Ditto all the other good advise! The Toto and I just got back from "nightmare" holiday travel!! Since she had already flown, we sorta knew what to expect ... before her very first flight I had researched and prepared as you are doing. As soon as we got her carrier ... I simply placed it in the middle of the den floor with the top unzipped and one end unzipped and occasionally I would put one of her favorite toys or treat in the far back where she would have to go in there if she wanted it. I ignored it after that and just occasionally looked to see if she did. Sometimes I would see her peeking in and stretching in as far as she could without actually going in there until finally her wanting the toy/treat got the best of her and she would run in and grab it as fast as she could ... running back out like something was chasing her!!
Before I knew it, she was going in there and staying a few minutes and finally I would find her napping in there! After that I began taking her out in the carrier instead of her usual bag ... always asking her to "kennel up" through the front opening instead of the top. She will not enter/exit by way of the top even though it is open most of the time. This trip we were pulled out of line at every security point and scanned all over and BOTH of us "patted" down!! Yeah ... like she had a weapon hidden in all that fur!
I really didn't mind but they wear those big blue rubber gloves and it frightened Toto! I made it a practice to take her to the bathroom and try to get her to potty on her wee wee pad but with all the activity in an airport she just simply wouldn't go. This trip we bought a little doggy diaper cover with little pads that fit inside and she stayed dry the whole time. The trip down was delayed and it was 12 hours on planes, in airports and then the drive to our home in AL! When we walked into our house and the carrier was opened she literally flew to her pen and lept onto her wee wee pad in her "tee tee" squat and peed like there was no tomorrow!! Unfortunately I couldn't catch her fast enough to remove the diaper which she filled to overflowing plus a spot on her pad the size of a salad plate!! The trip back to Colorado was a nightmare ... they had overbooked the flight and "bumped" us because, even though we were at the airport in plenty of time ... we were detained by an incompetent trainee who couldn't seem to print our boarding pass and told me we would just have to get it at the gate, for over 45 minutes then had to go through security and by the time we got to the gate we wound up on standby! Long story short ... The Toto and I wound up having to spend Christmas night in Denver alone instead of with my husband like we all had planned!! With unexpected delays and mistakes by airlines ... do be prepared ... have everything you will need for Jigalo ... little water bowl, bottled water, ziploc baggies of food, treats and anything that makes your little one feel secure and comfortable! I also put Toto's favorite fleece blankie in her carrier for her to snuggle on and was thankful I did, because the floor of the plane was really cold. Check ahead ... most airlines only allow one in-cabin pet per flight [some will allow 2 but most only allow one]. And ... even though they charge you $80 each way, our babies get no "perks"! I hope you have a safe and uneventful flight and that little Jiglo has a great time!! Do let us know how he adapts.
