Kind of urgent question about flying with a dog.

[GAOMariposa]

This is also relating to traveling with a puppy. How many hours before the flight should a dog be fed? Just curious since this is the first time I will be flying with my baby. I was thinking of giving her a good meal about 3-4 hours before we leave for the airport and then give her treats and bits of her food while we're at the airport. Although knowing her, she probably won't eat because she's too excited and nervous.

[Yorkiedaze]

Some poor gal had some very horrible things happen to her and her dog while she was flying US air and there is a big write up about that in the Santa Barbara Newspress a few days ago. I cut the article out in case anyone wanted to know about what happen. I'll post it if you would like.

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

Some poor gal had some very horrible things happen to her and her dog while she was flying US air and there is a big write up about that in the Santa Barbara Newspress a few days ago. I cut the article out in case anyone wanted to know about what happen. I'll post it if you would like.

Do share- thanks!

[Yorkiedaze]

The write up about US Air in the Santa Barbara Newspress:
Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally the most heavily traveled period of the year. A good time, therefore, to expose US Airways Customers First policy as a sham---if one Santa Barbara passenger's experience earlier this week is anything to go by.
The average age of US Airways fleet is, by national standards, high---12.2 years---and its flight attendants have grown old and weary, too. They do not seem to like their jobs, or their passengers.
The Investigator observed, on recent round-trip flights on US Airways to Washington, D.C. that the aircraft--a Boeing 757-200--was a quarter-century old. It creaked and rattled; even first class seats did not function properly. Worst of all, the air circulation was a flu factory, alternately too cold and too hot.
But back to the catalyst for this story: a youing woman traveling with her pet Chihuahua. She walked into a decrepit 757-US Airways Flight 4, at Reagan National, and the Uniformed Guardians of the Air decided that since they can't catch any terrorists, dispite all the over-priced security, they would instead punish young women with Chihuahuas.
To preserve the inflexibility of stringent rules, they had to make certain the Chihuahua stayed in its kennel under the seat. And the moment they decided their authority was in question, say, because the Chihuahua had the gall to stick out its head for air, well, time to crack down and teach those unruly passenger, who they secretly (well, not so secretly) hate, a lesson about Who's In Charge.
Folks, this gets ugly, so remember the US Airways mantra, Customers First, as you read on.
These Uniformed Guardians of the Air decide, let's ignore the young woman when it's time to serve dinks and food (for which they charge cash, in addition to charging per bag for checked luggage); we'll teach her a lesson about bucking authority, about allowing a thirsty Chihuahua to stick out its head in search of water.
Meanwhile, there's no movie, because, sneer the Uniformed Guardians of the Air, US Airways discontinued in-flight entertainment as of Nov. 1 due to "economical challenges." So stay seated and shut up.
And because this young woman attempts to comfort her Chihuahua through the 5 1/2 hour flight, and the generally disgruntled-with-life flight attendants perceive this as a challenge to their Nazi-like authority (bestowed upon them by 9/11), they serve food and drink around the young woman, but not to her.
And that isn't all.
When the antique 757 arrives in Phoenix, the US Airways flight crew ensures that a ground representative intercepts the young woman at the arrival gate for further interrogation and harassment.
Oh, joy, we've found someone to victimize, so since we can't find any terrorists all year, aside from Jerry Lewis packing heat, let's vent our frustrations by cracking down on Chihuahuas.
The young woman is jumped by a goon, who demands, "Where are you going"?. The goon is delighted to hear another flight is ticketed, because it givers her the opportunity to taunt; "You can't take the next leg of your flight to Santa Barbara", because part of the zipper of the Chihuahua's carrier case is broken". "You will have to buy a new dog carrier, and we don't sell them, so you'll have to leave the airport."
In tears, the young woman phones her parents. Her father asks to speak to the US Airways Nazi who has issued this edict, but the female gate guard refuses to speak to him. Her father suggests safety pins to repair the dog carrier bag.
Foiled, US Airways goons phone colleagues at the next gate to warn of the dire threat facing them: a young woman and her Chihuahua are poised to appear in their proximity presently.
Battle stations!
Our courageous Uniformed Guardians of the Air are ready. They grill the woman good, and order her to keep her Chihuahua zipped tight during the one-hour hop to Santa Barbara.
Mid-flight, when the young woman has the audacity to request water for her Chihuahua, the female flight attendant turns apoplectic with rage and refuses. A neighboring passenger protests this stance, suggesting that perhaps ice cubes, at the very least, should be delivered for the poor dehydrated pup. To which our Nazi in the Air shrills, "Don't get involved or I'll have you fined!" (Insurrections are definitely verboten.)
It doesn't end ther, folks.
When the young woman disembarks with her Chihuahua at Santa Barbara Airport, a US Airways Express representative appears at the base of the aircraft to harass her further, and rudely snarls, "I need to talk to you", hollering after her, "Are you returning? "Well, you won't be allowed to fly again!"
Moot point. This young woman will never, ever fly again on US Airways even if offered a free first-class ticket. "Never in my life have I been so mistreaded", she told the Investigator, emotionally distraught from her experience.
Airlines are a service industry. Given the "economical challenges" at play these days, airline employees should remember that passenger fares pay their salaries. Fewer passengers will result in job losses-which, based on the personnel in this story, would be not great loss at all.

[njb46]

Sorry that I don't have an answer, but I hope everything works out.

[mypresentellie]

I flew with my little girl on Northwest. They did not even look in her carrier. I was very nervous about the size of her carrier but they did not even flinch. I did not sedate and kind of wish I did. She whined just about all of the 3.5 hour flight. But it was great to have her and I would do it again. When we went through security she was out of the carrier and everyone was very calm- they did not ask her to walk around or anything. Good luck!

[mypresentellie]

This is outrageous!!! If that is what they call service their old planes will get older and no one will be buying tickets. I am sure if they are treating this customer so poorly all others are feeling the discomfort as well. Geez!