Fly the Pet Friendly Skies

It was Della and the Dealer and a dog named Jake

And a cat named Kalamazoo

Left the city in a pick up truck

Gonna make some dreams come true

Yeah, they rolled out west where the wild sun sets

And the coyote bays at the moon

Della and the Dealer and a dog named Jake

And a cat named Kalamazoo

If that cat could talk what tales he'd tell

About Della and the Dealer and the dog as well?

But the cat was cool 
and he never said a mumblin' word

~ Hoyt Axton
Della and the Dealer

This post is updated as of June 2018. 
Pets are members of the family, and when we go on vacation, we might take our furry family members with us. Lately, there have been some heartbreaking stories in the news about pets and airplanes. One family lost their beloved dog when a flight attendant insisted that he be put in the overhead bin. For the record, no animal should be placed in the overhead bin. It's not easy to fly with an animal.

A car ride would be difficult enough. Cats, unlike some dogs, do not like car rides. In the days before every family had carriers for their animals, my family would make the 14-hour drive from Georgia to Illinois, and we would take our cat, Millie, with us. The first half-hour of the trip, Millie would run around the car looking for an escape (heedless of the fact that we were traveling down I-20 at 60-plus mph). Finally, Millie would find her hiding place and settle in for the trip. Her hiding place? The piece of cardboard over the glove compartment. Given that the top of the glove compartment isn't meant to support weight -- even the weight of a cat that weighed less than 10 pounds--Millie would sink down into the glove compartment. At some point during the trip, my mom would open the glove compartment, and there would be gray fur coming out in all directions. Unlike Millie, animals on airplanes must be kept in a carrier. No running around and hiding.

The plane ride requires advanced planning. For this post, I'm going to focus on animals that can ride in the cabin. Although the airlines have tightened their rules regarding transporting animals as "checked baggage" or "cargo," I would encourage anyone with larger animals to think twice or even three or four times before flying them in the cargo hold on a commercial airline. I'm also not going to discuss service animals, because the rules are different if you need a service animal on your flight.

Before your flight. As soon as you know that you will be bringing your pet with you, you should find out the airline's requirements for flying with pets. At the end of this post is a chart listing the airlines, some relevant rules and regulations, and the cost of transporting an animal. For those of you with large animals, you can also see that several airlines will not transport animals in cargo (or as checked baggage).

• Make your travel plans. When choosing your flight, try to select direct, off-peak, nonstop flights. Remember your pet's stress will increase with each take-off and landing. Crowds or even children yelling, "Doggie!!" or "Kitty!!" are likely to excite your pet.
• Make reservations for your pet. Most (if not all) airlines require a reservation for your pet, even if they don't require payment until you arrive at the airport on the day of the flight. Also, most airlines only allow a certain number of animals to fly in the cabin on any one flight. Usually this is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Make sure you have a carrier that will fit under the seat in front of you. Animals flying in the cabin are treated as carry-ons. Check the airline's website to find out the maximum dimensions allowed. Most airlines will only allow a certain number of animals to fly in the cabin on any flight, so that's another reason to make reservations early.
• Go to the veterinarian. Though not required by all airlines, particularly for animals flying in cabin, take your pet to the vet before the trip and make sure the vet thinks they are healthy enough to fly. The vet can also issue a health certificate for your pet and offer advice on how to best keep your pet calm and relaxed during the trip.
• Help your pet become familiar with the carrier. Make the carrier accessible to your pet before the trip. Make it inviting. Cats, in particular, dislike change and need to become comfortable with their temporary home.

The day of the flight.  Once you're at the airport, you'll need to do a couple of things. 

