FLYING MY DOG

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GTs

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This weekend Bella is flying to Boston (from Denver) with my girlfriend and I. She will be flying in cabin and is very well behaved. We are not going to be feed her breakfast until we arrive (it will be 2 o'clock in the afternoon), and limit her water about 2 hours before she flies, and then limit to until about 30 minutes before landing.

My concern is this weekend is the Christmas rush so it will not just be her first time flying, but will also be very busy. I am confident when she gets in the plane she will settle down, but just want to know what experience people have with flying dogs.

She will be going to doggy day care the day before - so she will be thoroughly exhausted by the time travel comes.
 
She will be fine. We have flown with our small dog several times within the US. Ours is used to big city life, anyway, so the airport terminal/noise at take-off was a breeze.

Our dog was actually weighed at check-in last time, which was a first. Through security, we always hold her, though sometimes they will ask you to take off your dog's collar.

Tattitude of staff at the gate can vary as well (some want to pet and coo over your dog, others want them zipped up in the carrier as soon as possible).

Here is ours in her Sherpa bag. I assume you have an airline-approved carrier, and that your dog can turn around and stand up in it?

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Are you flying in a private plane then? If so, I'd personally suggest NOT taking her on a leash but in a sky kennel.
 
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No we are flying with an airline - so if she is in the cabin she has to be loose.

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All dogs on US carriers have to be in an enclosed bag, unless they're some sort of service animal, in which case you'll need a certificate saying as much.

Here is a guide to the kennel size each airline requires.


Dogs over 25lbs have to go in cargo, but they still have to be in an approved crate.
 
She is a service dog in training, and has proper accompanying documentation. She weighs 45lbs, so not too big.
 
Good luck - hope all goes well with her journey out here.

I personally would not wish to be in the cabin of an airline with a dog out of a sky-kennel, regardless of whether it is a service animal or not. I think it is highly unsafe.
 
As in having the plane bouncing around through turbulence, or in an emergency and the dog not being restrained from potentially seriously injuring itself or anyone else if it was flung across the plane.

I do not agree with her being flown unrestrained; for the passengers well-being as well as her own. Seems very irresponsible of the airlines to allow this.
 
Children under the age of two are often flown unrestrained on their parents laps. Considering she will be tucked under the seat infront she will be far safer than the 1000s of babies who fly each day..

As far as the other passengers - if the turbulance is enough to dislodge her out of her space, most peoples carry-ons will be flying around, and being hit by one of them will lead to far more injuries.
 
Children and babies are not flown unrestrained when flying through turbulence. Us mothers are given seat belts which attach to our own seat belts. Babies in cribs are strapped onto the drop-down at the bulkhead.

What sort of dog is she that she can tuck under the seat in front? And will she remain there throughout the whole flight, which is how long?

And if other peoples carryons are damaged that's material goods - do you really not care whether she injures herself if she is flung around the aeroplane?
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The flight is 3 hours, she is a mix, and without a shadow of a doubt will stay under the seat.

If you believe those seatbelt extensions solve that problem - you are mistaken. On United 232 a lap child was tossed into an overhead bin container (it is quite a famous story), and I personally am aghast any parent would use them on such small children.

I personally do not believe for a second she will go flying at all, she will be safely under our feet. If the risks were that dire, the carts would be attached to the ground and if she does go flying we probably have far more to worry about than her.

Having travelled considerably, I feel very safe in taking her aboard - the FAA and the airline agree.
 
Oh whatever. I have absolutely no idea why you posted this thread then - you seem to know everything about how she will fly and what weather conditions will be like.


Oh and why parents put their child in these restraints is because it is regulations set by the airlines - they HAVE to have these restraints on, attached to their parents belt, whilst turbulence is around...and if that child came out of theirs then there is negligence involved on the parents part because there should be no way a child could come out of one if fitted by a coherent and mildly competent human being.
 
If you reread my post, I asked people to share experiences not for some cocksure to go on a diatribe about airline safety. The risks my dog will face are no different than what your horse faced when you shipped her across the Atlantic, and the passengers are probably at less risk with her than they are with the beverage cart or other people’s luggage. Thinking about it a horse in their container, is probably going to fair far worse in severe turbulence than my dog will be under the seat.

You are incredibly hard work. No wonder your husband shipped you 3000 miles away!
 
PMSL!! You know what they say about people who have to resort to personal attacks.
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So what experiences were you hoping to hear of? I don't believe you were hoping to hear anything to be quite honest - you simply wanted to brag (yet again) about you being able to avoid rules and regulations set out for almost every other human being on this planet.

And as for the horse being shipped here - hardly the same; she was flown in a stable not stuffed under some seat with less than 12 inches space, for 3 hours. She was hardly likely to be flung anywhere - 500lbs doesn't quite move at the same speed as 45lbs.

Anyway you enjoy your flight and I hope the dog has a blast!
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Just to point out, in zero gs your horse, my dog, or an insect are all going to experience the same force (0), but the weight of the object is directly proportional to the force it will come down with, and there is plenty more room in an air stable than there is under a seat to get airborne.

You comment about it being unsafe, is merely an assertion.
 
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