[NAGDU] Travel forms

[carcione at access.net]

Anyone out there recently traveled internationally with their guide dog?
I'm getting so confused. I have tickets on United to fly to Ireland, which
is part of the EU.  I know all about the Dept of Agriculture forms for
Igloo's dog passport.  We're starting that paperwork next week.  It has to
be done within 10 days of travel, and we have a certified vet who knows the
ropes well. 

I've notified the Dept of Agriculture in Ireland, and they're ready for us
to get certified on their end when we arrive.  Basically, they check Igloo's
passport.  

So far, so good.

It's the stupid DOT forms that are confusing the heck out of me.  We've
spoken to United's disability services twice and gotten 2 different answers.
The gal today told me I have to fill out the DOT forms, print them out, and
carry them with me.  She said nothing about them being available on United's
website, except as a link to the DOT PDF, which I have, and wasn't able to
fill out, really.  If that's the form, I'll either have to pay AIRA to help
me, or print it out and get my neighbor to help me with it.  Not what I call
an accessible form. 

Further, the gal today said that I can't get approval from United until I
get approval from Ireland, and they don't do that until I actually get
there, I think.

But whoever my husband talked to weeks ago said I have to email United the
top page of Igloo's passport when I get it, which makes a bit more sense.

 

Has anyone gone through this rigmarole recently, and can say what you did?

United is making this a miserable experience, but then airlines live to make
people miserable these days, especially disabled people and our service
dogs.

Tracy