6 ms·

I wish there were better options for people to travel with their pets over long distances. There are plenty of horror stories of pets who have died in cargo. I

I wish there were better options for people to travel with their pets over long distances. There are plenty of horror stories of pets who have died in cargo. I would be willing to pay for a seat, or even a row, to take my dog on a cross country flight. Setting aside the absurd cases, like emotional support peacocks, I think a lot of the emotional support animal shenanigans are simply people not wanting to cargo their pet and not having the time to drive them across the country.

fuzzmz 6y ago
We actually had to take advantage of this loophole in order to get back to Europe with our dog during the pandemic, since no airline flying from the US accepted animals in the cargo hold. But in general, yes, I'd be willing to pay for their own seat or row, just like when traveling with him by train we need to buy a special dog ticket.
seany 6y ago
I have never abused this, but I have flown with dogs a few times. It is such a huge pain in the ass. To make things worse, a lot of airline reps (you often have to call to book) really have no idea what the real rules are. Some legs have cage size restrictions, some airports have temp controlled areas, some don't (so you have to pay attention to the weather at lay overs)... the list goes on.
- flictonic 6y ago
  My experience is that it's quite easy flying on a major carrier with a dog that fits under the seat. Many airports have started to add pet bathrooms as well.
  - seany 6y ago
    I have two Malamutes...
gravitas 6y ago
About a decade ago I used a service "We Move Pets", who at the time was specializing in transporting pets across North America (CA/US) for pro sports players, NBA and NHL etc. It wasn't cheap (and required I go get special vaccinations and paperwork, understandable) but it worked out great - they were passing by my city and had room on the van to take on another pet to the same destination I was going. Looks like they're out of business now after a quick Google, but maybe it'll give you some hints where to look for clues - there has to be more of these companies out there doing this kind of thing, as I was led to believe was popular/common (?) for pro sports players to want their pet with them at training camps & such (hearsay by me). As mentioned, it was not cheap but I was also paying for a kennel at the destination for a few days until I could get there myself.
- giarc 6y ago
  Care to share how much it cost? I'm also surprised the players didn't just get to bring the pets on the charter plane they travel around the country on, if only for that initial move.
  - denimnerd46 6y ago
    May be why the service failed, the athletes can do that. Or maybe that's what the service was needed: when you sign as a free agent or get traded there isn't any charter plane heading to your new destination; it's up to you to get there.
  - gravitas 6y ago
    They provided a breakdown on the invoice for me, stripping out all the sensitive info (reminder this was a decade ago): Item #: Transport Fee (small animal) Unit price: $495.00 Description: Total of 1734 Miles (fuel surcharge) Unit price: $246.80 Sometimes a plane is not an option - I was moving, a large moving truck was transporting the house, while I was transporting the items they could not carry on their truck (liquids, firearms, ammunition) across state lines. Bringing a pet along while trying to maintain eyesight on a vehicle full of sensitive items was not in my best interest.
spaetzleesser 6y ago
“I think a lot of the emotional support animal shenanigans are simply people not wanting to cargo their pet and not having the time to drive them across the country.” That’s what we did when we flew to Germany with our dog last year. Too many stories about pets dying in cargo. Our small dog just sat on my lap the whole time and a lot of people and children stopped by to pet the dog and give treats. I think it made the flight better for all. But we knew that she wouldn’t make trouble and wouldn’t have taken her if we had had the slightest doubt. I guess some other pet owners go on board with problematic animals.
- x86_64Ubuntu 6y ago
  >...But we knew that she wouldn’t make trouble and wouldn’t have taken her if we had had the slightest doubt No pet owner thinks their pet is problematic...
waterside81 6y ago
You can sail across the Atlantic with your dog or cat: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/inspiration/life-on-board/pets-on-board https://www.cunard.com/en-us/inspiration/life-on-board/pets-...
paultopia 6y ago
Yeah, this. I once actually turned down a job offer in part because there wouldn't be a way to transport my cat internationally without subjecting him to the horrors of airlines that might put him in cargo, or worse, promise to let him be in the cabin and then put him in cargo anyway.
macdamaniac 6y ago
I have a pretty unpopular take on this, being married to someone with severe pet allergies. That take is, dogs (and cats) have no place on an airplane, and responsible adults shouldn't get pets that they can't find sitters for or board while they are away. Planes are enclosed-air spaces, and the allergens from your dog make anyone with allergies miserable for the entire duration of the flight. Every single time we end up on a plane with a dog (even the "hypoallergenic" ones), my wife ends up sick. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of people with severe phobias of dogs, and that the animals themselves tend to be extremely uncomfortable on flights. That last factor has actually led to a number of innocent people sitting next to folks with dogs getting bit, etc on planes. Actual service animals do still belong, because they provide an actual service, are extremely well-trained, and are worth the allergen/phobia tradeoff because folks who need them literally need them.
- denimnerd46 6y ago
  I wanted to post the same comment but was afraid of the wrath of pet lovers. I have the same concerns regarding pet phobias and allergies. And to your point about pet sitters or boarding. My family did not choose to get another pet at some point while I was growing up because the cost of boarding while traveling was just too much. I wish pet culture would be dialed back a few notches on the dial.
- danbolt 6y ago
  I get sick around people's dogs from allergies like your wife. Thanks for voicing your comment; I feel like pet owners usually don't take things very seriously when I talk about getting sick from dogs.
- colejohnson66 6y ago
  > That take is, dogs (and cats) have no place on an airplane, and responsible adults shouldn't get pets that they can't find sitters for or board while they are away. And for the situation where you’ll be away for a long time? It’s cheaper to take a pet aboard a plane than to board for a few weeks. But there should be better options than either (1) the cargo bay or (2) in the cabin with everyone else. > Actual service animals do still belong, because they provide an actual service, are extremely well-trained, and are worth the allergen/phobia tradeoff because folks who need them literally need them. Emotional support animals absolutely are a thing. The problem is everyone abuses the idea. But for someone with depression, just having your dog or cat next to you can keep you sane better than your medicine can. I know, because that someone is me. Do I take my pet everyone? No, but they absolutely do help when needed.
graeme 6y ago
The dogs that die in cargo are almost exclusively snub nosed dogs, as they can’t breathe properly in those conditions. I looked into this a while back and articles were making the mortality seem more likely than it was.

