xmelissax

I am thinking of taking my large dog with me on a vacation. I know that pets can go on the plane but I was wondering how one would go about it. How early do you have to get to the airport, I'm assuming earlier than normal. Is it expensive, where do you pick up your pet, are the breed restrictions or anything like that? I will be going on United. Any experiences would be appreciated.

Intrepid1

Thre is a degree of information on United's website but you really should contact them directly for specific details and restrictions, of which there are many.

dfrostnh

When we were on vacation last summer there was an incident with a large dog who was not in condition for a lot of hiking during unusually hot weather. I just want to caution you to make sure your dog is able to do the things you plan to do on vacation and you make sure it does not get dehydrated. Also, check the airline's policy for weather and temperature. It might not be possible during the summer.

nkd

Why, Melissa, why? Besides a cost, you need to remember your dog is going to be placed in a cargo where there may be no heat or a/c. Are you talking about your january trip to Hawaii? You and your boyfriend are young, under 25 but over 21, and learning but maybe you are able to leave your dog at home with a friend, family member or find him/her a good kennel.

nytraveler

Taking a dog on a plane is always a very bad idea. I would never do it unless I absolutely had to (moving and no other way to get there) - and even then I would do everything I could to drive instread.

This will be a terrifying experience for your pet - and probably uncomfortable as well - no heat or AC - locked in the hold for hours. What if the flight is delayed? Or what, as has been known to happen, the cage breaks open and your pet is hurt or lost?

Please reconsider this. The dog would be much happier at home. At a minimum, speak to your vet before making plans.

mclaurie

If this is for Hawaii, there are very strict rules for bringing animals. It may not even be possible (and is really a terrible idea).

Just remember that after you sort out the airplane issues, there's still your vacation. Not only may you be limited in where you can stay, but many hotels allow dogs but won't allow you to leave them alone in the room. So now you'd have to take the dog everywhere with you. Think long and hard.

wliwl

I found myself asking, is this a vacation for my pet too? For instance, would it be FUN and RELAXING for my pet? Invariably, the answer is no. I will drive with my dogs certain places (one great place is renting a house in the outer banks NC - one which allows pets!)or camping. But flying? It's not even fun for people - it's a horror for our dog.

miguelgcuadra

And do not tell us your dog will enjoy the time vacationing, dogs are wonderful but still animals not humans...

Statia

I agree. Traveling by air is not a pleasant experience for a pet. I have only done it when we had to move overseas and mine was a basket case for a week after his arrival.

Diana

I have thought many times over the years how much fun it would be to frolic in the surf with our Doberman and our Jack Russell when we travel to the Caribbean.

How neat it would be to have our dogs with us in our villa, and to ride around with them in our jeep and swim with them and have a great big ole' time.

The I think about the times our plane has been delayed or sat on the hot tarmac and gotten uncomfortably warm in the cabin. (Let alone the cargo area.)

Then I think about the noise and the confusion of the airport - which must be much worse in the baggage area.

Then I think about how much it would hurt a dog's sensitive ears when the plane is taking off and in flight.

Then I pat my dogs on the head, arrange for their beloved sitter to come stay in our home and totally spoil them for two weeks, and I go on my vacation.

michelleNYC

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do this. My girlfriend and her husband moved from San Francisco back to NYC and brought their dog back with them. He died in the cargo hold and it was devastating for EVERYONE involved.

beentheretwice

The only time I've transported my pets by air were due to relocations. My 25lb dog flew in a sherpa under my seat, sedated. My two cats, which were supposed to fly cargo, wound up flying in first class in under seat storage because it was too cold outside. This was a flight from Minnesota to Georgia.

If you love your dog, drive or leave him home. Dogs like routine. Travel,even safe travel, can cause illness and undue stress.

miguelgcuadra

And once your dog is in the cargo pit, do not expect that it will get good treatment from employees...it will be handle like any other piece of lugage. Baggage handlers have no time to be careful when loading planes..they got to move fast....and now that airlines are cutting their benefits to the bones, things got to be worse...have you seen flight attendants attitude lately, well FIFO is not getting it easier

buckeyemom

I love my dogs dearly but when I take a vacation, I don't want to have to get up at the crack of dawn to let them out so they can do their business. Travel is stressful for animals. I think they would be happier at home in either a good boarding kennel where they get lots of playtime or at home with a good pet sitter.

suze

Where are you going on vacation?

If it's Hawaii as other posters have mentioned... can't be done (there is a 4 month quarantine required for cats and dogs coming from the mainland). See the website run by the Dept of Agriculture which controls pets being brought to the islands. It is very strict.

My sister flies with her dog(s) but these are show dogs small enough to go in a carrier that fits under the seat IN the cabin. I would NEVER check a dog into cargo, which is what you will have to do with a <large dog>.

janis

OK, if this is a trip to Hawaii our concerns are moot - you can't take him and we are ALL relieved.

