marypearson

I would like to go (from Toronto) to the Dominican Republic for the winter. I can fly either WestJet, Air Canada or Air Transat. I wish to take my (very old) 15 lb dog in the cabin, but she is too tall for under the seat. I have offered to pay for a second seat for her, or go business class, but under no circumstances is she allowed in the cabin. I do not qualify to have her as an Emotional Support Animal.

Three years ago I took her. I was told to dress her warmly because it would be cold in the air, so I put on a sweater and warm, insulated coat, but when we arrived in the DR it was HOT, and it took over an hour for me to get her, to get the sweater and coat off. Was she on the tarmac that whole time in that HEAT with sweater and coat on?

Since then I have inquired several times about temperatures and protocols, and I get different answers each time. This last time I asked what the temperature in cargo would be, and was told that it could vary from -3 to +30! My dog is 15 years old. She cannot withstand those extremes.

Does anyone have more information that might allow me to consider flying with my dog in cargo again - or better yet, is there a way to take her in cabin (not as an ESA)? I have stayed home the last two winters, rather than put her through it, but I am 76 yo, and don't have a lot of years left, and the winters are really hard on me physically. I would really like to go back to the DR this year if there is a way that I can know my dog will be OK.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

bhomburg

Of the three airlines you have mentioned, Air Canada has the largest allowed pet carrier dimensions at 27cm height * 40cm width * 55cm length. That means you can carry on anything that fits into a large Sherpa carrier. In my experience, Air Canada lets animals fly that fit their carriers rather snugly.
If your dog is too large to fit those dimensions you basically have one option remaining that avoids the cargo hold: Bring her on as "specialty dog" with WestJet. The requirements for 'specialty dogs' are not as strictly defined as they are for ESAs.(no documentation required), plus as you'll have to pay the in-cabin pet fee for them (or buy a second seat for large dogs) so the abuse potential and scrutiny are reduced. I wish more airlines would offer this kind of option.

In general, heat is worse than cold as a health risk for dogs. And pet compartments in cargo holds are climate-controlled and usually regulated to between 20 and 25 degrees. This is adjustable by the way, check with the crew upon boarding.
The problem here is that during loading and unloading the animals are exposed to the ambient temperatures on the tarmac and inside the cargo /baggage facilities. I have no idea if the baggage system at Punta Cana (guess this is where you'll be flying to?) is in a climate-controlled building, I`d wager a bet that it is not. So if it has to be the cargo hold and you'll have to decide between coat (for the time before departure in Toronto where it'd be winter and cold) and no coat (for the time between landing and retrieving her before immigration and customs/ agricultural inspection where it'd be hot) I`d rather go for no coat.

marypearson

Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this information has helped me. I thought the dog had to be able to stand up and turn around, which she was able to do with the hard crate, but if she can lie down then I think she will be fine. There is one carrier that I like that is 14" high, which would be really good for her since she is tall, but I imagine it would compress down to the 10" high requirement of Air Canada. I will check with them to be sure. I think I will fly Business Class because they might be a little more accommodating.

Thank you again. You have relieved so much stress for me. Sooooo appreciated!

bhomburg

To my knowledge, this route is operated by Air Canada rouge (a leisure subsidiary of Air Canada). Air Canada rouge aircraft do not have business class but "premium rouge" instead, a product more akin to Premium Economy than a contemporary business class cabin with lie-flat seats.
Although the bulkhead seats offer the most legroom, on Air Canada and AC rouge those are off-limits to passengers with pets, so don't select sets in the first row.

The only airline I have encountered to really enforce those "the animal needs to be able to sit up and turn around in the crate" policies was Lufthansa. I think you'll be just fine.

marypearson

You are a wealth of knowledge! Thank you again!

