Flying Pet Airlines

Pets, they come in various forms, don’t they? They’re fun, lovable, mischievous, loyal, etc, especially when they feel comfortable in their own homes.  But there comes a time in life where we, the owners, need to go on a trip or relocate, and often leaving our pets with a pet-sitter or at a pet-hotel is not an option, so they must come with us - here is where the real ordeal takes place. If your pet were to travel on a plane, sometimes it can be difficult, various airline organizations can be strict when it comes to those who want their pets to travel with them or the actual experience itself can be traumatic for the pet, yourself or the other passengers on the plane, which is why I, Ethan Stranger, will be sharing with you my latest experience on pet travel.

To Start, allow me to introduce you to my dog, CHEWIE (picture above), a Japanese Spitz, he’s around 6 years old, extremely energetic, got him while in Nepal in the Fall of 2015. In 2017, when it was time to depart from Nepal, it was quite a calamity in trying to take Chewie with us back to Texas, we stayed a night in Qatar (while Chewie remained at the Airport), then from Qatar, we traveled to NYC, from there we only had a hour to collect our luggage and hop on our next flight, however, we sadly missed our flight and was force to sign-up with another airline back to Texas, however, they would allow Chewie in the Cabin, not in the a cage with the rest of our luggage, however we only had one small carrier cage for Chewie, he had grown a bit & was very crammed up, despite this minor setback, we’re all finally able make it back to Texas. In future flights, it became more difficult for Chewie (and I imagine, for other animals) to travel in airplanes, for many Airlines became strict with temperatures, for they didn’t want live animals to travel alongside regular luggage's below the cabin, however, due to Chewie’s height, cramming him inside a small cage & squeezing him beneath our seat makes him feel uncomfortable and particularly nervous. 

Just recently, Chewie, me and my parents departed from Lima back to Texas during the Corona-Pandemic, and it was an extremely difficult experience for all of us. Being the first charter flight I’ve ever been on I was slightly anxious and worried because I didn't really know how things were going to work out, however, it was pretty much the same as a regular commercial flight. Truth be told, these emotions (which were hard to deal with) were quickly overcome by my wish to go back home.  

For 7 hrs, Chewie was on board with us in the cabin, left inside his pet carrier, from there, we had to wait until morning to register our flight from Florida to Texas, he was so tired, sore and extremely thirsty (though we did give him time for him to do his business and gave him some water). Chewie was close to travelling back to Texas in the cabin in a cramped cage (for our pet carrier was too big to fit underneath the seat), luckily we were able to convince the airline to allow him to travel as cargo, thus he was put into a big cage (with more room, of course).

 

I encourage all airline companies to find new ways of improving pet travel without pet owners going through some much stress (especially during the Corona-Pandemic), every single traveler wants to travel safely and as stress-free as we can, so here are  a few suggestions that might help in the future:

• Perhaps (in the case of a Pandemic) airlines should cut pet travelers some slack and allow them to choose whether or not their pet should fly in the cargo hold or up in the cabin (unless it’s an emotional support animal or a seeing-eye pet).

• Implement pet rest or relief areas where animals can rest before a flight or on long layovers.

• Allow you to put a small camera inside your pets cage (if he or she were to enter the cargo hold), so you can keep a sharper eye on them.

Let me know, down in the comments below, if you’ve ever had any difficulties when traveling with your own pets. For now Ethan Stranger Signing Off (and best wishes for all pet travelers,  be careful, especially during the Corona-Pandemic). Plus for all airlines, please cut all pet-travelers some slack.