How to Fly with Your Pet: What Are Airplane Rules for Dogs

Are you thinking of flying with your dog or pet? If so, you need to find out a few things and these are connected to the airline you are taking. Some airlines allow pets on the cabin and others require them to travel as cargo. This is obviously a huge difference.

First of all, if your dog fits into a carrier that will go under the seat then you can take your pet on AirTran, Spirit and JetBlue and USAirways. For USAirways there are a few cities that they allow pets as checked cargo so you should check with the airlines. Obviously not everyone can be a pet on the plane or it would get insane, so it is good to check with your airline to assure that you can get your pet in with the quota limitations. If you are travelling on Southwest Airlines you can’t take a pet so keep this in mind. A lot of people use this for going from Florida to NY without a connection but this won’t work if you want to take your pet.

The costs vary but you can expect to pay for a cabin pet on board between 60 and 150 dollars extra. If you are checking your pet as baggage, it is important to be aware of the temperature. You don’t want your dog to overheat. The airlines have regulations about temperature they adhere to out of concern for pets, but this can also limit the summer options.

Though it seems to make sense to sedate the dog, cat or animal before a flight, some experts do not recommend this. It can be hard to monitor side effects or reactions while your pet is under the seat or in cargo. Like people, sedatives effect dogs and cats differently and this can create issues to deal with away from a veterinarian to do an exam. NOTE: Southwest Airlines now allows pets so you can include this as an option for flying with your furry family member.