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Travel

When fur flies

Many airlines allow pets as passengers. Be sure to plan ahead to ensure your companion's comfort and safety on the trip.

By NICK DIVITO
Published February 25, 2007

A half-million pets fly each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
	[AP photo]

SuNae Martz is a 10-year-old jet-setter who has crisscrossed the globe more than once. SuNae's travel partner, Gayle Martz, takes her everywhere she flies, from Paris to New York to Los Angeles. SuNae never quibbles about window seat or aisle: SuNae is a dog, a fluffy white coton de tulear.

But SuNae doesn't fly in the belly of the plane like common cargo. She's first class, in the cabin under Martz's seat.

SuNae is one of a half-million pets that fly each year, according to statistics compiled 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 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 or above 85 degrees.

Most mishaps, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, stem not from mishandling or a panicked animal getting injured or lost but from sedation. The AVMA advises against giving tranquilizers to pets during air travel because the results are often unpredictable, even fatal.

Tips for flying with your pet

- 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 the airline assumes no responsibility for their health and well-being.

- Less traditional pets - potbellied pigs, venemous snakes, etc. - aren't allowed.

- The U.S. Department of Agriculture 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. Pet owner Gayle Martz suggests carrying such certification 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. (Visit www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/sregs to learn which ones.) 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, US Airways and Northwest, $80.

- American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and many other airlines allow pets in the cabin. Frontier allows them only as cargo. Southwest won't let pets fly at all (except for service animals).

- Sometimes certified service dogs count as a pet; sometimes they don't.

- Alert the airline of a pet when booking your flight to make sure there's room in the cabin.

- Fly in the morning or evening during the summer, and midday during the winter, to ensure safe temperatures for pets traveling as cargo.

- Do not feed or give water to your pet for two hours before departure.

- Check in at least two hours early, all paperwork at the ready.

- Tape a note on the pet container with 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 a microchip.

[Last modified February 22, 2007, 12:39:00]