Moving to Spain- need airline help to transport dog and bikes

Let the Schengen discussions begin!

(No need for that. She said she is in a master's degree program.) You need to investigate the procedure for taking your dog into Spain - immunization and chipping requirements, etc. I am curious why you would need more than one bike. Would it be cheaper/easier to ship one instead of taking it on the plane? How will you manage dog, bags, and bikes alone at the airport? To at least partly answer one of your questions, my Spanish friends would choose any airline over Iberia, but I have no personal experience with either.

I'll bite. I don't think the dog will need a Visa.

Air France handles pets very well. I'd trust them before a lot of other airlines. Your dog has to be 14 lbs or under to be in the cabin. It's cheaper to pay the excess luggage fee than Fedex for the same quantity, you'll find.

>>I should mention that I already know all of the dog requirements, she is getting her chip,certificate and rabies at her vet here. I'm looking more for practical advice on the best airlines and transporting my things alone. It will be me, 2 bags, my dog and a bike box.
I'm leaning towards air europa as their fees are cheapest and allow most space for dogs in cabin.<< Do make SURE they have put the European chip in your dog. My sister had to have her dogs chipped twice, despite having requested the European chip the first time. My sister has lived abroad for extended periods, and taken her dogs. She has used Air France via Paris and Lufthansa via Frankfurt, and been pleased with them. (She has not used Iberia or Air Europa, so no comment on these). There is a limit on how many dogs can be carried per flight (even in the baggage hold), so be sure to get your reservation in early. As for other advice, it seems you have it in hand. There's no way around the airline rules and fees. If you want to fly Air Europa, you just have to check with them, and do it their way. All of the airlines have increased their charges, so for dogs, bikes, and second bags, you're going to have to pay, no matter which airline you use.

First of all: Congratulations on your exciting decision to move to Spain. I did something similar in the late 1990s and lived in Southern California for 4 years but then decided to move back to my own continent. You have googled and read about Spain's unemployment rate I assume, especially among the under 30 years olds? The rule for carrying a dog in the cabin is: 10kg. Some airlines say that has to be the total weight of dog incl. bad, other, like Lufthansa are a bit more generous and as long as the dog itself isn't more than 10kg they're fine. It must, however, be carried inside the bag for the entire flight. You cannot let him or her out for even a moment. Don't limit your search to just Spanish airlines. You can fly via any European hub as long as the airline has a pet and bike friendly rule. Air Berlin e.g. doesn't charge for sports equipment at all. But they are strict on pets.

You will need the USDA/APHIS paperwork for your dog, which most vets are familiar with. You also must have the dog chipped. Make sure you get the 15 digit ISO compliant chip, that is the only one the EU accepts.We have taken our Jack Russell in cabin twice with no problems. You will have to pay for the dog to fly and must let the airline know when you reserve. Andreas is correct about the carrier and weight restrictions. Make sure your dog is well used to being in that carrier for a long period.
Really, all of the above seems daunting, but is in reality not that hard. Just make sure you do all of the prep. Have fun!

I should mention that I already know all of the dog requirements, she is getting her chip,certificate and rabies at her vet here. I'm looking more for practical advice on the best airlines and transporting my things alone. It will be me, 2 bags, my dog and a bike box.
I'm leaning towards air europa as their fees are cheapest and allow most space for dogs in cabin.

ALSO- i see the 10kilo rule. My dog is 20lbs or 10kg out of the bag but she has flown several times in the US. No one ever asked to see her or weigh her. I made all the arrangements ahead of time and when I got on the plane noone even knew I had a dog. We've been on a plane for at least the same amount of time. I have heard some people say that noone even checked their papers.

We always fly Lufthansa. They are very dog freindly. The only times we have had anyone check our dog's paperwork is when we return to the USA. That being said, I would keep the paperwork handy if you are there for a year or more.

I'll only comment on one part of the above post. The average age of the Iberia fleet is nine years. The average age of the Delta fleet is seventeen. In comparison, the DC-3 production line closed in 1947. Over a thousand are still flying. Kids flying B-52s are driving the same machines their grandfathers did. The daughter of a buddy has sweated up the same seats her dad and I did. The President's VC-25 is twenty-three years old. The Presidential VH-3s are thirty-five years old. Moving on .........

Before you assume FedEx is a good alternative to the cost of airline excess baggage, check carefully. They are

Yeah i checked. for europa its 80 per excess bag i think. for iberia it was 40. in euros. i assume they do dollars when originating here but jeeeeeez!
it is much cheaper for me to take my bikes though only 75bucks as opposed to 340 bikeflights(fedex)

Alayna: You don't seem to have addressed some issues. The Schengen Agreement requires Americans spending 90 or more days must have a Visa from the country where you'll be living. Getting such Visa's are very, very difficult, especially in countries where unemployment is super high. Have you applied for a Visa? Stay 90 days or more, and customs can and probably will send you straight back to the U.S. I feel the same about traveling with pets as I do traveling with very young children. Leave them with the relatives or grandparents. Dogs and kids don't always travel well, but you cannot put the caged kid in the belly of a plane. My daughter is a bicycle racer, and we've traveled all over the U.S. with her custom built bicycles. Must you take numerous bicycles, or can you make due with one? Are you prepared to purchase a hard sided bicycle case to haul your bike in? A cardboard box doesn't cut it. By the way, Europe is full of riders on junk Raleigh 3 speed bikes because they get stolen so often. If you're going to haul a dog, two bicycles and luggage, you've got to step up an pay the price to check such items below.
Good luck to you.

She is going for a Master's program so maybe has a student visa? But I don't get lugging bikes along if you are going to be there that long. Just buy a commuter bike there.

As an aside - once you get settled, go to your local vet and ask them what service they use for checking the microchips. My dog had hers put in in the US but when we got to England I found that while they could read the chip there was no info attached to it - it didn't look internationally.

I'm bring my dog as i'm there a year min and she's the only important thing to me. I'm bringing the bikes- I work in a shop so i know how to pack them. I already stated I have all the technical info-was not a visa question. I'm hoping to find work after school there with my uni as i know the staff and have worked for them before, so I'm leaving myself open to the idea of staying longer.
thanks for the microchip tip- several people have said this- i will make sure the vet puts in the right one!thanks

I wish you a successful trip. Since you are going in September, I would recommend that you finalize your flights as soon as possible as that is shoulder season for lots of US tourists going to Europe. Some day I too wish to spend more than a month at a time in Europe. Happy travels.

Just to address one issue: People that just can't seem to resist to have to put in their 2cents about not bringing your dog do not deserve your attention. I know how important it can be to have your dog with you. We have taken our Jack with us everywhere in Europe and both he and we have loved our travels together always. You go with your dog, have a wonderful adventure and forget about opinionated know-it-alls that tell you not to bring your dog.