Posts tagged "flying with pets"

Have you ever wondered what it's really like for Fido to fly? Want a peek into what really happens after you hand him over to the airline? Yep, we're curious, too.

Happily, this article at AOL Travel explains what you should do to prepare your pup for the trip and what you and your pet can expect if your pet is flying in the cargo hold during the flight. (At least, when things don't go wrong.) Going step by step, the article takes you through check-in, security, and the loading process.

Head over to AOL Travel to read the full story in A Day in the Life of a Pet in Airline Cargo.


To read more about flying with you pet, click over to these Paw Nation articles:
Flying With Your Dog? Four Ways To Prepare While You're Still on the Ground
Traveling With Pets? Check Out These Airport Dog Parks

Going on a trip can be stressful enough without adding your dog to the mix. Some organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States recommend against flying with your dog at all because of numerous cases where the animals didn't arrive safely. But if you'll be taking to the skies with Fido in tow, some advance planning can ensure that both you and your pet will be ready for takeoff.

Assess whether your dog can handle the trip.
Radio show host and pet travel expert Stephanie Abrams points out that every breed and every dog has its own temperament that can affect your trip. "Some by nature are more high-strung," she says, and not good at dealing with the motion and the other rigors of travel. If your dog is relaxed in the car, that is a good sign. Certain breed-specific physical characteristics can make travel difficult, for instance brachycephalic dogs such as pugs and shih tzus have a pushed-in muzzle that often causes breathing problems which makes traveling in airplanes -- and especially the cargo hold -- risky.

Veterinarian David Smith of the New York Department of Agriculture agrees: "Be realistic about whether or not your pet is a good candidate for air travel. If your pet is easily stressed out by new environments, it may be better to leave it with a trusted pet-sitter." (The U. S. Department of Agriculture and state agriculture organizations are involved with the rules regarding transport of live animals.)

Know the airline rules.
These can vary quite a bit. Many airlines, like American Airlines, require that animals be at least 8 weeks old at the time of travel. Most airlines say that an animal under 20 pounds (including the weight of the pet carrier) can be brought aboard as long as the carrier can fit underneath the seat. Some allow larger animals to be flown in the cargo hold, but not all. For instance Jetblue has an extensive JetPaws Pet Program but passengers can only bring a pet as carry-on.

Not all customers feel comfortable having their pets travel kenneled in the airplane's cargo hold. It can be extremely stressful for both the dog and the owner -- especially with recent news reports of dogs being lost or sent to the wrong destination. If your dog is small enough to fit in its carrier underneath your seat, you'll probably want to travel that way.

Fees vary per carrier and can be anywhere from $75-200. A good resource for comparing airlines is PetTravel.com, which has the lowdown for every major carrier. Once you've narrowed your choices, go directly to the airline site to get the most updated rules. If you plan to have your dog in the cabin, it's important to make a reservation for your dog at the same time you are booking your flight, because every airline has a limited number of animals they will allow on board.

The Air Transport Association recommends that, "whenever possible, book a direct, nonstop flight and avoid holiday or weekend travel. Consider schedules that minimize temperature extremes. For example, try to avoid travel during excessively hot or cold periods. Morning or evening flights are preferable during the summer."

Just a week after Delta Airlines made news for putting two children on wrong flights, and a month after the airline lost a dog that a vacationing couple had rescued, Delta misplaced another passenger: An 8-week-old puppy. The pooch was sent to California instead of Maine, reports MyFoxMaine.com.

The puppy belongs to Cyndi O'Brien, who had purchased the dog from a kennel in South Carolina. The breeder put the little guy on a flight to Atlanta, and Delta was supposed to transfer him to a flight headed for Portland, Maine which landed around 11 that night. Instead, he ended up in San Jose, Calif., a fact O'Brien wasn't able to get from Delta until the next day. Once Delta was aware of the mistake, they put the dog on a red eye to Portland, but that didn't change the fact that he was stuck in his crate for nearly 24 hours, according to MyFoxMaine.com.

Upon arriving at his new home, the puppy cowered, then vomited and had diarrhea -- he was later diagnosed with dehydration and pneumonia by O'Brien's vet. O'Brien says Delta has been unable to answer whether he was fed, watered, walked or kept company for any portion of the ordeal. She has yet to receive an apology from the airline.

