[yorkiesmiles]

Originally Posted by mire

I travel at least twice a year through major airports with my two Yorkies. I can tell you right away that very rarely has anyone checked to see how much my dogs weigh, if they have rabies shots/health paperwork and even if their carrier is airline approved.

That being said, risking your trip by putting 2 dogs in 1 bag to save money sounds like a bad idea. You are testing the airline's patience should they decide to single you out. If you only have one bag, and they notice and make a big deal out of it, YOU WILL GET CHARGED when they force you to use one of their crates. Going rates for their own crates-- that's if they have one available-- can cost you $60-$100. That doesn't even start to cover if they refuse to let you board the flight or insist on putting your pet in cargo...

I have always read that if you plan to fly with your pet, you must book early because rules state that there are only 2 pets allowed in the main cabin. And the rules also state one pet per person. If you should get on a flight where someone else has done everything correctly (they have one pet they booked in advance in an airline approved bag), you and your pets could be denied on the flight.

I think you need to ask yourself what's important here: the safety of having your pets on the flight with you, or trying to skirt the rules so you can save some money in the hopes no one catches on. Although I hate paying the fees, I prefer the peace of mind. And if the attendants do catch you and make a big deal out of it, the rules will get tightenend & it will only make it harder for other pet owners to travel with their pets.

I think you should do the right thing. Or stop complaining about the price and do something about changing it. Start a campaign to get the airlines to be more pet friendly and not so expensive--I'll be the first one on board to support your plan. In the meantime, my dogs will fly with me the right way.

I am now flying Northwest and they do allow 2 dogs in one carrier so I am not hiding that fact from them. I will be taking an extra bag with me in my luggage, so if I have to I can move one dog. And I am not complaining about the price - my original comment was that it was increasing. But, yes it is an outrage that they charge this much! Many people carry on bags too big or too many things, for free and the airlines allow it! When it costs almost as much to carry a pet on and store under a seat as it does for my own ticket that is an outrage. You're right a campaign should be started - but what airline would listen - because there are too many people who continue to agree to pay the fee - airlines are not going to change. And I don't have the time to take on such a fight right now and who knows if I will ever fly with them again.