Steps to follow at the airport
First of all, we recommend getting to the airport extra early so that you don’t feel rushed.
Flying with puppy in cabin
If your puppy is small and light enough to fly with you as a carry-on, you’ll go to the passenger check-in desk where an agent will check all of the paperwork for your puppy. Once you’ve got the all-clear and paid the pet carry-on fee, your next stop is security. Leave your puppy in it’s travel carrier while you sort out your shoes, jacket, bags, laptop and other items. Once you are ready, take your puppy out of it’s travel carrier and place the travel carrier on the conveyer belt with your other items. You may also want to remove your puppy’s collar or harness to avoid setting off the metal detector. Then you can carry your puppy through security while the kennel and your other items go through the X-ray machine.
Flying with puppy in cargo
If your pet is flying cargo, most airlines require that you arrive at least three hours before the departure time for domestic flights and at least five hours before international flights. It is likely that you will need to take your puppy to a separate cargo drop-off location at the airport (this is where you’ll pick up your pet after the flight, too), so review your departure and arrival airport maps ahead of time.
We highly recommend attaching a current photo of your puppy to the carrier, as well as a small bag of food so airline personnel can feed it in case of a long delay. I’m sure you already have thousands of photos of your puppy, which makes it easier to identify them should the airline “misplace” your pet (it’s unlikely, but you’d rather be prepared than not).
Once you arrive at your destination, grab your checked baggage and head straight to your airline’s specified cargo location. Generally, puppies and dogs are available to collect two hours after the flight’s arrival. Often, they must be picked up within four hours or they’ll be taken to a veterinarian or boarding facility.
Whether your pet flew in cargo or as a carry-on, take your dog for a walk right away to relieve itself.
Is Your Pet Healthy Enough to Fly?
Always check with your pets veterinarian before allowing them to take to the skies. If youre anything like me, your veterinary knowledge is limited, so I wont pretend to know what canine or feline afflictions can be exacerbated by air travel. You dont want to learn that lesson the hard way.
About 20 days before our flight with Wallie, during a regularly scheduled vet appointment, I simply asked our vet if he was fit to fly. It was a simple yes, and we had our official blessing.
Most pet-friendly airlines
We did a deep dive into the nine largest U.S. airlines on 11 different variables to find the best airlines for pets. Example factors included whether or not pets were allowed in the main cabin, the cost variance across cargo versus cabin pet travel and the number of pets allowed per passenger.
Heres how we ranked airlines that are pet-friendly.
The top pet-friendly airlines are Alaska Airlines, American and Hawaiian. If flying with your dog is a priority, avoid airlines like United, Delta and JetBlue.
ANIMALS on PLANES? Is your PET SAFE flying in CARGO??? Explained by CAPTAIN JOE
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It’s not always a great idea to take Fido flying, but sometimes you have good reason to do so. Problem is, the logistics can seem overwhelming, with the cost, paperwork and myriad rules and regulations to sift through, many of which are different from airline to airline.
Still, it’s possible to figure it out and for your pooch to have a safe and comfortable flight.
In short, the best advice is to talk to your veterinarian and your airline about what you need to do. But heres what you’re likely to learn when preparing to fly with your dog.