Flying with Pets
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Down-to-earth advice for flying with pets
by
NICK DIVITO
(The Associated Press & AZ Republic, 3/18/07)
NEW YORK — SuNae Martz is a 10-year-old jetsetter who’s crisscrossed the
globe more than once. The catch: SuNae is a dog — a fluffy white coton
de tulear, to be exact. Her owner, Gayle Martz, takes her
everywhere she flies, from Paris to New York to Los Angeles. But SuNae
doesn’t fly in the belly of the plane like common cargo. She’s first
class, in the cabin under Martz’ seat. “I don’t check my jewelry,
and SuNae is my most precious jewel,” said Martz, a former flight
attendant turned entrepreneur who created and sells a soft-sided pet
carrier, the Sherpa Bag.
SuNae is one of a half-million pets that fly each year, according to
statistics complied by the U.S. Department of Transportation. But not
all airlines permit pets to fly in the cabin, and other policies vary
too.
Some airlines
charge to bring pets in the cabin, some don't. Some airlines restrict
the travel of short-nosed animals, like Persian cats and pugs, which
have shorter nasal passages that make breathing difficult at higher
altitudes. Most also don’t allow pets to travel as cargo in temperatures
below 20 degrees and above 85 degrees.
The policies can be confusing. “It seems like it all depends on
the mood of the person you’re dealing with at the airport that day,”
said Eric Buss, a magician from Los Angeles who has traveled by plane
with the doves and rabbits he uses in his act.
“An animal’s natural ability to balance and maintain equilibrium is
altered under sedation,” said Dr. Patricia Olson, director of veterinary
affairs and studies for the American Humane Association. “When the
kennel is moved, a sedated animal may not be able to brace and prevent
injury.”
Continental now
requires passengers to sign a waiver saying their animal has not been
sedated, but most airlines don’t have that rule.
Here's what you need to know about flying with your pet:
— Federal officials began making the pet-related travel statistics
public last year for the first time as part of regulations imposed by
the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, which was passed by Congress in
2000 under pressure from animal rights activists. Most air trips with
pets are without incident. There were 14 reported pet deaths, four
injuries and six lost animals between May and September 2006.
— Most airlines require pets to be considered healthy, under 100 pounds
and at least 8 weeks old.
— Pets are never allowed out of their containers, and, of course, the
airline assumes no responsibility for their health and well being. (Many
even state on their websites that crew members cannot perform lifesaving
measures on ailing pets.)
— Less traditional pets aren’t allowed at all, like potbellied pigs,
primates and certain venomous reptiles. And that usually means no
“snakes on a plane.”
— The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates pet air-travel,
requires a health certificate from a vet 10 days before traveling for
animals flying as cargo, but not when flying as checked baggage or
carry-on. Martz suggests carrying such certification in any case just in
case you are asked for it.
— Many airlines, like Continental, United and American, suggest and
apply the certification even for pets transported in the cabin because
some states require it. (To learn which ones, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/sregs/.)
Health certification is also required on most international flights.
— Fees vary. JetBlue and Delta charge $50 for a pet to fly in the cabin;
Continental, $95; American, USAirways and Northwest, $80.
— American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and many other airlines allow pets
in the cabin. Frontier only allows them as cargo. Southwest won’t let
pets fly at all (except for service animals).
— Some airlines only allow one animal in the cabin per flight. American
allows up to seven. Sometimes certified service dogs count as a pet;
sometimes they don’t.
— American Airlines requires paperwork certifying that pets were fed and
watered within four hours before delivery. Most don’t.
— Alert the airline of a pet when booking your flight to make sure
there’s room in the cabin.
— Fly during a weekday when airports are less hectic.
— Fly in the morning or evening during the summer, and midday during the
winter to ensure safe temperatures for pets traveling as cargo.
— Choose a nonstop, direct flight.
— Exercise your pet before leaving to help it relax and sleep.
— Do not feed or give water to your pet two hours before departure.
— Check in at least two hours before time, and have all paperwork ready.
— Tape a note on the pet container with all relevant information: name
of the pet, age, destination and flight number.
— Make sure the carry-on container will fit under the seat.
— Familiarize your pet with its carrier before leaving home, and make
sure the pet is wearing tags or has microchip identification.
The American Veterinary Medical Association also notes that most mishaps
stem not from mishandling or a panicked animal getting injured or lost,
but from sedation. The association advices against giving tranquilizers
to pets during air travel because side effects are often unpredictable,
even fatal.
Thanks to Suzy Prescott, club member, for this article.