flying home by myself with teddy
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Andersen on
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Rebecca, it can be a bit daunting because of worrying about your pet. Some airlines are better than others with taking animals. I've flown with Nimh from WV to CA when I went to visit my Dad before he passed on. I flew with American or United, I wish I could remember which one. It worked out fine. When I checked in at the airline counter the airline staff were very helpful and took good care of Nimh. He had to ride below in the cargo thing but it was pressurized, temperature controlled and lit, not dark. I received him at the other end where they put oversized stuff out at baggage claim (they didn't put him on the regular luggage belt thing).
Several important things to remember.....you MUST have a carrier that's airline approved and big enough for your pooch to turn around in. Also must have a couple little attached (so they don't roll around) bowls for water and food. Leave the food bowl empty but put some icecubes in the water bowl. Secure all around the carrier where the top attaches to the bottom, athough the ariline company also secured with those strip things. Place a copy of ALL your paperwork (including a health certificate within the time frame required...for me it was 10 days) in a ziplock baggie on top of the carrier and tape it well (making sure that the bag can still be opened without untaping everything). Also tape a small bag of kibble on the top of the carrier, just in case of a delay.
I thing the most important thing is to get a DIRECT flight....no stops on the way. Makes it so much easier on the dog. Also there are very definite date restrictions on when an animal can be transported in baggage.....during the hot summer months or very cold winter months most airlines will NOT transport animals.
Another thing to consider is how you are getting to and from the airport. Are you taking a commercial shuttle or taxi? If so, there are some that have restrictions on that, too. When I went to Los Angeles I had to take a shuttle to my folks' house and I had to hire one just for me ($$ yuck) since they didn't allow animals to be transported with other people....
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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u are right Ellen it can be Daunting as i have never traveled by myself and trying to get everything ready. thanks for the info that i will need for teddy. i will make sure that i get a direct flight so the poor guy isnt hot while being transported.
to get to the air port i am having my husband drive me and then my family from Michigan will be there to pick me up
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Good luck, don't have any experience and I think they say to fly early am or night due to heat. Sam also has info and a video of one of his dogs flights from inside the kennel.
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thanks Jane:)
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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on
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I would highly recommend researching your airlines beforehand. Head to their websites, check out their flight information and determine which ones have direct flights available both to and from where you'd like to go. Once you know which airlines you can choose from you can look at their pet regulations. Make sure they will be keeping him in a pressurized, temperature-controlled area. You can look at airline reviews to see how other travelers like one airline vs. another, but don't get too hung up on a negative review or two. There will always be a few who have had a bad experience, but avoid an airline with a lot of bad reviews. You can then call them to ask as many questions as you want to. Ask about what will happen if the flight is delayed or redirected and how they will handle him.
As for not knowing where to go once you're there, you can do a couple of things. First, you can call the airport ahead of time to ask about the flight, where to go and what to expect. Once you book your ticket you'll have gate information and such. You can also ask the airport staff once you get there, even if it's just a janitor or an employee in one of the restaurants. They all should be able to show you (or sometimes take you) right to where you need to go. :)
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thanks Jen, i appreciate the info. i am just afraid that i wont read the boards correctly or we will be delayed. i am such a worry wort:/ lol
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Hi Rebecca. Flying can be intimidating at first, but really the airport is set up to get you where you want to go. If you can, you might want to drive over to the airport just to get a feel of where parking is before you have to fly. Have you ever flown before at all? I would stop by the information desk and talk to them personally about flying with a pet. I'm describing the whole process as if you've not flown at all, so forgive me if some of this is stuff you know.
Order your tickets. Don't keep checking prices online constantly or it actually can cause the price to go up (really, I was actually told this by an airline after it happened to me).
Find out what ID you will need; it's been a few years since I've flown and most of my flights have been international, so I'm not certain but I believe it's just a driver's license for domestic flights.
Check out the TSA website for allowable items; rules are strict about liquids and sharp objects.http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm
Review the airline's rules for carry-ons and checked-in luggage size/weight.
Plan your time so that you will be arriving at check-in (not the parking lot) at least two hours before your scheduled flight. Having a dog, I would allow a good three hours, but talk to them about the dog.
When you get there, look for the kiosk for boarding passes. You will get some sort of ticket/voucher in the mail and you'll exchange this for the boarding pass. Now, neither my husband nor I can recall if you get the boarding pass before or after check-in, so perhaps someone else will remember the order of the steps. It's just an ATM-type kiosk where you submit the required documents and get your boarding pass.
At the check-in desk, they will check your id and documentation. They will ask if you have luggage to check in. You will hand them your check-in luggage and they will scan it for traces of explosives. They will ask you some ridiculous questions about whether or not anyone else had your luggage, asked you to carry something for them, etc. You will think "Do they think I'm an idiot?" Don't make jokes about it. Answer when spoken to, just be polite and calm about it.
You will then be left with your ID, boarding pass, and carry-on luggage. You will make your way to the nearest video screen that has arrivals and departures. You will check for your airline, destination city and flight number. You will see if the flight is "on time" or "delayed." You will verify that the gate number is the same as on your original ticket. This is very important because sometimes the gates change, but the electronic board (very easy to read) will have the correct info.
You will then make your way towards the correct gate. Most newer airports are pretty easy, laid out like big shopping malls with gates clustered by airlines in a long row. Some older ones, like JFK, are a confusing nightmare with different gates in different terminal buildings with entirely different parking areas. That's why it helps to get the lay of the land before the day of your flight.
