Flying With Dog In Cabin

[slyie]

Hi all,

My family and I are moving to Europe (Ireland to be exact) in June and we are bringing our dog with us. I am in the process of getting all her papers together for entry to Europe and I have called the airline we are flying with (Lufthansa) for advice as to how we can transport her. The customer service rep I spoke to was super nice and told me that if our dog fits in a cage that will fit under the seat then she can travel in the cabin with us. Our dog is a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Maltese and she probably would fit into a cage with the dimensions they specify, the thing is she wouldn't have a lot of extra space. If she doesn't fit in the cabin, she has to go as excess baggage which I am not enthusiastic about at all, I would much prefer to have her travel with us if at all possible.

I am wondering if anybody has any experience flying with dogs in the cabin? What checks are done at the airport on the cage etc if she is going to be flown in the cabin? Are they very strict in Ezeiza? I know that if she goes as excess baggage we have to adhere to the international regulations regarding a cage etc but I can't find any regulations relating to in-cabin travelling.

Any advice would be great!

Gracias!!!

 

[Redpossum]

This can't be serious.

Spending 10 hours crammed into a small aluminium tube with 300+ other people was bad enough. Adding dogs to the mix just seems crazy. What happens when your dog takes a dump in the cage, and the whole plane reeks of doggy doodoo?

Not meaning to be rude; I'm sure you're a very nice person, and your dog is equally charming, but...

 

[citygirl]

My friend flies with his JRT in the cabin to Europe - let me ask him and I'll send you a message.
ETA - Dogs will not urinate/defecate in their cage unless it's an absolute emergency. Hence why you use crates to housebreak them. As long as you schedule meals appropriately, you won't have to worry at all about that.

 

[cruizes]

This can't be serious.

Spending 10 hours crammed into a small aluminium tube with 300+ other people was bad enough. Adding dogs to the mix just seems crazy. What happens when your dog takes a dump in the cage, and the whole plane reeks of doggy doodoo?

Not meaning to be rude; I'm sure you're a very nice person, and your dog is equally charming, but...

try travelling with a pet in the cabin. So much nicer than kids!

 

[slyie]

Redpossum, I was looking for advice, not smart comments but thanks for the effort anyway....

Citygirl, I would be delighted if you could let me know what your friend says.

 

[Redpossum]

Redpossum, I was looking for advice, not smart comments but thanks for the effort anyway....

Citygirl, I would be delighted if you could let me know what your friend says.

You're right, I'm sorry.

 

[steveinbsas]

What happens when your dog takes a dump in the cage, and the whole plane reeks of doggy doodoo?..

I flew from Mexico to Buenos Aires with my chihuahua in an unstructured and well ventilated, zippered bag that was designed to use to tote small dogs or cats.

If I had detected any odor in flight, I simply would have opened the doggie carrier and used a napkin to retrieve the object and put it in a small zip-loc bag.

Little Stella was an angel and did not even bark once, let alone go potty in the bag. The flight attendants never knew I had a dog with me and neither did any of the passengers near me. I lined the bag with an old t-shirt of mine so she would be comfortable, both physically and emotionally. The t-shirt was still dry upon our arrival at EZE. Shortly after exiting the terminal and finding a patch of grass, Stella took care of business for the first time on Argentine soil.

The bottom line: Any dog that is small enough to fit under an airline seat isn't big enough to make a big stink over.

 

[Alicia karr]

I've flown at least half a dozen times from EZE to the US with my Pomeranian under the seat. You need a soft sided carrier that's about 10 inches high. I take a cup to offer her water, dry food in a ziplock for the end of the trip, and some moist toilettes (once she got carsick). Now I also give her 1/2 a Dramamine.
Most important is have all her SENASA paperwork done within the time limit of one week before the flight and leave yourself an EXTRA hour for checking in at the airport the day if your departure where you'll need to bring your paperwork to the SENASA Office , then go to Bank La Nacion to pay a fee, then return to the SENASA office with the receipt to get your paperwork approved, then finally go to your flight and check in.....it is an incredible pain in the butt.
At Red possum: I would rather have an under seat animal as my seat mate than a baby or toddler in diapers, or badly behaving kid, or coughing anyone ANYDAY......no one has ever known I had a dog with me until I got off the flight.

 

[Redpossum]

I flew from Mexico to Buenos Aires with my chihuahua in an unstructured and well ventilated, zippered bag that was designed to use to tote small dogs or cats.

If I had detected any odor in flight, I simply would have opened the doggie carrier and used a napkin to retrieve the object and put it in a small zip-loc bag.

Little Stella was an angel and did not even bark once, let alone go potty in the bag. The flight attendants never knew I had a dog with me and neither did any of the passengers near me. I lined the bag with an old t-shirt of mine so she would be comfortable, both physically and emotionally. The t-shirt was still dry upon our arrival at EZE. Shortly after exiting the terminal and finding a patch of grass, Stella took care of business for the first time on Argentine soil.

The bottom line: Any dog that is small enough to fit under an airline seat isn't big enough to make a big stink over.

Steve, you're probably right, and your first-hand experience is a reasonable benchmark, I'm sure. (we're talking, not debating, so I won't shriek "anecdotal!").

I think the massive quantities of dog poop on the sidewalks in my neighbourhood, and the endless need to dodge them, have soured my attitude toward dogs in general. And I didn't really like dogs much to begin with. Cats, now, cats at least have the grace to bury their scat, but dogs are just so nekulturny.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Steve, you're probably right, and your first-hand experience is a reasonable benchmark, I'm sure. (we're talking, not debating, so I won't shriek "anecdotal!").

I think the massive quantities of dog poop on the sidewalks in my neighbourhood, and the endless need to dodge them, have soured my attitude toward dogs in general. And I didn't really like dogs much to begin with. Cats, now, cats at least have the grace to bury their scat, but dogs are just so nekulturny.

It's true that many if not most Buenos Aires dog owners are irresponsible, but cats are the worst of the worst, spreading communicable diseases (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis) to humans (thanks to the clueless folks who feed them). The Jardín Botánico, where the infestation is worst, could use a nighttime Rottweiler patrol. In California, the felines scatter soretes all over our vegetable garden. At best, they are pests.