essxjay: I can't comment directly on your cat, but I have traveled CDG-SFO 5 times with my dog. He's 22 pounds, so he has to travel in the hold (UA stopped transporting animals on passenger flights during the SFH, I believe).

I was very nervous about him traveling in a kennel without sedation so my vet suggested that we experiment before the first trip. She gave me a medication called PromAceŽ (acepromazine) and instructed me to give a quarter tab to my dog at home and note the results. She determined the proper dosage according to my dog's reactions/recovery time from the medication.

My vet avoids strong medications whenever necessary, so I really trusted her on this. My dog has always traveled with no complications, thanks to United and, I think, the PromAce. In fact, every time he sees his kennel, he races to jump in (then he presses the call button and demands PromAce with a vodka chaser).

Seriously, talk to your vet about a sedative. It might help you and your cat travel more comfortably.

More information:

http://www.vin.com/PetCare/Articles/...tal/M00565.htm