Delta increases cost for pets & Question about 2
 

I've been checking with airlines about flying with my 2 and just got off the phone with a Delta rep - he said just this week they raised the price to fly with pets onboard to $100 each way --Although, it still says $75 on their website

Wonder if I could get them to stick to the $75 since they haven't updated their website? (I really don't want to fly Delta - horrid experience with them in Feb. but my mom has a buy 1 get 1 free on Delta)

Also, I have called United & Delta about traveling with 2 in one bag and paying one fee for the bag -- both airlines said yes -- but I'm so petrified of getting to the airport and someone there says they can't be in the same bag. Anyone have experience with traveling with 2 in the same bag?? What type of response do you get at the airport when paying for them & going thru security?

Anything else helpful to know?? I haven't done this before -- but have read a lot.

I should probably add - my 2 weigh about 8 pounds put together

I don't have experience other than flying by myself with one doggy in a bag, but $100 each way!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :thumbdown :thumbdown

Security doesn't care by the time you get to that point they are usually going crazy over your dogs , it will be at the ticket counter when you buy their ticket that can be a problem. Most air lines let you have two in the bag if they are under 6 months , how will they know, just ask your vet to put that age on their health cert for you and all should be fine. Most air lines don't even look at the paper work but every once in a while they will.

Wow, $100 each way and they have to be under the seat just like if you had a laptop or something that you wouldn't even have to pay for:confused: . Blows me away!
Not that I'm encouraging this, but a friend of mine flies to Oregon all the time with 2 of her tiny dogs (one's a Maltese and one's a poodle) in one bag and she only says she's got one dog. She's never had anyone check I guess, so she only pays for one dog. I think i'd be a nervous wreck if it were me, but she seems to be used to doing it and it doesn't bother her.

I use Northwest all the time...and wanted to bring Bianca once with me back home to NY...they wanted $90 EACH WAY!

Im like oh he!! no! My ticket cost $188 RT with taxes and fees! thats ridiculous to charge $180 for a dog under your seat!

The air lines do not want dogs in the cabin that is why they charge so much for them, so if you want to take your dog with you, you have to pay!!
It is expensive but the dogs are so much safer under the seat with you.

Well, it ends up that we got tickets on Northwest (the Delta deal my mom had - Surprise - all the seats were sold - those deals are almost a scam)

Now my concern with Northwest is they said I can have 2 in a bag, like you said under 6 mths -- some of the other airlines told me 2 was ok - no age requirements - the guy at United kept telling me they just had to be the same kind of animal.

Well mine will both be 6! - 6 yrs when we fly. Northwest makes you pay in advance - the fee is $80 each way - so unlike the other carriers who take payment at the ticket desk, they will already have my money. I still want to put my 2 in one bag - it's just so much money.

So now I have more questions:

#1 Northwest said they don't need a health form - only if a state requires it - anyone know if Florida requires such a thing? We have a layover in Memphis, but I wouldn't think I should need it for that.

#2 Should I be on the safe side and get something from the vet just in case?

#3 -- Here's my biggie -- Will they ask at the ticket counter to see the dogs, or will I have to remove them?? -- so often people ask if they are puppies, but I am so afraid someone will know Yorkies & know that my 2 with long coats have to be adults. (I think it's crazy that there is an age issue on how many can be in the bag -- I understand size, but the age shouldn't matter)

#4 I know I have to carry them thru security, but do they check again before you board the plane?? I was really thinking get them thru security and then move one dog to another collapsable carrier & let my daughter carry one on board -- but that might put us more at risk

How does she get through security check? I mean they x-ray everything.

Check out this site - http://www.pettravel.com/
I think it will answer most of your questions. Definitely get paperwork from the vet, especially the vaccination records.

You might also check to see if JetBlue flys out of the airport near you. I've heard they are more accomodating.

Corinne, if I recall correctly, when I flew Lisa's bunny out to her I had to take the bunny out the carrier and hold her so they could check the carrier and xray it and then I put her back in and she waited for me in her carrier til I went through the security deal and came out the other side cleared to go. The only thing that was xrayed was the carrier itself.

I was going to say the same thing, seems they do everything to discourage you from bringing a dog on board ...

They only allow so many live animals in the cabin, which is why they aren't more accomodating I think. Also, if anyone has dry ice in the cabin, no animals can go inside (dry ice used for organs to be transplanted etc....it very rarely happens).

Also, I don't think they give you a ticket or anything for the pets going on board; so security has no idea how many you said you had. At least, that's been my experience. They do xray the carrier, but I think they figure if you got to the security gate, everything with you is kosher (as far as pets go). I might be wrong about that and it might vary with which airline you're flying. I've only flown Alaska Air.

I was under the impression that you don't need a health certificate to fly within the US? Do you know something different? I only ask because I am flying with Lucy this month...

When I flew Delta to Mexico with Lucy earlier this year they did give her a big orange tag which both security and boarding checked. I don't know about other airlines since I've only flown Delta with her so far.

from searching the airline websites it seems that everyone is different. Which airline are you flying? Check the website and/or call the airlines.

