If anyone is going to be flying CALL IN ADVANCE! On Delta they only allow 2 pets TOTAL in coach. There is already one pet on my return flight. I am glad I called early enough to get him on that second flight.

And Deltas in only $50 each way. ( I am glad I had read somewhere $75).

Carters Mom- I saw that bag a Petsmart. It is really cute. I am taking Keeley back there with me to see how he fits. And the price is so good ($29). I was willing to pay up to $100. Thanks for the suggestion. :thumbup:

Play nice! Everybody has there own set of moral rules and guidelines to follow. SoCalLvr has very strong opinions on the matter of service dogs...as does CartersMom. Lets not fight. :)

As an ex-flight attendant, and Yorkie owner, I can safely advise that you have nothing to worry about. I have flown with 1000's of pets in the cabin, and NONE of them were a problem. The plane's engine usually puts all of the pets to sleep. You usually cannot hold a pet on your lap (you are not supposed to for safety - turbulence can strike at any time).

Place your pup in an appropriate carrier that will slide under the seat in front of you. Turn the carrier with the opening toward you, so during the flight, you can upzip the opening a little, to reach in a comforting hand if needed.

Bring a small travel water bowl with you, and ask the flight attendant for some water for your pup during the flight. The cabin air is very dehydrating.

And last, but not least, talk to your vet. Any medication he prescribes for flying pets will be appreciated, as these medications can help sooth ear discomfort, etc for your adorable pooch.

Thank you and have a good flight. Buh-bye! (Flight Attendant Humor) ;)

Good info! I wanted to add, that in my years as a flight attendant, there were a lot of injuries to pets/babies on laps, during turbulent flights. Turbulence is something to be aware of, especially because it can stike with no warning. Don't worry, because any pet in a carrier (or babies in their carseats) were not hurt, only the pets/children held on laps were hurt cause they flew out of the laps (even tho people held onto their pets/babies with all their strenghth). So practice safe flying, and make sure your most PRECIOUS cargo (your pets/babies) are secured in the cabin. :thumbup:

The pee pad is such a good idea! In fact, I think I shoulda had some of those "pee pads" handy on some of my flights when I worked for the airlines. I mean, have you seen a airplane bathroom after a little boy has been in it? A note to all mommas - teach your little boys to aim! Ha-ha! :yelrotflm

Yes, I am a momma of both a new pup, and a 6 year old boy who still can't AIM! :rolleyes:

Debbie thanks so much for the input. It is nice to hear it from a flight attendents point of view too. I was so nrevous about taking him, but now I am getting excited. :p

Have you ever seen a dog who barks, whines or does anything that drives people crazy? I just hope he is well mannered. I am going to have to call the vet for sure and see what they suggest.

Meg:

I'm glad that you were able to secure the last spot for Keeley! That small carrier is cute, isn't it! My daughter really loves that one but we have too many carriers already (she admits).

As for the potty pad -- Our flights generally have a layover. I took Carter to the bathroom with me and put it on the floor to try to entice him to pee before our next flight.

:)
Lisa

Candy4me:

Thanks for your expertise that you shared with the forum! You brought forth an area that we should be concerned about and addressed it from what has been your experience!

Your opinion is valued!

Thanks!!!!

I just flew with Bruce for the first time a few weeks ago as work sent us off to Alaska for a couple months, and for that long a trip I would never leave him!!! It really was not stressful at all at first until I woke up to a very angry flight attendent holding him and thrusting him in my face...He managed somehow to get out of his carrier and run throughout the plan while I was napping. I then had to hold my finger over the "window" that he could open for 2 hours because I refused to duct tape him inside as the attendent suggested. He did not seem to stressed or anything until I took him out at the airport and a million people wanted to pet him.

Yes, I've had a few (cats mostly) that made a bit of noise, and usually drove the businessmen (executives trying to work) a little crazy. But, most passengers were really understanding. And, hey, if that happens to you, don't feel embarassed or anything. It's SO not your fault if that happens. No one can fully control a puppy/ cat, etc. Seriously, your pup will 99% probably just whine a tiny bit, but mostly sleep. I think you are doing well by researching everything.

Did you guys hear about the person who brought the Miniture HORSE on board as a service animal? Hilarious! And once, someone brought a monkey as a service animal and it pooped all over the cabin! :eek:

Sure! I don't have a lot of advice to give usually, on the topics addressed here at Yorkie talk, so I'm thankful everyone here has been really helpful to me when I needed it.

Awwww, my baby Cujo is sleeping right now - he's so cute. Did you see my new avatar picture - he's 6 weeks and 5 days old today! :) I'm so proud...

I brought my maltese Codie on a plane w/ me before. What I did was put a wee wee pad on the bottom of his bag (in case of an accident) and half-way through the flight I took the carrier into the bathroom on the plane and let him out for a minute. Then I gave him some nutrical (to keep him from getting dehydrated), checked his pad (which was dry as a bone) and put him back in. I stayed in the bathroom for about 15 minutes so that he could stretch and go pee pee on his pad (I put it on the floow of the bathroom) if he had to go. When we stopped over to change planes I took him to a bathroom and let him out of his carrier. He went pee and then we boarded the next plane. Again, after about 45 minutes I took him into the bathroom to let him out briefly. He was perfectly comfortable and ok w/ flying. On the return flight, the flight attendant let me hold him under my blanket.

I think the best thing to do is get them used to being in a carrier so that they are not frightened on the plane. Also, give them a small toy or a bully stick in case they get restless. Codie basically slept for the whole flight. I am traveling to visit me in-laws again in December and now I am bringing my new dog Katie (she is a Yorkie). I hope she does as well as Codie did. At least she will have him to comfort her if she gets scared. :)

I have a little leather doggie bag i put Sugar in and place her under the seat in front of me like i would my purse. She doesen't make a sound and seems to enjoy just the fact that she gets to go with me. Now The last time i flew with her it cost me $80 dollars. I think the first time was $40. They keep going up.

I have flown with my yorkies for over 20 years now. I prefer the platic kennel because it is a little safer for them. I always make sure i have a heath certificate on hand from the vet in case they ask for one. If they do and you don't have one your dog will not be able to fly. I think I have been asked a total of 2 times. Bo does great on the plane as long as he can see me. I fly Cintinental so I have to pay the $160. But it is worth it for peace of mind. My new Yorkie Duncan the vet says will weigh 18 Lbs when he is full grown. So he will not be able to fly in the cabin. I will have to leave him here and only take Bo because Bo is a 5lber.


Cathy

I just flew last night with both of my girls on Delta, we flew down to the beach for a long weekend. :) With Delta, its a $50 fee one-way. If you have two dogs of the same breed and they can fit in one carrier small enough to fit under the seat they only count it as one dog, which is how I flew with mine! My girls start yipping if I leave them under the seat so I hold the carrier on my lap and play with them.

I used a Petote small Bali tote.