Pet cargo at SFO, step by step — and why United PetSafe is no longer an option.

First: United PetSafe is discontinued

For years the default answer for a Bay Area pet export was United’s PetSafe program out of SFO. It’s gone: “United no longer accepts PetSafe reservations.” The only pet-in-hold exception United kept is military and Foreign Service checked baggage between Guam and Honolulu — which does not apply to SFO. If a guide still tells you to book United PetSafe at SFO, it’s out of date.

Live-animal export from SFO now runs through cargo carriers, most of which private owners can only book through a freight forwarder. Here is who flies pets, out of which building, and how the day works.

Which carriers still fly pets out of SFO

Lufthansa Cargo

Export facility at 900 North Access Road, and its SFO station lists Live Animals for export, with acceptance Monday–Friday 08:00–23:00. Private owners cannot book Lufthansa directly — you must use a freight forwarder, and from March 1 2026 only IATA LH05-compliant kennels are accepted for restricted breeds.

Korean Air Cargo

Also at 900 North Access Road (same building, warehouse handled by AGI). Cut-offs are 4 hours before a freighter and 3 hours before general cargo on a passenger flight. Note Korean Air banned brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs and cats from cargo as of October 1 2020 and only accepts pets on Korean Air-operated routes.

American PetEmbark

The one major program that still books the public directly, including international. Pets flying internationally go as ExpediteFS, out of American’s SFO cargo terminal at 944 North Field Road (which has an animal holding area), with an ExpediteFS bulk international drop-off minimum of 240 minutes before departure. For any non-US destination, American requires you to hire a customs broker.

Qantas Freight

Handled at MAC Cargo, 944 North Field Road, with export cut-offs of 150–180 minutes. But note a big SFO catch for Australia: Qantas requires Australia-bound pets to be tendered at its Los Angeles freight facility on departure day — not SFO — and to fly direct into Melbourne. Bay Area owners headed to Australia often end up driving to LA.

The step-by-step from SFO

Step 1 — Book (usually via a freight forwarder)

Unless you’re on American PetEmbark, plan on an IPATA freight forwarder to book Lufthansa, Air France–KLM, or Korean Air. Start 6–8 weeks out; the forwarder confirms the route, aircraft, and the airway bill (AWB) number.

Step 2 — IATA CR-1 crate

The crate must meet IATA Container Requirement 1 — see our CR-1 crate sizing guide. Lufthansa additionally requires LH05-compliant kennels for restricted breeds from March 2026.

Step 3 — Vet exam + USDA endorsement

A USDA-accredited vet signs the destination health certificate and submits it through VEHCS. There’s no endorsement office to visit — see how USDA endorsement works in California, and if a titer is required, the FAVN test from California.

Step 4 — Drop-off at the SFO cargo building

Not the passenger terminal. Lufthansa and Korean Air are at 900 North Access Road; American and Qantas at 944 North Field Road. Honor the cut-off: 240 minutes for American ExpediteFS, 3–4 hours for Korean Air, 150–180 minutes for Qantas. Miss it and the pet doesn’t fly.

Step 5 — Holding, loading, and flight

The crate is held in the carrier’s animal holding area, screened, then loaded into a pressurized, temperature-controlled hold. American will not fly warm-blooded animals when ground temperatures anywhere on the routing are above 85°F or below 20°F, and requires a vet-signed acclimation letter for 20–44°F.

Step 6 — Destination retrieval

At the destination cargo terminal, customs and the destination vet authority clear the AWB and certificate before the pet is released to you or your agent. For imports the other direction, Qantas at SFO releases pets from the MAC Cargo import building roughly 90 minutes after arrival, once USDA processing is done.

SFO and California-specific quirks

• No ferrets to or from California.American Airlines Cargo does not transport ferrets to or from California — so not via SFO.
• The A320-family exception favors SFO. American bans animals on its Airbus A319/A320/A321 aircraft excepton the JFK ↔ LAX and JFK ↔ SFO routes — a rare SFO-positive quirk.
• Australia routes you to LA. Qantas tenders Australia-bound pets at its Los Angeles facility, not SFO, direct to Melbourne only.
• Snub-nosed breeds are heavily restricted. Korean Air bans them outright; American refuses them; Qantas takes them only via an approved specialist. See snub-nosed dog and cat airline restrictions.

SFO vs. LAX

SFO has fewer direct live-animal options than LAX and leans more on freight forwarders, and some Australia routings push you to LA anyway. If you can drive either way, compare the two — our LAX cargo walkthrough covers the southern option, and which cargo airlines carry pets internationally lists the carriers by route.

Where Pawvisa fits

Cargo is the flight; the paperwork is what ruins trips. Find a Bay-Area USDA-accredited vet on our California vet finder, see the local picture on the pet export from California hub, and run the free 60-second timeline check so the vet exam, endorsement, and cargo cut-off all line up. The $29 readiness analysis puts your dates against every rule.