[lovelylf1]

I live in Texas and my Yorkie has been flying since he was 4 months old pretty regularly. The first time I planned to take him, I went to the vet, got the certificate, paid all the fees, etc. The health certificate only lasted ten days and cost something like $50. His first trip was to go visit family for Thanksgiving and we had two flights each way. I was told I would have to come back and get a new health certificate to take him home at Christmas. My family lives 12 hours away by car and with gas prices, it is cheaper to pay for the ticket. Due to convience and shorter layovers, I always fly American when I take him.

While I did purchase a HC the first time, I have not purchased one since. I always have the shot record with me and they do sometimes ask to see it but as long as I have proof of his shots, they never care about the health certificate. If you ask me, the HC was a waste of money. You may have a different experience but it was never a problem. He has gone with me on at least 10 trips now (he is ten months old) and I have never been asked to produce it. I have never taken him on an international flight so those regulations may be different.

Definitely call the airline as soon as you book your ticket and make a pet reservation though because they only allow a limited number of animals on.

Good luck with your trip.