O'Brien says that Delta told her to fill out a complaint and fill out an email, and not to call them back -- something she felt was offensive and showed a serious disregard for her puppy's life. Regardless of how Delta responds, O'Brien is just glad to have her puppy at home with her.

Brody Jenner is Bringing Bentley Back
Brody Jenner has taken back a puppy he once gave an ex-girlfriend. Jenner retrieved the French bulldog, named Bentley, because the ex "wasn't taking care of him the best," the reality star said on "The Bonnie Hunt Show." Jenner wouldn't name which of his exes the pup belonged to (he's been linked to Nicole Richie, Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavalerri), but said that the pup now resides with his mom, who is totally smitten according to Monsters and Critics.

Delta Loses Dog and Offers $200 Credit
An Ontario couple who dreamed of rescuing and adopting a stray dog in Mexico are now living a nightmare. After getting a dog they found on vacation all fixed up at the vet and arranging to bring him home, Delta Airlines lost the dog, reports CNN. The airline claims the dog, named Paco, escaped his carrier, which Josiah Allen, the man who rescued Paco, doesn't believe for a second. And while the airline states that it provided Allen "compensation and additionally we have offered to reimburse them for all of the expenses associated with the dog," Allen said he was just offered a $200 credit toward future travel on Delta. This makes us think twice about flying with pets, that's for sure.

Runaway Rhino Returns
A two-ton rhinoceros is safely back in his enclosure after escaping for about five hours overnight last week at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, reports WBBH News. This feeling of freedom wasn't new to Archie the rhino; he'd escaped years ago, but was lured back with food. The zoo workers didn't have such luck this time and had to sedate Archie before returning him to his enclosure. The zoo is quick to point out that at no point was Archie off of the zoo's property, or even in public parts of the zoo.

Jet-setting pets have lots of new places to stretch their legs before and after flights, thanks in part to a federal regulation designed to help passengers with disabilities and their service dogs.

A mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation last May requires airlines to provide relief areas for service animals like guide dogs. But many airlines and airports are seizing on the surge in pet travel and going beyond the minimum requirements, creating elaborate off-leash parks that are open to all travelers:

- At the San Francisco International Airport, animals have a choice of two fenced relief areas outside baggage claim, at Terminals 1 and 3, with drinking bowls and "mutt mitts" to pick up pet waste.

- The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport also has two gated outdoor rest areas, in the Main and East terminals, for traveling animals to play off-leash.

- Philadelphia International Airport has seven fenced Pet Port areas, each with a four-inch-deep mulch surface, biodegradable pet waste bag dispenser and receptacle, bench, faux fire hydrant and concrete paw print.

Before the federal mandate came down, a dog park was already in the works at the world's biggest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, because of customer demand. In November, the airport opened a 1,000-square-foot landscaped rest area mere steps from Delta's check-in desk, as part of a new ground transportation center.

The park has flowers, grass, benches, biodegradable bags for pet waste and, for the two-legged visitors, two original works of art -- dog sculptures made from scrap metal.

"It's all about providing a higher level of customer service," airport spokesman Albert Snedeker said. "The number of people traveling with pets has gone up, and people were looking for a place to take their pets before getting on a flight or after a flight."

The holidays are almost upon us, and many pet lovers will be hitting the road to celebrate the season with friends or family members. And along with any gifts, festive treats, and luggage, your pet may be coming along for the ride. Since no one wants to sit through hours of nervous whining or uncomfortable howling from their four-legged traveling companion, animals should be well prepared to make the holiday journey. Here's how.

Dog Travel in the Air
If you can't afford luxurious pet-exclusive airlines like Pet Airways, your dog may be flying to your destination in coach or, even worse, cargo. It's important to contact the airline when booking your flight to be well informed of airline instructions, and ensure you're flying on a day where the cargo temperature will be suitable for your pet to travel.

As for preparing your dog for the big day, "The best possible situation is to have a tired dog [when you board the plane] so he'll sleep for the flight," said Hughes. "Take him to a dog run, or take him on a long walk before going to the airport."

Hughes also says that it's important to be prepared when picking your dog up at cargo. "Have your dog's leash ready, and know where the potty areas are," she said. Ask airline personnel where exclusive "pet potty" areas are located before your dog deplanes, so you'll be ready to dash upon his arrival.