Do any airlines allow you to purchase a seat for your dog if your dog is
too big to fit under the seat? I was thinking how nice it would be to put
a travel harness on Roxy and hook her to the seatbelt. I'm guessing none
do, but figured I'd ask anyway. My only other option is driving for 10
hours since I won't fly her in the cargo hold.

It'd be nice to sit next to someone knowing they aren't going to hog the
armrest.

--
Lynne

In my flying experience, I don't believe any airline will allow you to
do that I hate putting my dog in the cargo hold as well but at
times I have to do it.





Lynne wrote:
Do any airlines allow you to purchase a seat for your dog if your dog is
too big to fit under the seat? I was thinking how nice it would be to put
a travel harness on Roxy and hook her to the seatbelt. I'm guessing none
do, but figured I'd ask anyway. My only other option is driving for 10
hours since I won't fly her in the cargo hold.

It'd be nice to sit next to someone knowing they aren't going to hog the
armrest.

--
Lynne

Lynne said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

My only other option is driving for 10
hours since I won't fly her in the cargo hold.

Why not? I've flown my dogs often and the airport crew have
almost always been beyond helpful and the dogs have always come
out of the cargo hold in one piece (mentally and physically). I
can tell stories where the crew has gone above and beyond their
job descriptions.

http://www.rocky-dog.com/Friday/200408_WestJet.jpg

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

In article ,
Rocky wrote:
Why not? I've flown my dogs often and the airport crew have
almost always been beyond helpful and the dogs have always come
out of the cargo hold in one piece (mentally and physically). I
can tell stories where the crew has gone above and beyond their
job descriptions.

Statistically there's probably less risk than driving but it
still doesn't feel right. I can't get anywhere without
changing planes at least once, anyway, and when Slick flew
in he made an earlier connection than the one he was booked
on and arrived in Elmira early. The airport staff chewed me
out for not being there when he arrived and I certainly wish
I'd known so I could be there, but if he's got to wait
around in a crate better in the little airport in Elmira
than in Detroit.

I have a meeting in Chicago this summer and I'm thinking of
driving out, partly because I hate to fly but mostly because
I'm thinking of going up to Wisconsin afterwards to do some
camping and to visit the kennel Slick came from to see
who's for sale. But, on the other hand, no more new dogs
until we get some races under our belt and see how those go.

Anyway, I used to fly about 80,000 miles/year and saw a lot
of stuff I didn't like, like crates sitting unattended on a
hot tarmac, and would just as soon not fly a dog. It's not
that I won't, but that I have a strong preference not to.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

(Melinda Shore) said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Anyway, I used to fly about 80,000 miles/year and saw a lot
of stuff I didn't like, like crates sitting unattended on a
hot tarmac, and would just as soon not fly a dog. It's not
that I won't, but that I have a strong preference not to.

I'm pretty anal about flying my dogs, but WestJet has been
fantastic. They bring the dogs out at the last minute and
park them under the wing. I've had ticket booth people
volunteer to go with the dogs and supervise the luggage
handlers (this was in Toronto where the handlers aren't
WestJet employees).

Since WestJet flies only 737s and puts the dogs in the forward
hold, I always book a window seat in rows 7 to 11 so I can
watch the luggage ramp. Plus, I'm always the last one on the
plane so I can watch my dog being loaded.

I used to take only direct flights, but since I found out
where to sit, I don't mind a stopover. I've never had to
change planes, though.

That said, this year the AAC Nationals are in southern Ontario
and, instead of flying, Team Alberta is renting a bus,
removing half the seats for dog crates, and hiring 2 drivers
to drive us straight through (30 plus hours each way). This
gives us transportation and secure benching at the nationals.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Rocky wrote:

Why not? I've flown my dogs often and the airport crew have
almost always been beyond helpful and the dogs have always come
out of the cargo hold in one piece (mentally and physically). I
can tell stories where the crew has gone above and beyond their
job descriptions.


Most of the time, my luggage flies on the same plane I do, and I have no
complaints about the way it is handled. I'm worried about the
exceptions. For example, this last trip flying from Calgary to Toronto,
going through customs in Toronto, then continuing from Toronto to Logan,
my checked wheelie didn't make it from Calgary to Toronto. As it
happened, it was no big deal. The baggage clerk in Toronto made the
necessary phone calls and put the necessary stamp on my boarding pass so
I could go through customs without it. They delivered it to my front
porch the next day. Truth be told, it was more convenient than lugging
it through the airport, onto a bus, then into a taxi. I wish all my
luggage were delivered to my home the following day.


BUT, there was no explanation for what went wrong! If that "bag" had
been my dog, I'd have been a basket case. I'd have had to stay in
Toronto until my dog was delivered, missed my connecting flight,
probably would have been taken in by airport security for questioning
for going crazy and becoming obnoxious. It's great when the crew goes
out of their way to make sure everything goes well. I believe you when
you say they do, but I'd have to say the crew went out of their way to
make sure everything went well when they lost my bag too. Mistakes happen.


I realize my example is for an international flight where things must be
different, but I'm extremely reluctant to fly with a dog in the cargo
hold and haven't since Genny was a pup. (Around 1982 was the last time
I flew a dog like that). Cubbe was in a boarding kennel for 3 weeks at
$20/day this last trip. Maybe that wasn't optimum, but I never worried
about her the whole time I was gone. (And they gave her a good report
card when I got back.)


--Lia

Julia Altshuler said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

If that "bag" had
been my dog, I'd have been a basket case.

Did you watch that bag being loaded onto the plane? Did you ask
the flight attendant if your bag had made it on? Did you sit
where you could watch the luggage ramp? Heh, probably not, but
that's what I do when I fly a dog and I don't get on the plane
until I see that dog loaded.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Rocky wrote:

Did you watch that bag being loaded onto the plane? Did you ask
the flight attendant if your bag had made it on? Did you sit
where you could watch the luggage ramp? Heh, probably not, but
that's what I do when I fly a dog and I don't get on the plane
until I see that dog loaded.


I didn't know they allowed you to do any of those things. Canada, the
kinder, gentler, 51st state.


--Lia

On 9 Jan 2007 19:25:12 GMT, Rocky , clicked their
heels and said:


That said, this year the AAC Nationals are in southern Ontario
and, instead of flying, Team Alberta is renting a bus,
removing half the seats for dog crates, and hiring 2 drivers
to drive us straight through (30 plus hours each way). This
gives us transportation and secure benching at the nationals.

Great idea! I've never flown a dog, but have to admit that I'd be
hesitant to. Like someone else said, the odds may even be worse to
drive, but I like to feel a bit more in control of our own destinies
(yeah, for what it's worth).
--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

Janet B said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Like someone else said, the odds may even be worse to
drive, but I like to feel a bit more in control of our own
destinies (yeah, for what it's worth).

I once took a 2 driver bus from Istanbul to Dubrovnik. I found
out when we arrived safely (luckily) that the drivers weren't
taking sleeping breaks, but vodka breaks.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.