Originally Posted by
PHLGovFlyer
Last week I checked 2 cases of wine at SFO. We had a mechanical issue and sat on the ground for 2 hours while they resolved it. It was very sunny out so I asked the captain what the outside air temperature was and told him about the wine in the cargo hold. He told me the temp (75 degrees F) and informed me that the cargo hold was generally kept at about the same temp as the passenger cabin during flight.
I think it depends on the cargo hold. I don't think the entire cargo hold is heated / cooled, but just a portion of it. That's why they have to be so careful shipping pets that they keep them in the HVAC'd part of the plane.