fuzzmz 6y ago

We actually had to take advantage of this loophole in order to get back to Europe with our dog during the pandemic, since no airline flying from the US accepted animals in the cargo hold. But in general, yes, I'd be willing to pay for their own seat or row, just like when traveling with him by train we need to buy a special dog ticket.

seany 6y ago

I have never abused this, but I have flown with dogs a few times. It is such a huge pain in the ass. To make things worse, a lot of airline reps (you often have to call to book) really have no idea what the real rules are. Some legs have cage size restrictions, some airports have temp controlled areas, some don't (so you have to pay attention to the weather at lay overs)... the list goes on.

flictonic 6y ago
My experience is that it's quite easy flying on a major carrier with a dog that fits under the seat. Many airports have started to add pet bathrooms as well.
- seany 6y ago
  I have two Malamutes...

gravitas 6y ago

About a decade ago I used a service "We Move Pets", who at the time was specializing in transporting pets across North America (CA/US) for pro sports players, NBA and NHL etc. It wasn't cheap (and required I go get special vaccinations and paperwork, understandable) but it worked out great - they were passing by my city and had room on the van to take on another pet to the same destination I was going. Looks like they're out of business now after a quick Google, but maybe it'll give you some hints where to look for clues - there has to be more of these companies out there doing this kind of thing, as I was led to believe was popular/common (?) for pro sports players to want their pet with them at training camps & such (hearsay by me). As mentioned, it was not cheap but I was also paying for a kennel at the destination for a few days until I could get there myself.

