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It seems that flying with pets in cargo space is not only traumatizing to animals - it can be deadly: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/is-taking-your-pet-o
by stared 7y ago
It seems that flying with pets in cargo space is not only traumatizing to animals - it can be deadly: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/is-taking-your-pet-on-an-airplane-worth-the-risk-6241533/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/is-taking-your-pet-on-....
For me it is hardly surprising that people who love their dogs or cats (and essentially treat them as family members) would go the extra mile to take them in the cabin, to ensure their physical and emotional safety. The alternative is to treat them as a disposable piece of luggage (which IMHO is inhumane and cruel for a life companion, human or not).
- lotsofpulp 7y agoAnd I don’t trust random people’s pets to be well behaved and would rather not risk sitting next to them.
- i_am_nomad 7y agoAs you shouldn’t, there have been at least two horrible incidents in the last year or so where “ESA” dogs mauled another passenger.
- mirimir 7y agoI've been bitten three times by dogs. Twice as a door-to-door canvasser, and once by a friend's pet. And I've seen others bitten by friends' pets. So I would not be comfortable on a plane with any dog that wasn't in a cage, or at least muzzled.
- azinman2 7y agoThere are special services for transporting animals outside of typical flights.
- reaperducer 7y agoit is hardly surprising that people who love their dogs or cats (and essentially treat them as family members), would go an extra mile to take them in the cabin, People have been flying with animals in the cabin for decades. I've done it three times with cats since the 1990's. The difference is that back then, it was to transport the animal from one side of the country to the other safely, so the animal stayed in its container under the seat. Today, attention whores treat other living creatures like they're fashion accessories, and let them run around the cabin and sit in the seats and do whatever they want, as long as it gets them the attention they crave.
- bpicolo 7y ago> The difference is that back then, it was to transport the animal from one side of the country to the other safely, so the animal stayed in its container under the sea Many, if not most, of these folk just have larger dogs that don't qualify for under-seat. I drove my golden retriever across the country on three occasions (~130 hours of driving all told?). I wish there were a reasonable and ethical flight option, but I would never trust an animal to cargo.
- kingbirdy 7y agoI fly dozens of times a year. I've seen plenty of animals flying properly (in a soft sided crate, under the seat). I have never once seen an animal allow to run around the plane, and I imagine if someone tried to do that with their animals the flight attendants would put a stop to it quite quickly, given the obvious hazard that poses.
- reaperducer 7y agoJust yesterday there was an article in my Apple News feed about an uncrated rabbit on an airliner.
- kingbirdy 7y agoAre you referring to this article (it was the only recent one I could find about a rabbit on a plane)? https://www.insider.com/rabbit-business-class-flight-photos-2020-1 https://www.insider.com/rabbit-business-class-flight-photos-... The article explains that the rabbit was brought on to the plane in a crate, but was allowed out by the flight attendants, since the passenger had an empty seat next to them and the attendants enjoyed playing with the rabbit. That hardly sounds like "attention whores [who] treat other living creatures like they're fashion accessories, and let them run around the cabin and sit in the seats and do whatever they want". It is another example of potential abuse of the concept of an ESA, but I certainly wouldn't want to subject my pet to the conditions of the cargo hold for a trans-pacific flight.
- wavefunction 7y agoThe real alternative is to kennel your pets or hire someone to pet-sit.
- jghn 7y agoIt's understandable why they do it. It is still wrong, and as the OP noted it could wind up ruining things for everyone who has a real service animal.
- dorkinspace 7y agoThe other alternative is to leave the pets at home. I love my dog but no way will I take him on an airplane in any manner. So we board him when we go on vacation.
- derefr 7y agoI think the valid use-case to contend with here is people moving permanently, not vacationing.
- triceratops 7y agoThere do exist pet transportation services. Or you can do a road trip to your new destination.
- derefr 7y agoPeople move over water, you know. Sometimes even while still being in the same country! (You can bring your pets from the continental US to Hawaii; there aren’t even quarantine periods for it.) Those pet transportation services are for large animals like horses, and for exotics. The costs are prohibitive for regular pets (i.e. not your million-dollar tiger.)
