Every winter, thousands of people pack a suitcase and take to the skies to spend the holidays with their family and friends. Every traveler faces a packing dilemma as they corral their gifts and clothes into a portable format. Unfortunately, every pet owner faces another dilemma: how to transport Mr. Sprinkles or Miss Fluffy to their final holiday destination.
For many pet owners, the holidays would just not be the same without their four-legged family members. Some might even prefer their pets to their human family! But when the end of the year rolls around, many pet owners choose to leave their pets behind rather than subject them to the unpleasantness of a four hour flight in the cargo hold of a commercial airplane.
That is where private air travel can provide a flying experience that even the most finicky pure breeds will enjoy.
Unlike commercial flights, pets that fly on private aircraft are allowed to spend their trip in a luxurious cabin with their owners; both enjoy amazing views from 41,000 feet (give or take!). Some commercial airlines permit pets weighing less than 10 lbs to fly in a crate tucked under the seat in front of their owner, but this regulation leaves most cats and dogs shivering (or panting, depending on the flight locale) below decks with the luggage. Because to many airlines, that is just what pets are: cargo.
*On a commercial flight, any pets too large for cabin travel must be stored in a crate reading ?Live Animal: This Side Up? in letters at least one inch high, so at least the poor creatures do not get spun upside down or have suitcases placed on top of them.
*The pets must be given a temporary collar with the owner?s phone number and address on it, as well as the address and telephone number of the owner?s destination, in case the airline loses the animal in transit. A lost pet would cause nothing but worry, headache and paperwork; private air travel alleviates those worries by allowing owners to keep their pets with them the whole time.
On private flights, no health certificate or other documentation is required. If the animal gets sick (even just from nerves or anxiety) commercial airlines may refuse to transport them. For commercial flights, the pet?s nails must be trimmed, and they must arrive at the airport at least three hours but no more than four hours in advance of take-off. They must be fed within four hours of the flight, but not so recently that they will get sick mid-air. If the pet is nervous, he can be sedated, but according to the ASPCA and most airlines, sedation can cause serious and unpredictable complications in the low-oxygen cargo area. There is no way to know how the sedation has affected your animal until you arrive at your destination. A sick pet (or worse) is not likely to put anyone in the holiday spirit.
Finally, commercial flights have an incredible list of limitations on the types of pets that can travel. Pets must be over 8-weeks-old, so many brand new pet owners would be forced to leave their baby pet behind. Many airlines limit the total number of pets that can fly on any given airplane, so last-minute ticket changes might force Fido to stay behind if the new flight previously reached its pet-capacity.
Most importantly, there are restrictions that prevent many popular breeds of both dogs and cats from flying at all. Snub-nosed breeds?and mixed breeds?are in danger of developing breathing problems or overheating in the poorly ventilated cargo hold of an airplane. Sometimes these pets are simply discouraged from flying, but many popular airlines, are enforcing new rules that have banned these pets from flying at all.
Some breeds of dogs and cats to which this ban applies are:
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- Pekinese
- Pug
- Boxer
- Boston Terrier
- Chow Chow
- All types of mastiffs and bulldogs
Cat Breeds:
- Burmese
- Himalayan
- Persian
Since most of these pets are also too large to travel in the cabin of a commercial aircraft, their only hope of flying at all is a chartered flight.
The holiday season is hectic enough without the additional worry of losing or injuring your beloved pet while trying to visit out-of-town family.
To avoid some of the headache of flying with a pet, private aviation provides a safer and more pleasant alternative to a jumbo jet full of passengers and luggage (and hassle). As any pet owner knows, pets are a part of the family. They deserve to spend the holidays with us and travel with us without being treated like cargo.
Source:
http://www.petsonthego.com/transairlineregs.html
About Avantair
This guest post was provided by Avantair, a pet-friendly provider of private aircraft ownership, leasing programs and flight hour cards. With a focus on safety, comfort and, customer service, Avantair?s?fractional jet ownership?program is the solution to your private travel needs. Fractional ownership provides all of the advantages of owning your own private aircraft without the expense and maintenance. Whether you are interested in?jet ownership,?jet leasing?or?jet cards, Avantair has a program that?s right for you!
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Source: http://thoughtsfurpaws.com/dogs/flying-with-pets-over-holidays-made-easy/
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