The summer travel season is upon us, and it’s not just people who will be flying – dogs will be braving the skies, too.
If you’re planning to fly with your pooch this summer, you should call the airline to make sure it allows dogs on flights or if it imposes any restrictions.
Most airlines don’t allow dogs to fly in the cargo area during the warm summer months. Some airlines refuse to fly dogs as cargo throughout the year.
Some airlines ban short-snouted breeds, such as Bulldogs, due to possible breathing problems during flights.
Make sure you let the airline know well ahead of time that you’ll be bringing your dog on board, since there is often a limit to the number of pets allowed in the cabin per flight.
If your dog is flying in the cabin, he must be small enough to comfortably fit in a carrier that must remain under the seat during the flight.
Some airlines require an official health certificate for your dog, so be sure to have that and any other necessary documents ready before you fly.
To help you decide which airline will best suit your travel budget, here is PetSugar’s list of fees for dogs flying the cabin or checked in as baggage in the cargo area, listed in order from least to most expensive.
| Airline | Cabin Fee | Checked Baggage Fee |
| AirTran |
$69 |
N/A |
| Southwest |
$75 |
N/A |
| jetBlue |
$100 |
N/A |
| Spirit Air |
$100 |
N/A |
| Alaska Airlines |
$100 |
$100 |
| US Airways |
$100 |
N/A |
| Virgin America |
$100 |
N/A |
| American Airlines |
$125 |
$175 |
| Continental |
$125 |
$125 |
| Delta |
$125 |
$200 |
| United |
$175 |
$250 |
As an alternative, your pooch can fly Pet Airways, an airline with a no-humans-allowed policy. Pet Airways’ planes have rows of crates instead of seats, and pet attendants instead of flight attendants. The airline, which accepts dogs of all sizes, currently only flies to nine cities, but will be adding more destinations soon. Air fares start at $149.
PHOTO: Lovro Rumiha
Category : Flying &TRAVEL TIPS
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