Hi,
We have just got back from Cape Town and I have to say Kulula were fantastic with the puppy.
We went from Lanseria and checked in at 6.30am...they weighed in the baby as excess luggage and together with her box it cost us a whopping R50.
What was so nice was that they let her stay with us until the last possible boarding time and off she went. My heart was aching but as we got on board
I got a thumbs up. When we arrived at Cape Town we asked the guy near the luggage collection and he promptly took us to where the bags come out and called through for a puppy...within minutes they passed her over to us..........dont think I have ever been more relieved to see anyone or anything!!
We got her out and she was fine...but very pleased also to see us. All in all very impressed with Kulula and how they handle the livestock. We did get some homeopathic calming powder from the vet just in case she stressed out but she took it all in her stride and put on a good show for fellow passengers who were all watching her.When I handed her over to her new mommy, she was waiting with a carrier, pink blankets and a" hottie" just in case lol.
Now i hear she is settled and much loved...By a lovely family and at their home all the dogs sleep on the bed...now that makes me happy.
Arelli

Ah, that sounds like a great experience. I'm glad it all worked out so well, for you and for the puppy's new owners. It must be very stressful to put a tiny puppy in cargo. I hope they change the regulations soon to let our dogs fly in the cabin. In the US, you can put the crate under your seat for the flight. You can't take the dog out, but at least you can check on her and make sure that she is comfortable. I just hope those puppies are used to a crate and don't start crying, otherwise the noise would be terrible, lol.

The puppy's new mommy sounds like she will take great care of the puppy. You must be very happy

Wow Arelli!!!

I am glad all went well. I dont know if I will ever do that to my babies, but I suppose when there is no other choice!!!

Glad to hear Kulula offers such a great service!!!

Oh gosh how we would love to take them on board !!...but our planes are rather tiny and I dont think anything will fit under those seats lol. I believe they put the dogs in a special section ..not the cargo as it is not pressurized...they just charge as baggage excess.
Lanseria from JHB is fabulous...so small you just walk onto the plane and I could spy her being handled....think my hubby was quite tense as he knew I would be over the top if I saw something going on I didnt like. In fact now I come to think of it... he kept distracting me...hehe

I am also glad it went well, I wish we could take them in the plane with us! I would not be able to handle letting them go in cargo! I am just going away for one night on friday and my hubby will be with them, but I am stressing so much, they are so dependant on me an I am with them most of the time!

Oh wow! That's great!! Glad everything went well! I'm sure it must be quite frightening for them in he plane. All the noise! But I'm sure, like with anything, they get used to it quite quickly.

Good to know! I have never had to fly a pet before and although im not a Kulula fan myself (their jokes kill me!) I will keep that in mind if I ever need it in future Im glad it all went ok

My Aunt was at the airport once and saw a student flying back to cape town with her Yorkie and she said that they put the Yorkie with the pilots

Have to agree with you re the jokes arrrrrrgh grit teeth lol

So glad you had a great experience. I have never flown a puppy with them but have used BA and Lufthansa from Europe and they were just as nice and took great care with my babies.

Thats nice to know for when I get my import Thx

I just read something about travelling with pets on Kulula. If you follow the link it shows you updated information for 2012. Note that they don't carry puppies under 10 weeks old - a good policy in my opinion

Thanks for the link, Russjarv. We've been waiting for more information about this for a while. Here's the full summary:

Kulula Pet Travel Policy
In accordance with international standards, Kulula Airlines won’t accept the following pets for travel:

Puppies under 10 weeks old
All Mammals declared to be pregnant unless accompanied by a veterinary health certificate certifying that the animal is fit to travel and less than 6 weeks into the gestation period, and there is no risk of birth occurring during the journey.
Nursing females with suckling young
In accordance with the IATA Live Animal Regulations (LAR) ZAG – 01 that states the “South African Government regulations prohibit the carriage of all live animals destined for or in transit through the Republic of South Africa as excess baggage. Live animals destined for or in transit through the Republic of South Africa may only be shipped as manifested cargo.”
Unaccompanied pets can't be checked in at the airport but must be taken to the Kulula cargo agent
Reservations for a particular Kulula flight of your choice should be confirmed 24 hours prior to departure with the Cargo Agent

What you need to travel with your pets on Kulula
Once you’ve booked your Kulula flight ticket with Travelstart contact them on 0861 KULULA (585852) to make a reservation for your pet at least 24 hours prior to departure.
You must ensure that you obtain the necessary health and vaccination certificates and other documentation needed for the animal as these may be requested at the airport prior to travel. If you fail to present these on request, Kulula may refuse carriage of your pet. A quick visit or call to the vet will sort this out to ensure your pet has been inoculated against most diseases.
Like flying with pets on Mango, Kulula say it is the pet owner’s responsibility to ensure the animal is suitably sedated so as to lessen any anxiety or stress while flying. It is suggested that you discuss this with your vet prior to travel who will advise you according to the type of pet and its disposition.

Thought I would just mention this. They do, like Melanie said, fly in a separate compartment, this is also where human organs for transplant, like hearts and liver is flown and if an emergency organ has to be flown your puppy will be put on the next flight they are not allowed in with the organs, for contamination reasons.