What happens next depends on the airport. For small airports, you will not go through security til you are actually boarding the plane. You will wait in the lounge nearest the gate (have some reading material or puzzle books with you; the wait can be an hour or more). When they announce that your flight is now boarding, you will proceed to security. You will go through the metal detector, putting your purse and carry-on on a conveyor belt to be x-rayed and putting your personal items (watch, belt, etc) in a bin on the same conveyor. You will walk through x-ray while your items go through the conveyor. You will retrieve your items at the other end. You should not try to joke with TSA because they are just the most humorless people on the planet. Be courteous, don't seek out eye-contact to smile or anything, just pass on through and answer when spoken to. It's very simple.
At a larger airport, you will pass through security before reaching the lounge area. You will not pass through again when boarding the plane. Do not leave the secure area once you've passed through security or you'll have to go through security again. Proceed to the lounge as described above and wait for them to call that your flight is boarding. Sit in the lounge nearest your gate or you might miss the announcement. If you miss the announcement they may sell your seat to someone on stand-by, which is why you want to get there early. They typically start boarding large planes a good hour before take-off time.
If you have a transfer flight, you probably won't have to go through security again unless you accidentally leave the secure area. If you have a transfer, when you de-plane immediately look for the large electronic board with the arrivals and departures, look for your flight by airline/destination city/ flight number, and proceed to the gate. DON'T think "Oh, I have an hour, I'll stop for a sandwich." You may need to walk up to two miles to get from one gate to another is some airports and it will eat up much more time than you think.
Flying out of small airports is easier and a shorter wait for security, and security personnel are generally friendly. But small airports usually mean transfers; with a dog that might be an issues. Large airports have more direct flights but you might wait in line to check-in for ages (I think we were nearly two hours at London Gatwick). And security can be very brusque (and at Gatwick they carry very very big guns). So it's a trade-off.
So that is the basics. The piece that I don't know about is handling the dog, but the airline should have very specific instructions on that.
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By the way, someone can accompany you right up to the point where you go through security. When I flew by myself from London, my now-husband came with me through check-in and stuff and it made the whole process much less stressful. Plus I had someone to help carry the luggage. :-)
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thank you SO VERY much Beth for all your info=o) you have eased my mind a bit, especially knowing that my husband can help get me through until security(i hope) that gave me a clear image on what i need to do. now all i gotta do is figure out the dates lol and get the money together.
i have even thought about going by train/bus but now that u have given me great info i can plan accordingly:)
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I would recommend taking a taxi to the airport. Parking fees are very expensive especially if you are going to be gone for a month. Airports can be daunting, especially the big ones, but oftentimes people are very nice and you can ask anybody for help and they will point you in the right direction. The only airport that is AWFUL about helping is San Francisco. As Beth said, some airports are very confusing and HUGE like JFK. That is why I recommend you call a taxi, call the airport and ask for who they recommend, that way the driver will know the lay of the airport and can drop you off right where you need to be. Many airlines allow you to check in online and print your boarding pass at home saving you time and a step trying to find and figure out the kiosk. I recommend doing this so that you can go right to the airport and right to baggage check, there will be big signs everywhere and if your driver drops you off at your airline it should be a straight walk right to baggage check. When you check your baggage the employee can tell you where your gate is. There are often signs and maps all over the airport so once you are there it starts to get less complicated. The hardest part for me has always been navigating the parking area and finding my terminal, so you can eliminate that by hiring a taxi driver.
As for airlines to fly with dogs, avoid Jet Blue because they have there no cancelled flight policy which means you and teddy can find yourself waiting on the tarmac for hours, not good. Virgin has always been a cheaper airline but really nice planes so ask about their pet policy. Some airlines (like I believe Delta and Alaskan) have a VIP service for pets that are flying and have a specific area where they put the kenneled dogs and cats so as to reduce stress a little bit. Like everyone else said, call ahead. Another thing to realize is that health certificates are only good for 30 days and must be obtained within 10 days of the flight, so plan to get the health certificate both in AR and in MI if you are staying for a month. Also make sure Teddy is 110% crate trained. This will greatly reduce his stress. Make sure to feed him several hours before the flight, if its a morning flight, don't feed him. Airlines require food and water bowls as well as a small extra bag of food attached to the kennel. Carry a copy of his health certificate with you and on his crate in case one gets misplaced. Again, just call around, some of the airline websites can be hard to navigate as far as traveling with pets go.
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thank you Melissa for the info as well, there is just so much i need to know before i go! teddy is 110% crate trained:) he LOVES his crate and as i am typing this he is in there taking a nap lol thanks for the warning about jet blue. i certainly dont want to be waiting around for hours and have the poor guy siting in his crate for ever. im sure after 9-10 he will have to go potty. can it be any vet that can sign him off for being healthy for flight or does it have to be a special vet? also he got his rabies(along with his others) in sept 2010, will they accept that or will i have to update the shots as well?
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any vet can do it. Just call and make sure they do health certificates (almost all vets do). As long as all his shots are current he will be fine. Only thing to make sure, as beth said, is that you aren't flying mid day in the summer heat. Make sure the vet writes on the health certificate that he is acclimated to a certain temp (like 89 dgrees or whatever). Most airlines require a note like that, and most vets know to do it. A redeye flight may be your best option because they are usually nonstop, coolest temps, and cheapest. And both you and Teddy will be tired so will sleep through most of it.
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