Originally Posted by
BillyMU99
Hello everybody! I am bringing my Jack Russell terrier puppy from Guadalajara to Chicago in July (with a layover in Dallas). He weighs 9 pounds. He fits in the 19" long x 13" wide x 9" high collapsible carrier. My question has to do with the phrase "Animals must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in the kennel." How stingy will AA be about this???? I know the puppy is not in the most comfortable natural position in the carrier, but he does fit fine and snugly and seems chill when we have practiced. Are the check-in people or the TSA people going to really check that he can maneuver around in the carrier? Please help! Let me know if you have any experience with this issue. It will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks a lot!
I flew AA a half dozen times with my 15 pound Westie about 4 years ago. Like your Jack, the carrier was borderline. As far as AA, I found it varied by check-in agent. Some didn't even look at her at all. Others checked carefully, and expressed concern about her size, but in the end, I was always able to convince them to allow her to fly. Lines like "she's flown AA in this carrier before" and "she'll just sleep the whole way", both of which were true in my case, helped. The only issue for AA is whether the animal will be comfortable, so I think they tend to yield to the owner's experience.
TSA did not care at all about the size. All they might want to check is whether you have a receipt for the transport of the dog (which you'll get when you pay the fee at the check-in counter). You'll need to take the pup out of the carrier to go thru security anyway (the dog goes thru the WTMD with you, the carrier goes thru the xray), so you can take the pup out before even approaching security if you like.
You'll arrive at DFW in terminal D. Once you clear customs, I don't know if there are any good spots there for pet relief. But you'll likely depart DFW from either A or C. Both those terminals have grassy areas outside security, downstairs level, at either end of the terminal. Most people use the airside skylink train to transfer terminals, but that would mean clearing security in D after customs, riding the train over, and then exiting. So you might just use the Terminal Link buses instead. Exit the D building and just take the bus to your terminal; it'll drop you outside upper level, just head downstairs and to the end of the building to let the puppy get some relief. Have a leash handy, there's traffic nearby.
Also, check the Travel With Pets forum here, lots more good advice there.