FromDC

Would you mind telling me which carrier you use that is 14” high? Thanks, I have a similar issue with a tall but light dog and most carriers I’ve seen are 11-12 “.

marypearson

I bought the MASKEYON Airline Approved Portable Pet Carrier 2 Sides Expandable Soft-Sided Large Cats Carrier Collapsible Kennel Travel TSA Carrier 4 Doors with Removable Pads and 3 Pockets for Puppy Small Dogs from amazon.ca for $94.76. I like it because it has drop down sides that will allow her to spread out once we are in the air. Of course I then had to pay for Premium Rouge seats so there would be room on the floor for her. I have been training her to go into the carrier so that she'll be comfortable. We fly out on Nov 13 so hopefully all will be good.

marypearson

My Tasha had a wonderful flight in her "drop down" carrier in cabin (Air Canada). I flew business class so there was more room for her to spread out in the carrier once we were in the air. Unfortunately our flight home, scheduled for April 16, has been cancelled due to Covid, and the only non-stop flight from DR to Toronto is not until May 24, so I am staying longer than expected. Not a hardship. I love it here. But just to advise anyone who might be reading this - other than that one day, May 24, Air Canada only has flights from DR to Toronto with stopover in Montreal, so the 4 hour trip would take 14 hours. This means that you also have to get your luggage and go through security again. I chose just to stay. There are lots of flights with Air Transat (cheaper than Air Canada but in the middle of the night) and Westjet (more expensive) but their seat heights are only 7.4" and 8.4" respectively. My carrier won't fit.

I hope this information is useful to someone.

retailscrap

I have to agree. You could bring your dog as an ESA and get a letter on https://www.esaregistration.org/esa-letter/. Having your dog registered as an ESA will give you many advantages, as mentioned by bhomburg. Air Canada should be fine while traveling with your dog. They let you fly with your pet in special carriers, which should be safe. I did fly with my ESA, and there were no problems. But the drawback is that you must pay a fee to fly with your pet in a carrier. I wish it would be free for Emotional Support Animals, don't know why there's a fee.

tt092816

Thanks for sharing your experience. I would like to travel with my newly adopted dog and have heard some horror stories with Air Canada. I'm glad that it worked out.

tt092816

Be careful of Air Canada, as it is really up to the attendant at the check-in desk to approve or disapprove your pet. Make sure you get a spacious enough carrier. Best of luck!

W._.t

Do you know if we get denied for cabin we can switch to cargo right away? I'm bringing a crate anyways but don't know if I should reserve both and get a refund if I'm denied in cabin

bhomburg

Usually, with most airlines, pet transport charges are only paid at the airport during check-in, so no need to get a refund.
And yes, with most airlines that's exactly what happens if your pet gets denied for in-cabin transport and the airline actually offers passage in the cargo hold as checked baggage, which not all of them do.

heyaroot

I would also like to take my dog with me. I never got to spend vacation abroad with my dog, because he is too big to go in the cabin. I would love to fly somewhere with him, because I know he really misses us when we go on vacation. I usually leave him in a dog hotel, but he doesn't really like it. I know a flight would be very stressful for him, but that would still be better than leaving him alone. Maybe some day we'll decide to take him with us in the cargo, but for now I'm too worried about him to do that.

bhomburg

I have taken a three-figure number of flights with dogs (&cats) in the cargo hold on a variety of airlines, and on each and every one of them the animal has arrived safely at their destination.
If you follow a few precautions - especially avoiding heat - your dog will in all likelihood be fine. The worst offenders among airlines with animal deaths have stopped accepting animals in the cargo hold, and regulations have been tightened across the board in recent years as well.

That said, if you live anywhere WestJet flies and are happy with their network, they allow larger dogs into the cabin as "specialty dogs". The requirements for those aren't as tight as for service animals, and you need to pay the in-cabin fee and purchase a second seat if necessary, but that's pretty much your only option for larger dogs.
And for travel across the Atlantic, French boutique airline LaCompagnie allows dogs up to 15 kgs who fit into a 55cm*35cm*25cm carrier into the cabin.