Tarantulas and airplanes

[aurusantula]

Hello all,

So it looks like I'll be making an (emergency) move across the country and travelling by plane. Is it possible to move my tarantula with me, by plane, to where I will end up being? And if so, is there any special procedure I need to go through with the airline? Alternatively, would shipping from Upstate NY to UT hurt my tarantula? (3.5in Aphomopelma chalcodes)

 

[Ungoliant]

So it looks like I'll be making an (emergency) move across the country and travelling by plane. Is it possible to move my tarantula with me, by plane, to where I will end up being? And if so, is there any special procedure I need to go through with the airline?

I don't know about procedures -- you would have to check with the airline -- but for the tarantula's survival, you would have to make sure it doesn't end up in an unpressurized (cold and with low oxygen) baggage hold.

Alternatively, would shipping from Upstate NY to UT hurt my tarantula? (3.5in Aphomopelma chalcodes)

This is normally safe if you pack the tarantula well to prevent it from bouncing around, use expedited shipping, and are mindful of temperatures. (If it's too hot, you may need to include a cold pack.)

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Is it possible to move my tarantula with me, by plane, to where I will end up being? And if so, is there any special procedure I need to go through with the airline?

Well, every T's that arrives from nation 'A' (let's say UK) to nation 'B' (let's say France, Spain, Italy etc) arrives well protected in parcels shipped via airplane, 9 out of 10, using the normal air mail 'route'... so that's not too much of an issue.

Sure, no one knows what's inside I bet

Personally, being in your situation, I wouldn't venture in that... seems complicated, annoying, cash etc

I will just "auto ship" my T's to my new place via FedEx

 

[miss moxie]

You could always call the airline. Unfortunately most people hear tarantula and think "deadly" so. It wouldn't be a danger at all to bring your pet in a carry on and yet I doubt they'd let that happen because what if your ferocious pet got lose and killed a child?

If you're worried about your own packing/shipping skills you could look to see if there are any tatantula breeders/hobbyists near you that ship tarantulas frequently and ask them if they could package it for you.

 

[Matoutou]

When I moved from France to Martinique I packed my 9 Ts and put them in my suitcase.

They all made it alright.

 

[N1ghtFire]

I would ship the spider. I am sure you could get in trouble for some reason if you were caught with your tarantula on a plane. I do not think that the tarantula would be harmed by an airplabe ride though, if you do decide to take it with you. If conditions are okay for you on the plane then I'm sure the T would be fine too.

 

[sasker]

I recently traveled by plane as well and I had two stowaways with me in my suitcase (two slings). I can't help you with the legal aspects because i don't know. 'It's better to ask forgiveness than permission' was my approach

I decided not to bring them in my hand luggage as this is monitored more closely. The luggage compartment should not get too hot or too cold for your tarantulas. I used a styropor thermo-box that I packed the way one would for shipping them. All went well.

 

[spotropaicsav]

I would ship the spider. I am sure you could get in trouble for some reason if you were caught with your tarantula on a plane. I do not think that the tarantula would be harmed by an airplabe ride though, if you do decide to take it with you. If conditions are okay for you on the plane then I'm sure the T would be fine too.

Agree with this. Since you are moving within the US it is probably more feasible to ship your Ts to your new destination, dealing with the airline may be more complicated IMO.

 

[Tenevanica]

Just ship the T. It's one spider, and people ship tarantulas via the mail all the time. Just make sure you pack it correctly. (There are lots of tutorials for packing Ts on here and on YouTube.) There's two things I'd be concerned about if you put it in your carry on. The first is someone finding it, making a big deal out of it, and it being confiscated with yo potentially facing legal trouble. The second is the T going through that bag X-Ray. It'll be irradiated quite a bit in there. It's probably a survival dose, especially for a spider, but I still wouldn't risk it.

 

[TRection]

 

[0311usmc]

What part of Utah are you moving to? Nice to see another person with tarantulas in my state, I don't have any friends here that keep tarantulas, I'm the weird guy who has a snake and tarantulas and my friends don't care for any of them. Their lose I tell them and more for me to buy. Lol. Welcome to Utah friend I hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[elportoed]

I would also check with TSA as they would screen your carry on. As for packing them in the check in, the temp and pressure will be much lower than normal since you will be flying at 30,000 ft altitude. They may not survive that either.

Depending on the weather when you planning to move to UT, shipping 2-3 days may be better so that will allow you to get there before the package.

 

[Walker253]

I've worked for an airline for nearly 28 years. You aren't going to get your T through security and in the cabin. Your really only shot is to pack it in a vial and stick it in your suitcase. Depending on the length of the flight, it won't matter which belly your bag is in. One is usually heated for animals and both are pressurized.
If you put a heat pack in the suit case and a TSA agent opens your bag, they'll likely notice the heat pack and inspect it further. Likely, the belly and the mass of bags will stay warm enough for the T to make it ok. If you ask for your bag to be placed in a heated belly, you invite questions.
Shipping it Air Cargo on the airline isn't an option unless you're a known shipper. If you have to ask what a known shipper is, you aren't one. Fed Ex would be your only real option.

 

[aurusantula]

What part of Utah are you moving to? Nice to see another person with tarantulas in my state, I don't have any friends here that keep tarantulas, I'm the weird guy who has a snake and tarantulas and my friends don't care for any of them. Their lose I tell them and more for me to buy. Lol. Welcome to Utah friend I hope you enjoy your stay.

I'm actually from the Salt Lake region, haha! So I'll be in that area again.

And hmm. I'm probably gonna end up shipping her to Utah then (unless I can find someone I trust here in NY to take care of her, she's a very important animal to me and I am hesitant to leave her with people who don't know tarantulas for more than a few weeks at most). Thanks for the advice y'all!

 

[bryverine]

View attachment 249455

Darn.... somebody beat me to it...

I'm actually from the Salt Lake region, haha! So I'll be in that area again.

And hmm. I'm probably gonna end up shipping her to Utah then (unless I can find someone I trust here in NY to take care of her, she's a very important animal to me and I am hesitant to leave her with people who don't know tarantulas for more than a few weeks at most). Thanks for the advice y'all!

Don't leave it with someone else, even the best intentions can go awry. Also, I agree with everyone about shipping. It's not to hard to package Ts correctly - especially if they're not an OW species.... well... generally...

 

[aurusantula]

So update for everyone:

I attempted to do the shipping thing, but it cost $125 and I instead found someone local to my school area to take care of my tarantula. So I'm somewhat tarantula-less until I go back to school (hopefully in a semester?).

 

[carterxwr]

So update for everyone:

I attempted to do the shipping thing, but it cost $125 and I instead found someone local to my school area to take care of my tarantula. So I'm somewhat tarantula-less until I go back to school (hopefully in a semester?).

Where did you get a shipping quote for $125? You can pack the tarantula and ship it yourself through USPS, UPS, Fedex, etc. There are a few videos on YouTube that can show you how to do this.

 

[aurusantula]

Where did you get a shipping quote for $125? You can pack the tarantula and ship it yourself through USPS, UPS, Fedex, etc. There are a few videos on YouTube that can show you how to do this.

From FedEx and from UPS. Although FedEx was closer to $100.

 

[AmberDawnDays]

From FedEx and from UPS. Although FedEx was closer to $100.

WT? That's outrageous. I've had 10 Ts shipped to me overnight for $45. I've never shipped out. I'm not sure if people tell UPS or whatever shipping company that they are shipping a live animal. So maybe someone who frequently ships can speak to that or how they ship.

 

[aurusantula]

I mean, I have to wonder if the cost was partially from shipping nearly across the continental US overnight...