Traveling with a large dog
Dec 4, 1998, 11:18 am
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 340
Traveling with a large dog
OK, here we go. I promised CATMAN (seems like a contradiction) that I would report back on our Thanksgiving travels with the pooch. Thanks to all of you advice, I called the airline and booked the dog on our flight. For those of you planning to travel with a larger doggie, please not NOT all planes can handle extra large kennels (e.g. MD80 cannot), problem since that is all AA flys out of SJC. Fortunately we were flying CO out of SFO non-stop direct (don't go there ...) to IAH (I have NO status with CO). The plane was a 7 something (cannot remember) ... the one where the exit row seat A has no seat in front of it, but B&C do. When we arrived at the airport I asked for exit row and was fortunate enough to get the seat with none in front, and my wife does not care, she sleeps, so she sat in the middle with no hassle (rather than my usual isle). Unlike AA, CO does not release these seat before day of flight ... I believe.
In order for the dog to travel, we had to go to the vet and get a health certificate (around $30) which is valid for 30 days (required by the airline). The vet also gave us some tranquilizers, did not ask, but was probably valium. She have us a few extra and recommended that we "test drive" the puppy on half a tablet, see how drowzy he gets. If not enough, try a whole tablet. We took Tuffy to Tahoe with us the weekend before leaving for Houston. Half a tab did ot phase him (going up there by car). On the way back, we tried a full tablet. He slept the whole way. When we stopped and took him out of my SUV, he was totally spaced out ... it was an extremely funny sight ... poor pooch.
Anyway, instinct (I cannot think why else) told me to call CO the day before leaving for Houston. Lo and behold, they had changed equipment on us .... to a MD80. I told the lady that our dog would not fit on that plane. She checked with cargo and confirmed this ... problem!!!! They offered to put Tuffy on the next flight which was two and a half hours later. No go I said. That would mean that we would need to leave him at SFO .... in his kennel ... for two and a half hours longer and then we would have had to wait at IAH for two and a half hours (as my in-laws live an hour from IAH). I gave a sob story about how I am an AAvantage Platinum member and we had specifically chosen CO for their big dog friendly planes, etc. I was placed on hold for 2 minutes and offered to be put on the same flight as the dog without any change fee for the restricted ticket ... GO CO!!!
It all worked out in the end. As mentioned earlier, we got the good seats on the later flight (9 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m.) .... hoooray, extra sleep. We stayed with the dog until 30 mins before the flight .. tab administered 1 hour before flight. He went quietly and we picked him up at IAH without hassle. He was calm when we picked him up, but he was ready to play. Hos kennel was warm (my wife was worried that he would freeze in the hold).
Tuffy is now living a life of luxury, being spoiled by the "grandparents", digging up their garden (their half-hearted attempts at discipline are no match for him). We decided to leave him in Houston for five weeks until our return from South Africa ... we leave Tuesday. Fortunately he did not come back with us on Sunday as it was a terrible travel day with all of the delays because of bad weather at CFO ... down to one runway used for all flights, both inbound and outbound.
Other notes: We did not feed Tuffy the morning of our travel ... per someone on this board's recommendation and confirmed by the vet. We left water for him until we left for the airport (per the vet) as he gets through 8 hours a night without a problem.
For those asking how he is to get home. CO cargo ... $300. AA would have done it for $200, but they would have had to fly him around the country to make sure that they ha big enough planes (not S80's) ... we could not do that to him!!!
Well, this will be my last posting for about four weeks. Have fun all and have a wonderful and safe holiday season.
Your FF friend in the sky.
Travelcrazy
In order for the dog to travel, we had to go to the vet and get a health certificate (around $30) which is valid for 30 days (required by the airline). The vet also gave us some tranquilizers, did not ask, but was probably valium. She have us a few extra and recommended that we "test drive" the puppy on half a tablet, see how drowzy he gets. If not enough, try a whole tablet. We took Tuffy to Tahoe with us the weekend before leaving for Houston. Half a tab did ot phase him (going up there by car). On the way back, we tried a full tablet. He slept the whole way. When we stopped and took him out of my SUV, he was totally spaced out ... it was an extremely funny sight ... poor pooch.
Anyway, instinct (I cannot think why else) told me to call CO the day before leaving for Houston. Lo and behold, they had changed equipment on us .... to a MD80. I told the lady that our dog would not fit on that plane. She checked with cargo and confirmed this ... problem!!!! They offered to put Tuffy on the next flight which was two and a half hours later. No go I said. That would mean that we would need to leave him at SFO .... in his kennel ... for two and a half hours longer and then we would have had to wait at IAH for two and a half hours (as my in-laws live an hour from IAH). I gave a sob story about how I am an AAvantage Platinum member and we had specifically chosen CO for their big dog friendly planes, etc. I was placed on hold for 2 minutes and offered to be put on the same flight as the dog without any change fee for the restricted ticket ... GO CO!!!
It all worked out in the end. As mentioned earlier, we got the good seats on the later flight (9 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m.) .... hoooray, extra sleep. We stayed with the dog until 30 mins before the flight .. tab administered 1 hour before flight. He went quietly and we picked him up at IAH without hassle. He was calm when we picked him up, but he was ready to play. Hos kennel was warm (my wife was worried that he would freeze in the hold).
Tuffy is now living a life of luxury, being spoiled by the "grandparents", digging up their garden (their half-hearted attempts at discipline are no match for him). We decided to leave him in Houston for five weeks until our return from South Africa ... we leave Tuesday. Fortunately he did not come back with us on Sunday as it was a terrible travel day with all of the delays because of bad weather at CFO ... down to one runway used for all flights, both inbound and outbound.
Other notes: We did not feed Tuffy the morning of our travel ... per someone on this board's recommendation and confirmed by the vet. We left water for him until we left for the airport (per the vet) as he gets through 8 hours a night without a problem.
For those asking how he is to get home. CO cargo ... $300. AA would have done it for $200, but they would have had to fly him around the country to make sure that they ha big enough planes (not S80's) ... we could not do that to him!!!
Well, this will be my last posting for about four weeks. Have fun all and have a wonderful and safe holiday season.
Your FF friend in the sky.
Travelcrazy
Dec 4, 1998, 2:20 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 1,433
Thanks for the report, TravelCrazy. I'm glad to hear that Tuffy had a good trip.
Jim_B - I'd be willing to pay more than the extra suitcase fee to make certain that my pet gets gentle handling and is placed in a heated cargo hold when travelling alone. It is more trouble for the airline than just taking another piece of luggage...
Jim_B - I'd be willing to pay more than the extra suitcase fee to make certain that my pet gets gentle handling and is placed in a heated cargo hold when travelling alone. It is more trouble for the airline than just taking another piece of luggage...
Dec 4, 1998, 6:33 pm
#5
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
Have a great trip TravelCrazy. It's probably
more difficult to transport dogs than cats.
My two "children" can fit under the seat in front of me in the Sherpa Bag. I also give them a half of table of tranquilizer which seems to put htem out.
If I have to fly with the cats I will pay for first if only to have the room in the seat in front of me.
But Yaz hates to fly. He probably knows what me go through! CATMAN
more difficult to transport dogs than cats.
My two "children" can fit under the seat in front of me in the Sherpa Bag. I also give them a half of table of tranquilizer which seems to put htem out.
If I have to fly with the cats I will pay for first if only to have the room in the seat in front of me.
But Yaz hates to fly. He probably knows what me go through! CATMAN