other than having to remove them from their carriers for security to check (makes sense in hindsight, but would have been great to know beforehand). The cats were "required" to have a layover flight and were not allowed to be booked on a non-stop option. Well, their flight out of airport 1 was delayed 5 hrs causing them to miss the flight out of airport 2. Obviously delays happen but when we are talking about live animals extensive time like that becomes problematic. They were then placed on a different flight which would not arrive for 5+ hours after their original scheduled arrival meaning in total we are talking about 12-15+ hours spent in kennels and traveling...all for what is a 4 hour non-stop flight. While not happy, I can understand that delays happen. What sent me over the edge was when I went to pick up the cats NO ONE was available. Not a single person. And we are not talking it was just very very busy there. I was literally the only person at what is supposed to be a 24 hr pick up. I finally found a person who stated they could not help me and the available people would "see me in the cameras and come to the front". I told him I had already been waiting there for over 30 mins and no one had come out. There is no bell or any other way to contact the workers who are not at the front area. I asked this person to contact them and he refused saying "they can see you with the cameras". I waited another 45 mins-1 hr. All the while, attempting to call the cargo office to see if I could reach someone by phone and say "Hello? I'm here" but that was to no avail. Finally, around 2am (keep in mind I have been there at this point since 12-12:30am) came out. That person proceeded to tell me the cats had not yet arrived. At this point I was livid, told him that was bullshit because not only had I received notification that they had arrived but I received that notice 2 hours ago since that is how long I had been sitting their WAITING for someone to assist me and he needed to FIND MY PETS IMMEDIATELY! They were originally supposed to arrive at ~7pm PST. It is now after 2am PST. Well, surprise surprise, 30 seconds later he was able to locate them directly inside the magical door leading to the abyss where he had clearly decided to take a nap and not deal with people. Luckily, my pets were ok and upon arrival home seemed to be eating and drinking normally. I will NEVER use this service again and if I can help it, United Airlines period. It costs more than an actual plane ticket and the experience/service was horrendous. I would have been better off taking them in cabin on a different airline, non-stop flight, and paying for a friend to accompany me (since generally there can only be one animal/person). Part of what I am supposed to be paying for is not only safe pet transportation but also more diligent care than if they were simply luggage instead of live animals. Honestly, I wouldn't trust this service with a stuffed animal read more

Let me start by saying my dog had a layover in Houston during the snow they had earlier this month. I had trouble with United regarding the travel and pickup of my puppy. I called the petsafe number because my dog would miss his connecting flight in Houston due to his delayed first flight. I was trying to rebook him a different flight into Colorado from Houston and was told that no pets were going to be allowed to travel out of Houston because of the snow, and they would all be kept in United's overnight kennel. I said okay and asked to rebook a different flight for the following day, and was told no, I couldn't do that and to call back in several hours. Anytime I asked to get him on a plane the next day, the United guy kept rudely repeating that no animals are flying out of Houston and to call back later. I was got nowhere with him as it didn't seem like he had a good handle on English. I called back when I was instructed to and got a different guy who told me the same thing: no pets are flying out of Houston because of the snow and that my dog was going to be there overnight. I asked to rebook my dog's connecting flight; he gave me a number that was disconnected when I tried calling twice. I called the original petsafe number, was given the correct number to the petsafe area at the Houston airport, and tried to rebook my dog's flight. After giving the woman the ID number, she told me that the pet grounding only applied to pets that were checked in at Houston, and did not apply to pets that had a connecting flight there. She confirmed my dog had made the connection and I had to leave basically right then to go pick him up at my airport. I had no idea where my dog was for several hours, and had false information repeated to me multiple times while being stonewalled with "No pets are flying today". Once I got to the airport, the man working at the United cargo area said I was not on the approved pick up list--only my fiancé. Then he went and got the dog and gave him to me "only because I don't want to have to take care of it." So, overall, not thrilled with my experience. I will avoid like the plague. read more

If I could give it zero stars I would. Charged me $1000. Told me my dog was in too small a crate which was not true because I just flew to Germany with him in the same crate! Put him in this monster crate which totally stressed him out. Went to go pick him up at the United cargo at San Francisco airport & told that I might have to wait an hour because they are so busy. So at this point he was crated for 8 1/2 hours. There was only me & one other person there. Fly back to Newark was told that I'd have wait 1 1/2 hours because they don't have a lot of drivers. 9 1/2 hours in the crate. DON'T FLY UNITED PETSAFE. THEY DIBT CARE ABOUT UOUR DOG. GO ICELAND AIR OR ALASKA AIR!!! read more

I have had to use United for travel for work and now had the unfortunate opportunity to use their "Pet Safe" program to ship my pet. First I sent in a request for reservation requests for different days and no one, "replied within 72 hours." My colleague had to call and find out what the hold up was. We had the pet booked and gave all the details of the pet and its departure and arrival locations in advance and I checked and asked if everything was in order for my pet to be shipped out. I was told everything was good to go. When my colleague arrived at the cargo for drop-off they gave my friend issues about sending out the pet saying BS about it was too young and it needed rabies shots. I referred them to their own website and stated that, according to their policy the dog is within their required age and weight requirements and that the dog was coming from a rabies free area so it didn't need the shots accordding to the USDA and CDC. The puppy was finally accepted 1.5 hours later. I wish the headache stopped there. The flight for the pet was supposed to arrive at 8 am. It was supposed to depart around 2 am. I woke up and checked the status and saw they rescheduled for the next day. When I called the United "Petsafe" they said the plane broke and didn't fly out. I checked with one of the United flight agents and they said the flight was delayed 14 minutes, but it still took off. I called again to the "Petsafe" program and asked why the pet wasn't loaded when the flight was only delayed a few minutes. I have had multiple bad experiences with this airline in many of their "services" to include lost bags, unhelpful staff, and now this. I will avoid United at all costs in every aspect of my travel needs. read more

Staff and location at Newark airport were fantastic. 5 stars for them. When I arrived at Chicago O'Hare, no one (I asked three United employees, and none of them knew how to get to the pet safe location on N Cargo Rd). Finally had to call pet safe to get exact location. I LITERALLY HAD TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER COUNTY TO PICK UP MY DOG. There is a special place in hell for the United idiot who chose the location. read more

military move from usa to germany went all wrong! we were triple billed and the company will not agree to remove the overcharges. total $2700USD!!!!!!!!!! more than 25 emails, phone calls from abroad, credit card company attempting to assist and now i'm hearing my pristine credit is at risk because i refuse to make overpayments. all this aside from the fact that their own staff admitted at the airport that they don't know what is going on as well as the receiving employees in germany. like the last commenter above, we had to retrieve a dog from cargo to find that our pet was sitting next to unclaimed luggage for hours! if there could be a class action suit against united for partnering with such a poor provider of services, i'd participate. it is that bad. read more