Photo: Amber
I’m so excited today for three reasons. First, it’s Friday, which is reason enough! Second, we have our first guest contributor. And third, it’s almost Memorial Day, and that means only one thing: it’s time for summer travel.
We just booked our flight for a wedding in California, and I am contemplating taking Bailey with us on the plane. Bailey has never been airborne, which is why I asked Amber, a good friend of mine who has appeared on uptownpuppy a few times, to share her expertise on flying with a small pet. No one is as experienced as Amber who flies at least every other week (so it seems) and almost all the time, Mindy is flying with her. Take it away, Amber! …
Hi, my name is Amber, and I am Mindy’s mom! When Erin and Sarah first started this blog, they asked if I would be interested in being a guest writer, and I said sure. I’ve never blogged before, but I figured why not? I love dogs and do have some great stories and experiences to share.
Today, I’m writing about flying with your pet, but more specifically, the preflight preparations. I’ll go into details about what happens at the airport in a later post.
I may not be the official expert, but Mindy took her first flight when she was 6 months old and has now completed over 50 round trips on almost every major airline.
Before you consider flying in-cabin with your pet, they must:
- Weigh less than 20 pounds (including the carrier)
- Travel in an approved airline pet carrier, available at most major pet stores
- Have a current medical certificate confirming your pet is in good health and all shots are current
- The certificate must be signed by your vet and be current within the last 30 days
- Truth be told, I have stopped getting this certificate because in all of our flights, I have never been asked to produce this documentation and it seems like an unnecessary expense
- Instead of the certificate, I just bring Mindy’s medical records showing that her shots are all up to date in case they push the issue
Breaking in the carrier:
Photo: Amber
When traveling with your pet, preparation is key. You want to get your pet used to being in a carrier for longer periods of time. To start, I suggest leaving the carrier out for them to investigate at their leisure. Then, take them with you on errands and other short trips as much as possible. This will get them used to getting in and out, as well as commuting while in an enclosed space. A lot of dogs are hesitant in the beginning because they associate the carrier with going to the vet or groomer. For Mindy, I established a travel routine – get the carrier out, put her leash and a t-shirt inside to signal we are going somewhere special. It then sits by the door until we are ready to go. Now, as soon as she sees her carrier, she gets excited and is practically jumping in!
Booking an in-cabin pet reservation:
Image: Sleepypod
Now that your pet has adjusted to the carrier, you are ready to plan your first trip. After booking your flight, you need to call the airline and speak to a representative regarding an existing reservation. Let them know you would like to make an “in-cabin pet reservation.” An in-cabin reservation is when your pet flies under the seat in front of you. The airline will ask for the type of pet and weight. There is a pet fee that is charged at time of check-in, so don’t be caught off guard. It is generally $125 each way ($250 round trip). Southwest actually gives you a slight break and charges only $75 each way ($150 round trip). For years now, I have been telling every airline I fly that they need a frequent flyer program for pets, but alas only JetBlue has listened. I do like JetBlue, but with limited routes, I haven’t found this very helpful.
Another important point to note is that airlines generally allow only 1-2 live pets on each flight, so call and make the reservation as soon as possible. I have run into a problem only once, and it was a costly error. To be on the safe side, you can always call prior to booking and confirm that they still have space for your pet. That said, a pet reservation cannot be made without a confirmed reservation, so don’t to wait too long to book. If you need to cancel a pet reservation, you just need to call back and have the reservation removed.
That’s it for pre-flight preparations. Just make sure you prepare well ahead of your scheduled trip!
uptownpuppy 