giarc 6y ago
Care to share how much it cost? I'm also surprised the players didn't just get to bring the pets on the charter plane they travel around the country on, if only for that initial move.
- denimnerd46 6y ago
  May be why the service failed, the athletes can do that. Or maybe that's what the service was needed: when you sign as a free agent or get traded there isn't any charter plane heading to your new destination; it's up to you to get there.
- gravitas 6y ago
  They provided a breakdown on the invoice for me, stripping out all the sensitive info (reminder this was a decade ago): Item #: Transport Fee (small animal) Unit price: $495.00 Description: Total of 1734 Miles (fuel surcharge) Unit price: $246.80 Sometimes a plane is not an option - I was moving, a large moving truck was transporting the house, while I was transporting the items they could not carry on their truck (liquids, firearms, ammunition) across state lines. Bringing a pet along while trying to maintain eyesight on a vehicle full of sensitive items was not in my best interest.

spaetzleesser 6y ago

“I think a lot of the emotional support animal shenanigans are simply people not wanting to cargo their pet and not having the time to drive them across the country.” That’s what we did when we flew to Germany with our dog last year. Too many stories about pets dying in cargo. Our small dog just sat on my lap the whole time and a lot of people and children stopped by to pet the dog and give treats. I think it made the flight better for all. But we knew that she wouldn’t make trouble and wouldn’t have taken her if we had had the slightest doubt. I guess some other pet owners go on board with problematic animals.

x86_64Ubuntu 6y ago
>...But we knew that she wouldn’t make trouble and wouldn’t have taken her if we had had the slightest doubt No pet owner thinks their pet is problematic...

waterside81 6y ago

You can sail across the Atlantic with your dog or cat: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/inspiration/life-on-board/pets-on-board https://www.cunard.com/en-us/inspiration/life-on-board/pets-...

paultopia 6y ago

Yeah, this. I once actually turned down a job offer in part because there wouldn't be a way to transport my cat internationally without subjecting him to the horrors of airlines that might put him in cargo, or worse, promise to let him be in the cabin and then put him in cargo anyway.

macdamaniac 6y ago

I have a pretty unpopular take on this, being married to someone with severe pet allergies. That take is, dogs (and cats) have no place on an airplane, and responsible adults shouldn't get pets that they can't find sitters for or board while they are away. Planes are enclosed-air spaces, and the allergens from your dog make anyone with allergies miserable for the entire duration of the flight. Every single time we end up on a plane with a dog (even the "hypoallergenic" ones), my wife ends up sick. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of people with severe phobias of dogs, and that the animals themselves tend to be extremely uncomfortable on flights. That last factor has actually led to a number of innocent people sitting next to folks with dogs getting bit, etc on planes. Actual service animals do still belong, because they provide an actual service, are extremely well-trained, and are worth the allergen/phobia tradeoff because folks who need them literally need them.

denimnerd46 6y ago
I wanted to post the same comment but was afraid of the wrath of pet lovers. I have the same concerns regarding pet phobias and allergies. And to your point about pet sitters or boarding. My family did not choose to get another pet at some point while I was growing up because the cost of boarding while traveling was just too much. I wish pet culture would be dialed back a few notches on the dial.
danbolt 6y ago
I get sick around people's dogs from allergies like your wife. Thanks for voicing your comment; I feel like pet owners usually don't take things very seriously when I talk about getting sick from dogs.
colejohnson66 6y ago
> That take is, dogs (and cats) have no place on an airplane, and responsible adults shouldn't get pets that they can't find sitters for or board while they are away. And for the situation where you’ll be away for a long time? It’s cheaper to take a pet aboard a plane than to board for a few weeks. But there should be better options than either (1) the cargo bay or (2) in the cabin with everyone else. > Actual service animals do still belong, because they provide an actual service, are extremely well-trained, and are worth the allergen/phobia tradeoff because folks who need them literally need them. Emotional support animals absolutely are a thing. The problem is everyone abuses the idea. But for someone with depression, just having your dog or cat next to you can keep you sane better than your medicine can. I know, because that someone is me. Do I take my pet everyone? No, but they absolutely do help when needed.

graeme 6y ago

The dogs that die in cargo are almost exclusively snub nosed dogs, as they can’t breathe properly in those conditions. I looked into this a while back and articles were making the mortality seem more likely than it was.