How to Travel with a Small Dog, Cat or other Pet on an Airplane

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By RenaissanceLady
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Barney-Boy aka Lil'Guy

Here are tips for a safe and humane way to travel on an airplane with your small dog or cat (or other small pet) in the cabin with you, while complying with airlines' strict regulations.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Small Pet
Soft Pet Carrier
Hard Pet Carrier

Step 1

If you book your flight online, you may still have to additionally call the airline to book your pet. This will apply for online specials or "Economy Super Saver" on American Airlines, for example. As of this writing, the fee is $100 to join you in the cabin with American Airlines, but other airlines may offer lower fees.
Step 2

The pet carrier will be counted as carry-on luggage, and needs to fit under the seat in front of you. An airline may say that the maximum height allowance is only 9 inches, but good luck finding one. The pet also has to be able to stand up, turn around and lie down naturally in the carrier. An ideal carrier is a soft carrier. One reason is that you may find one with a height of 11" high, but it is pliable enough to fit under the seat. As of this writing, PETCO was selling these soft carriers for between $45-$90, but Kmart was selling a comparable and acceptable one for $11.99. Be sure and shop around, and make sure there is plenty of ventilation for your pet.
Step 3

Carry on your soft bag, and check the bigger hard plastic carrier as luggage. You can stuff it with your luggage (soft gym bags work well), and check the whole thing as one piece. Nowadays, airlines are charging plenty for each extra bag checked.
Step 4

You must have a recent copy of your pet's health certificate and/or vaccination record. You will need to show this at the ticket counter.
Step 5

Don't sedate your pet, as a rule. This will possibly make breathing more difficult, especially for dogs like Pugs. It also will throw off their balance as the plane shifts in the air during the flight, or during turbulence.
Step 6

Make sure your pet isn't hungry or thirsty before boarding, but don't feed your pet immediately prior to boarding. They may have to use the bathroom, and since they won't be able to during the flight, will be very uncomfortable.
Step 7

Be sure to pet and reassure them during the flight.

Comments

dogjaunt said

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on 10/7/2009 Sorry! My comment was too long. Here's the bit that was cut off:
Pack your dog's harness and leash in her soft carrier, so that if you have a layover you can take her outside to the pet relief area between flights -- not all pet relief areas are fenced!

For more info about traveling with a small dog: http://www.dogjaunt.com

on 10/7/2009 Here are a few more tips:
In case you haven't quite gauged your dog's water consumption right, line the very bottom of her carrier with an (unscented) weewee pad, underneath the carrier's floor pad. (Either the wee wee pad will catch leaks, or it will serve as a back-up if the DryFur pad on top gets soiled and has to be discarded.) On top of the floor pad, I put a Dry Fur pad, and that’s the surface she’ll rest on during her travels. They're expensive, but they're comfortable, they don't bunch up and they're super-absorbent, so even if your dog has an accident she'll stay dry.

Consider putting a photo of your dog in your soft carrier's pocket -- a surprising number of people are dubious about pets on planes, or downright opposed to pets on planes, and it helps to have a picture of your dog (looking her most adorable) to show your airplane seat mates.

Pack your dog's harness and lea...

andypv said

on 6/8/2009 I will have 2 small 6 pounds chihuahua's in cargo. So I shouldn't give them a sedative? They are nervous animals as it is and Im concerned. Also should i put a shirt on them. Im worried it will be cold or even too hot. I'm flying from Mexico to Montreal. One stop in Mex City.