Forget snakes on the plane! Vets don’t recommend you take dogs either, and even some airlines are sufficiently concerned enough to enforce seasonal embargoes. Delta and Northwest, for instance, both ban animals from the hold during the hot summer months, while American refuses to accept them as baggage when the temperature at any stop on your route is above 85 degrees or below 20 degrees. So if you must fly, carefully review the rules outlined by your chosen airline. (You’ll usually find them listed online under “Traveler Services.”)
Leading the pack are size restrictions because only dogs able to fit in a crate beneath your plane seat—in other words, ones that qualify as carry-on items—may fly in the cabin with you. Others are consigned to the baggage compartment or are flown separately as cargo. Prices depend on what you opt for (in-cabin is cheapest, costing around $80 for a one-way trip within North America) and with any of them, owners are required to book well ahead as a limited number of animals are permitted onboard.
Because the airline assumes no responsibility for the care of pets in transit, you’re also expected to follow set procedures to prepare your dog for the flight. Again, these vary from airline to airline but generally include things like not feeding her within four hours of departure and not giving her tranquilizers—period. To further minimize the chance of mishaps, it is recommend that you avoid peak travel times and keep your itinerary as simple as possible, aiming for nonstop weekday flights whenever you can.
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