What You Need To Know About Flying With Pets
It use to be the case that pets were only allowed to travel on airplanes if they were in secured, sometimes windowless cages stored beneath the plane with the luggage. Over the years though the extreme changes in cabin pressure and temperature have made airlines (as well as pet owners) re-think how they handle pets during long flights. For some airlines that meant insulating the storage area beneath the plane to properly shield extreme cases of cold or heat due to traveling at 30,000 feet, others that meant training both flight attendant as well as baggage crews on how to handle both well-behaved and ill-behaved pets. Most of the major airlines won’t even let you fly with animals if its during the more hotter months in the summer for fear that the animal may be aversely affected by it.
If your travel companion is a small pet then it’s much easier to take them with you in a soft dog carrier. The majority of airlines will allow passengers to bring a small dog, cat or other pet into the passenger cabin as long as it is quiet, odorless and and above all restrained in their carrier for the duration of the flight. While you might cringe at the thought of keeping them in their dog carrier for a long flight, it is worlds better than the alternative they would have faced traveling with your toothbrush and shoes downstairs. Now in order for you and your pet to qualify for passage on an airline the pet and carrier must have a combined weight of no more than 40 pounds and must also fit underneath the seat in front of you. Because a lot of the airlines have a limit to the number of pets that they’ll allow in the cabin for any given flight, if you’d like to take your four-legged friend with you on the plane make sure to notify the airline as soon as possible so that you can be guaranteed one of those slots.
Each airline has a different set of policies towards traveling with animals, covering both the smaller pets who are allowed in the cabin all the way down to larger pets who have to travel in kennels beneath the plane. To be on the safe side make sure to contact your airline ahead of time to learn both what their policies are as well as what type of conditions your pet will be encountering if they are traveling in the luggage carriage. Most airline employees will be more than happy to cool any worries you might have about harsh conditions or ill-treatment. Some airlines even train their employees to help passengers schedule flights that are best suited for traveling pets. An example would be early morning or late-evening flights during the middle of summer when the mid-day heat can be scorching.
In order to safeguard the health of your pet, there are various precautions you need to take before leaving for the airport. The AAHA suggests that you have your pet examined by a veterinarian no more than ten days before you first round of travel plans. It’s also good to note that you will be required by law to provide proof that your pet has all the necessary rabies vaccines/shots when you first arrive at the airport, so don’t forget your paperwork! Federal Law also prohibits any animals younger than eight weeks old to fly in an airplane, regardless of whether they’re in the cabin or not. Don’t forget now, there are no late pickups when it comes to traveling with your pet.
As for what type of carrying case or crate you should secure them in for traveling on a plane that all will be determined by the size and breed of your pet. You can’t go wrong with any of the sturdy pet carrier most commonly found at any pet store but just make sure that they have all-hard sides and at least two ventilation ducts on opposite sides of each other. If you have a small pet then you should look into getting a soft leather dog carrier to keep your four-legged friend happy and content for the duration of the flight. Whether it’s a dog kennel or pet carrier, it’s important that you make sure it has a water resistant floor as well as soft objects all over the place to help pad any turbulence. All kennels should have the proper large signs attached to them that read “Live Animal” complete with a copy of your travel itinerary, contact info and way to reach you while on your trip.
Taking your pet on a vacation with you is a rewarding experience and in the end you’ll be the only one who can truly judge whether or not they’d be able to handle themselves on the flight. There are a lot of both dogs and cats who are overly sensitive to changes in cabin pressure and flying may not be for them.
To read more pet-related articles or to even have your own questions answered by our veterinarian online for free head on over to OnlinePetAnswers.com.
