YOWandbeyond

We're moving back to Canada this summer from the Middle East. We're planning on flying TLV-YYZ-YOW, and we have a 5 kg cat that we're hoping will travel in the cabin.

Having just gotten off the phone with AC, we're more confused than ever about the procedure for bringing the cat.

We paid the 100 CAD to "book" him on the flight, and there is apparently a 90 CAD charge if we need to take him off the reservation. At the same time, we were told that having him on the flight is a "first-come first-serve" proposition, so he could be bumped off the flight if there are too many other pets.

How does this actually work? (the particular AC agent we got on the phone was... not helpful)

Is it based on check-in time? (So does online check in "count"?)
Is it based on the time we see an agent at the physical check in desk?
What happens with our connection to YOW? Is he counted as "first in line" based on our check in time in TLV or does the clock somehow reset for the YYZ-YOW portion?

Monty Burns

Get to the airport early?
I rarely see pets on board, maybe one out of ten flight or so. I doubt there would be a noah's arkful on yours.

YOWgary

As a lifelong cat owner and lover, I'm baffled as to why you feel your cat needs to travel in the cabin with allergic humans who don't have a choice to be near it.

YOWandbeyond

Amongst other things, because of the heat. As AC has *repeatedly* told me, they cannot and will not guarantee that a pet sent with the luggage will remain in a climate-controlled area throughout.

Since close friends of ours tragically lost their dog on a North America-Middle East flight a few years ago- the dog overheated while his cage was on the tarmac waiting for transfer from the plane- we're particularly sensitive to this particular issue.

If it somehow makes someone feel better, the cat's only allowed in economy, not business or PE. Apparently allergies are cabin-class dependent...

montezume

Too many pets have been lost by luggage handlers, and the heat that the pets would be subjected to would be too high. OP isn't bringing his cat with him on a one week vacation, they are making a cross continent move. There's no way in hell I would trust AC staff with my cats.

Wpgjetse

Really and how many animals are lost every day? Before you write anything, I know about the LAX story. Heat? it maybe a little warmer on take off, but airlines heat the area pet are in, so being to hot is not a issue.

montezume

http://globalnews.ca/news/897745/air...ers-complaint/

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/after-2...port-1.1853664

If this is how Air Canada staff feel about lost pets, then I wouldn't trust them at all with my pets.

Wpgjetse

So you bring up the LAX story anyways. You may not want your cat in the cabin, but I don't.

YOWandbeyond

Well, he's going to have to get home one way or another, so if we could return to the topic at hand...?

montezume

My experience was that once I booked my flight, I had 24 hours to call in and "register" my cat. Seems like the policy hasn't changed, so as long as you call in after booking and "register" on both of your flights, you should be good to go (as long as their is still pet space or whatever).

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelin...-in-cabin.html

Ace Cdn

I am not sure what the current procedure is but they way it used to be was they would add a special service request to your file saying you had an animal in the cabin. What they would do is they would pull up all the files with this service request on it and if there was more than the maximum amount allowed they would deny the request.

ACYYZ/SD

I'm going to say book and fly with confidence. In my many decades here, I have never (not once) had a Pet denied boarding from an aircraft because the maximum has been reached. I've also done many years of TLV flying, and it by no means would be our "Flagship Pet Flight". That honour goes to YYZ-PBI

canadiancow

But you're confirming that there is a maximum? Do you know what it is? Does it vary based on aircraft type?

I've never flown with a pet, but it is not inconceivable that I may one day fly with a cat, so these threads are interesting to me, both due to what the rules are, and how others perceive it.

The main reason I don't have a cat right now is that I live alone and I travel a lot. But if I were to get one, the only flying it would do is a one-way move to a new city.

bhomburg

That's solely because the PE and business seats do not provide a safe space for the carrier (which has to go under the seat in front of you). Be aware this will rob most of your legroom.

Get to the airport early. "First come, first served" pertains to "first four (I believe that's the max. number of animals allowed in the cabin on a flight) pre-booked and registered animals presented to check in and accepted will be able to travel".
AC and other airlines like AA do this because they verify if the pet is fit to fly and all rules and regulations are followed. This cannot be done in advance for obvious reasons.

I have been denied travel with a pet for capacity reasons twice (on TK and AA). In both cases I was rebooked on the next available flight with no charge. On the AA flight, there was a huge dog show ending that day.

catgirl

My numerous experiences: when I call to put the pet on the reservation, they check to see how many are booked on the flight already. If the maximum for that plane type has not been reached, then my pet is added. At that point, I consider it confirmed, but AC reserves the right to remove the pet if there is an aircraft change that reduces the maximum number. You should be fine.

And I'm with you, would NEVER put my pet in the cargo hold (of any airline) unless I absolutely had no choice. Fortunately the option to carry on board exists with Air Canada. Until the airline changes the rules, ignore the haters.