- triceratops 7y agoThis website says international moves cost "up to $2.5k". Pricey, but not prohibitive.[1] Long-distance moves are usually pretty costly anyway. 1. https://pets.costhelper.com/pet-shipping.html https://pets.costhelper.com/pet-shipping.html
- throwlaplace 7y ago2.5k "not prohibitive". lol alright. I've moved 3 times over seas. Never has is cost anywhere near 2.5k (including when my family moved to the US in 91).
- sushisource 7y agoI totally get that, but, she wasn't moving or anything. Just going on a weekend visit somewhere and wanted to bring the dog. Hire a dog sitter, maybe? Or as another commenter mentions, if you care that much, pay for a seat for your non-service dog. Something many airlines still let you do, you just have to pay for it.
- stared 7y ago> Hire a dog sitter, maybe? This is inconsiderate. Would you write "hire a babysitter, maybe?"? Extra fee for an in-cabin (non-service) animal is perfectly understandable. I haven't seen that option, though.
- coldtea 7y ago>This is inconsiderate. Would you write "hire a babysitter, maybe?"? Lest we forget, in this 21st century nonsense, dogs are not actual children.
- asdff 7y agoPersonally, I'd go for the whimpering dog sitting behind me over the screeching infant for the whole flight.
- moftz 7y agoLast time I did it (and it will be the last time...), it was $200 for the dog to go in a soft pet carrier under the seat and you could only check in at customer service so better be there an hour earlier than normal. I don't think our tickets were even that much. I can totally empathize with someone bringing a fake ESA in the cabin for financial/convenience sake.
- jliptzin 7y agoYea, what services is the airline providing in exchange for that extra fee? That’s what I never understood. They charge $100-300 for cargo that has to stay under the seat in an enclosed carrier the whole time. I could understand an extra deposit, that is only lost if the pet causes actual damage to the airline, but otherwise if all goes smoothly (as is probably the case 99% of the time), it should be free. People are understandably recognizing that airlines are just bilking pet owners as much as possible, just because they can.
- gnicholas 7y agoWell you can also not lie and pay for the animal to travel in the cabin.
- yellow_postit 7y agoThis is not true. Dogs for example must fit under the seat in a kennel to be in the cabin vs cargo on most airlines. That limits size to <30lbs in most cases. Traveling with a pet in cargo on a plane that has a heated and pressured hold is very doable however and airlines publish their safety records for pet transit.
- oliwarner 7y agoThe rest of us know this. We rediscovered a long-forgotten technique that keeps the animal safe: we don't take them on a plane at all. We leave them with friends, in boarding kennels and catteries. Having your pet with you 24/7 is —for most people— an unnecessary kink, an expression that we've got too used to getting our own way. It's not healthy. Get a grip.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- dudus 7y agoWhat if you're moving from one country to another? Or from New York to CA? People might have legitimate reasons on why they need to move their pets.
- mrnobody_67 7y agoyou'd check in your dog in cargo, give it tranquilizers, and pray it comes out alive on the other end.... elderly dogs or dogs with congestive heart failure or short nose dogs with breathing problems...
- lxmorj 7y agoI bounce between two cities (not something I planned on when I got the pup) and when I’m gone for a week or two my pup stays w my mother. It’s odd that there is NO amount of money short of NetJets money that will let you bring a 35lb dog in a plane without the ESA cert. I’ve asked to buy her seat, keep her crated, belt the crate into the seat, etc. The options are drive, stow the dog under the plane and cross your fingers it’s only traumatic, or get the ESA. Airlines could do so much better with price discrimination than they do. Back three rows are dog rows, one dog per row. Pay double for the ticket. First airline to do it will make a killing. Have a behavior and temperament verification course if you like. Make the little guys wear a Hannibal lector mask if they’re big enough to be dangerous. The current system minimizes revenue, convenience for dog owners, and doesn’t preserve convenience for non-dog owners. It’s mind boggling.
- asdff 7y ago
- mrnobody_67 7y agoi've driven for 20+ hours on 7+ occasions to avoid checking in my dog.... would never do it unless absolutely necessary 1-time thing (relocating to another continent).