Flying with Pets
by: Tom Tessin

You’re all geared up to travel and have all your bags packed but you just have one big question.  “How do I fly with my pet?”  Before you even book your next trip, you need to first make sure that your airline accepts pets.  If your pet is an assisted pet, by law, this pet can fly legally on the airline since it’s not considered a pet.   Remember, these are pets for the legally blind, etc. 

Once you contact your airline company, it’s important that you follow these simple guides when you travel with your pet on an airliner.

Your pet is considered carry-on

When you do find out which airliners accept pets on the flight, it’s important to remember that the pet carrier will count as a carry-on.  Most flights only allow you to carry two pieces of carry on.  If you plan on carrying more, you’re going to have to take it baggage claim.

Follow the rules

If you have a bigger type dog, you can forget about bringing it directly on the airplane.  The FAA states that the container must fit underneath the seat of the airlines so that it doesn’t get in anyone’s way.  If you haven’t flown before, picture a typical car seat.  You are going to have a little bit more room underneath your seat.  We wouldn’t recommend any dogs over twenty five pounds.

If your dog is small enough to fit underneath a seat, it’s important that you follow the flight attendant’s rules.  If they have a problem with how the pet is arranged, it’s best that you listen to their directions.  Failure to do so will just result in you being taken off the plane.

Ask questions to your airliner

Before you pick out your airliner, it’s important to call up and ask the restrictions with flying with a pet.  You may find that they only allow a few pets per flight.  If someone else has a few animals on board, you may find that you won’t be able to bring your animal with you.  If this is the case, you can simply either book for another time frame or choose another airline.

Besides the question mentioned above, the airliner may require you to provide a health certificate and as dumb as it sounds, they may also require your pet to be odorless for the sake of the other fliers.  Remember that you’re not the only one flying on the airline and you must be considerate of others.

These are just a few of the simple rules when it comes down to flying with your pet.  It’s important to ask the airliner as many questions as possible.  Remember, if you’re flying with a bigger dog, you’re going to have to keep it underneath the cabin.  This means you’ll have no access to it during the flight.  If this is the case, make sure your animal has lots of water and food before the flight.

Remember to be considerate of others and take care of your pet before you arrive at the airport.  A happy exercised pet will be a lot more comfortable than a pet that’s being neglected.