BUT if by chance you are talking about a different trip -- DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!

If you did it would only be for your comfort, companionship, maybe sense of guilt about leaving him home. Trust us - your dog will be much, MUCH happier and more comfortable at home in familiar surroundings or even at boarding kennel he hates.

I Have shipped a dog/cat once - for an international relocation. And while we didn't have any disasters they were both really affected. When we landed at SFO it took the baggage staff over 90 minutes to find the crate (This was a Scottie and a cat so we put them together in a single crate so at least there would be something comforting with them) -- and bring it out to the waiting area. Then it took quites a while before either one would get out of their crate - they cowered in the back shaking like leaves when it was finally opened.

I might, MIGHT consider taking a pet if they were in the cabin but I will never, never, never take one in cargos ever again. But even in the cabin - the noises, crowded conditions, and pressure on their ears could be very upsetting.

Cassandra

We had a basset hound who was lots of fun to take on vacations and was also un-boardable in a kennel (she refused to eat and howled and bayed and drove all the other dogs so crazy that we were twice called by the kennel owner (2 different people) to come get her -- both advised us to find a housesitter instead.

But we got used to taking her with us on car trips and decided to take her with us on the plane. I thought it was a non-stop 2 hr. flight (on UA) and not in summer, so it shouldn't be too bad. She was frantic by the time we claimed her in "special" baggage, and all the baggage handlers were kind of smirking, I guess because they wondered who would have a dog who would raised the roof like that.

The next summer, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of our airport, which included baggage handling and on- and off-loading (this was before 9/11). I got a good look into the dark, cold cavernous metal hold of a plane where the animal cages got put -- and I was so deeply sorry I'd ever inflicted that on our poor hound. It is pressurized, but that's about it. If there are lots of other large containers, the cage is surrounded by boxes. Even with medication, it's a nightmare for the pup.

Unless you are moving too far to drive a dog, don't fly him or her. Just don't.

TC

We flew Delta from Atlanta to St. Martin this year. A very large woman sat in the bulkhead window seat. She had with her a VERY large dog. The dog was allowed to lay on the floor at her feet and to get up and roam the airplane with her during the flight. She was on our flight both going and coming home. I was really surprised to see this. While the woman was in a wheelchair, she was not blind. The dog did not appear to assist her in any way. In fact, she was traveling with a son and daugher-in-law who assisted her.

Here's the really weird part. The son and his wife did not sit with the woman. They were several rows back. However, the man assigned to the adjoining seat was allergic to dogs. Before take off the attendants were asking for someone to switch seats with this gentleman. Oddly, the son and wife did not offer to switch. Another passenger finally did switch seats so we could depart.

I thought the whole thing very strange and felt sorry for the two passengers sitting next to this woman in bulkhead. It was a small plane, with little leg room (even in bulkhead) and the dog was literally taking up all the floor space.

Have pets on plane rules changed?

beentheretwice

As far as I know in cabin pet rules haven't changed. The dogs was probably and assistance dog. I'm surprised it didn't have a vest/badge, but I'm told you don't need one. It has something to do with the Citizen's with Disabilities Act. You can't ask, and they don't have to reveal their disability. If the dog was well behaved, it most certainly had training. Not many dogs will sit calmly for flying.

Why the adult children didn't sit with her is probably a topic for Dr. Phil. Who knows?

BTilke

When we went to Paris for a month some years ago, we took our dog with us. She did fine in cargo on the flight from SFO to CDG and the Air France personnel handled her beautifully. Our dog is an English cocker, a breed prone to separation anxiety, we could not find anyone to petsit for a solid month, and boarding her at a kennel or even a "doggie motel" was not an option. She had a great time with us in Paris as dogs are welcome almost everywhere--she went with us to shops, restaurants, cafes, romped in the Champ de Mars, in the Bois de Boulogne, etc. Dogs CAN fly safely, but in all honesty, I think the European and some other carriers (Qantas, for example) do a better job with pets than domestic airlines.
All the naysayers here do not know xmelissa's dog, its temperament, or how long this vacation will be (or even where she's going). Without that info, it's hard to give a strict yes or no response.
However, if you do take your dog alone, a few general pointers (we flew ours before the current regs regarding shippers, etc., went into effect): use the SMALLEST crate your dog can manage in comfortable. Dogs are more likely to have problems when the crate is too large. Put ice chips rather than water in the water bowl (the water will probably slosh out right away; ice chips melt slowly). Tape labels with clear info about your dog on several sides of the crate (i.e., dog's name, your name, your home AND vacation contact details, microchip number, etc.,). Find out the name of a reliable vet in your destination area (contact info is easily found from dog loving chat groups on yahoo, etc.). Check into what conditions will be like at your destination (example: where we lived in the Pacific NW, fleas and ticks were not much of a problem--but they were in other parts of the country).