• Check-in your pet. Even if you have checked yourself in online and printed your boarding passes at home, you most likely will still have to take your pet to the airline counter to check them in (and maybe pay the pet fee).
• Security. This is the one time during your trip that you should take your pet out of their carrier. You must maintain control of your pet and assist the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) in the screening process.  Never put a pet into the x-ray! If possible, take the animal out of its carrier. Send the carrier through the xray machine. Carry your animal through the metal detector with you. If you are not able to take the pet or animal out of the carrier, notify the TSO of your need for special assistance at the beginning of the checkpoint screening process. For more about the security process, see this press release from the Transportation Security Administration.
• After security. Once you're through security, you need to put your pet back in his or her carrier and then proceed to your gate. As much as you might want to cuddle and reassure your furry companion, he or she must stay in the carrier while you're in the airport and throughout the flight. That's a federal regulation (yes, we're back to that again). 
• On the plane. The most important thing to remember is that your pet must stay in their carrier, and you must follow flight attendant instructions (not cooperating with the flight crew can lead to you and your pet being grounded). You should stow your pet in his or her carrier underneath the seat in front of you as soon as possible. FAA regulations require that the carrier is small enough to fit underneath the seat without blocking anyone's path to the main aisle of the airplane. The carrier must be stowed properly in order for the airplane to leave the gate, and it must remain stowed the entire time the airplane is moving on the airport surface, and for take off and landing. I shouldn't have to mention this, but pets cannot be stowed in the overhead compartments! 
• When you reach your destination. You've arrived, but your pet should still stay in his or her carrier. The rules for the arrival airport are the same as the rules for the departure airport. Wait until you've reached your final destination (where you'll be staying) before you take your pet from the carrier.

I strongly recommend that you consult the airline webpage so you know what to expect. I also found this article from cheapflights.com to be very helpful. Happy Travels!

Airline	Rules and Restrictions	Pets in cabin?	One-way fee	Pets in cargo?	One-way fee
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Pet Policy	→Dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds.	Yes	$100	Yes	$100
Allegiant Airlines Allegiant Air Pet Policy	→Domestic cats and dogs.	Yes	$100	No	N/A
American Airlines American Airlines Pet Policy	→Specific animals not indicated, although implied to be limited to cats or dogs →Seven (7) pets are allowed per flight on American Airlines; five (5) pets are allowed per flight on American Eagle →Snub-nosed dogs or cats of any “mix” are not accepted as checked baggage →Carry-on pets not allowed on flights to certain international destinations	Yes	$125 per kennel	Depends. Restrictions apply.	$200 per kennel ($150 to/from Brazil)
Delta Delta Pet Policy	→In cabin: dogs, cats and household birds (no household birds on international flights) →In cargo: cats, dogs, household birds, guinea pigs, rabbits hamsters, marmots, reptiles, primates →Snub-nosed dogs or cats of any “mix” are not accepted in cargo →Pets must be at least 10 weeks old	Yes	$125 (U.S.; Canada; Puerto Rico; Virgin Islands) $200 (Outside U.S.) $75 (Brazil)	No pets in checked baggage after 3/1/16; Pets  may continue to fly in cargo	Rates vary
Frontier Airlines Frontier Pet Policy	→Domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and small household birds. No reptiles or arachnids. →Only domesticated dogs and cats on flights to/from international destinations. → Up to two (2) small animals may be transported in one travel container as follows: puppies or kittens (8-10 weeks old), hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and small household birds.	Yes	$75	No	N/A
Jet Blue Jet Blue Pet Policy	→Small cats and dogs on both domestic and international flights (with the exception of flights to some Caribbean countries, and interline bookings).	Yes	$100	No	N/A
Southwest Airlines Southwest Pet Policy	→Small cats and dogs. →No animals on international flights or any itinerary that includes an international flight. →Six (6) pets are allowed per flight with a limit of one pet carrier per paying Customer traveling on the same flight.	Yes	$95	No	N/A
Spirit Airlines Spirit Airlines Pet Policy	→Small domestic dogs, domestic cats and small household birds. →Birds are not allowed to and from cities in Puerto Rico or St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. →Animals are not allowed on international flights →Maximum of four (4) pets per flight (total).	Yes	$110	No	N/A
United United Pet Policy	→In cabin: domesticated cats, dogs, rabbits and household birds (excluding cockatoos) →Rules for international in-cabin pets vary. →Four (4) per flight are allowed in Economy on all flights	Yes	$125 (plus $125 for each stopover more than four hours within U.S. or 24 hours outside U.S.)	Yes	Rates vary
Virgin America Virgin America Pet Policy	→cats and dogs	Yes	$100	No	N/A