We are flying Delta

here's Delta's website page about pets

http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...tion/index.jsp


I've decided to call Northwest & just ask them what I should expect when I get to the airport & about removing the dogs from the carrier, etc.

Thank you. I was searching the site and couldn't find what I was looking for. You led me directly to it! :)

Any pet that flies has to have a health certificate that is dated within 10 days of your flight TO wherever you're going. And I'm not sure about if you aren't flying back within that 10 day timeframe:confused: . We have to have one just to go from S. CA to N. CA and I know my friend who had to ship his mom's dogs to her from S. CA to Maryland (and they went in cargo) had to have them also. I think it's pretty standard regardless of the airline you're going on.

I just got off the phone with Northwest and again they told me NO they do not require any health certificate.

But this girl could not really answer any of my questions - she read me something though that said 2 dogs in the same family could fly in the same bag if they were small enough -- well their in my family - so that's the same family to me!! But I think she may have meant a momma & baby puppy.

She couldn't answer what happens when I get to the ticket counter & before I board the plane - the things I really want to know, how closely they check the dogs.

So....I called the airport - but of course they can't put me in contact with someone at the counter at Northwest. It is so infuriating when you can't have a conversation with someone on the phone!! So, at some point I'll drive out to the airport - pay to park :mad: & go in and talk to someone I might potentially deal with.

Or has anyone flown Northwest & could tell me what happens at their ticket counter & at their gate??

Not the case with Delta. It is also on their website under Health Requirements...I just got off the phone with them and they require no health certificate within the US UNLESS you are shipping cargo. They do require a health certificate for International and the 10 days only apply to the start date of your travel. I flew with Lucy to Mexico and was gone for 2 weeks and the health certificate was good for the entire trip.

From Delta's website:

A health certificate is required when shipping your pet as air cargo. While Delta does not require a health certificate for carried-on or checked pets, upon arrival, the certificate may be required by the state. For clarification, please call your veterinarian or see the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services.

Sorry about that. I guess every airline we've flown required them so I figured most of them did. I"M wrong; I take it back. I wonder if things have changed since we flew last (which was quite awhile ago when we flew commercially) b/c one reason we haven't flown commercially for awhile was b/c of the hassle of having to go to the vet for the health cert on short notice? And even on Alaska, they don't require one unless you're crossing state borders. Anyway, sorry.

regarding health certificates:
I'm checking with my vet here & my mom is going to call a vet in Florida to check with them about the state law there -- just to double check. I really don't want to have to get one -- added cost to go to the vet again & that the dogs ages would be listed :eek:

Rant on pricing:
Northwest makes you pay in advance for the fee, unlike other airlines that allow for the fee to be paid at the ticket counter. But there is no option to do that online, so you HAVE TO go thru a ticket agent -- just got my confirmation - not only did they charge me the $80 each way, but also a $10 ticketing fee!! :mad: - So you might as well say that Northwest is $85 each way! Or $90 if you're only going one way!

Question about carriers:
Has anyone used a pet carrier with wheels? Does this work well & do you know what they weigh?? The ticket agent said I had to tell her over the phone how much the dogs & the carrier were going to weigh together & they couldn't be over 15 lbs (which I thought it was 20 lbs) Anyway, I had to guess as I haven't bought a carrier yet

It really does get confusing. I'm scared to miss some little detail and being stuck at the airport unable to fly...

My exact concern too. There are so many rules when it comes to flying, and then to add a pet to the mix and flying at the holidays.

WORD:cool: . Which is EXACTLY why we choose to drive 8-10 hours instead. It's a drag, but at least we know what we're dealing with pretty much.

And I think it's kind of annoying that they have to know exactly how much the dog and the carrier weigh ahead of time. I understand weight restrictions, since my dh is a pilot and another of our best friends flies for American, but they've never asked me how much my gigantic purse weighs (which I would bet is pretty close to what Max and a carrier weigh together:p ) or my laptop (which is HEAVY...I think it weighs about 7 lbs). :confused:

That's basically what I said to the gal with Northwest - I'm sure plenty of carry ons weigh more than 15 lbs!! Some people carry everything on - I even did that recently because I was so fearful of something getting lost going - I'm sure one bag might have weighed more than 15.

I don't mind driving - but this would be a 22 hr drive - so this is one to fly for.

We have flown several times with our Lucy and Diamond. I know that a number of airlines will give you a ticket for the dog. We are given one ticket for both dogs. You have to give the gate agent the ticket as you board.
You also have to take the dog out of the carrier and carry them through the metal detector with you.
It is getting harder and harder to travel with little dogs. We are starting a Yorkie Care service and will take care of one or two Yorkies at a time in our home. We live near Reno and close to Lake Tahoe. It's hard to find suitable sitting services for you furbabies. I always worry about mine when I have to leave them behind (which only happened once). I wish more Yorkie owners would do this, it would make leaving them home a little easier.

Let me tell you that the fee for bringing dogs in the cabin is the biggest scam I've ever seen. I work for an airline and so my dog travels for free. But I have other coworkers who have just carried their dog in with them in the cabin. They're not even blinked at. I asked her if she called to announce that her pet was traveling with her she said she did the first time . On the way back she said she didn't even bother because no one noticed anyway.