Davinia and Indiana in large Sherpa Bags
As many of you probably realized I had some internet problems over the weekend. Read that as no Wi-Fi at Miami International Airport or on Continental Flights. I knew there was no Wi-fi at the airport but I am so used to having Wi-Fi on the plane that I didn’t even think about it. Then I got to my grandmother’s house and I couldn’t connect to her internet (don’t ask me why she has it in the first place because I have never been able to connect and not even sure it works). I even tried to “borrow” some of her neighbors connections but they were all password protected and her “computer wiz” friend was waiting on her grandson to fix her router after a recent storm broke her old one. That left me with no access to the Internet since Friday early morning.
Here are some things I did learn on the trip to New Jersey and I thought I would share so that hopefully this does not happen to you and you are the the one to make this happen. Davinia and Indiana stayed at the vet in fact they are still there and I will be picking them up in a little while. Yes sometimes it is best especially if you are taking a short trip or flying during the holidays to leave your pets somewhere that it will be quiet and safe for them to stay. I know you want them with you but that might not be what’s best for them. Also remember there are only a few pets allowed in cabin per flight and the airlines usually do a first come first served type deal yes you need to reserve the space early when you book your ticket but that doesn’t mean if you are running late to the airport that there will still be a space for your pet. If you are flying with your pet be sure to arrive to the airport early and purchase their ticket. You can then find some grass so your dog can potty and stretch their legs before going through security and staying IN THEIR CRATE for the remainder of the trip. As a reminder your pet will need to come out of their carrying bag and be held through security. If your pet will not do well in this situation ask to be taken to a private room and explain that your pet does not do well in crowds and you would feel more comfortable. Trust me Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years travel times is not when TSA wants to have a cat or dog running around the airport and need to shut the terminal down until they can manage to catch your scared pet. You are allowed to ask for private screening and they have to offer it to you no matter how busy they are. Several years ago a cat got loose during screening in California and since then this rule has been in place.
My parents and sister also flew to New Jersey this weekend for a family members wedding. On my parents plane in the middle of the flight all of a sudden the passengers started talking to each other when my parents realized they were asking each other whose cat it was that was walking around the cabin. Now there are only two ways an animal can be walking around the cabin of a plane the first is that somehow they broke their carrying bag or kennel and had gotten loose by accident. The second way is that the owner decided it was not fair to kitty to have to be locked in the crate and so picked up and cat and put it on their lap (against airplane policy) or they opened the crate door a little thinking the cat would just stay inside and the person wasn’t paying attention and well curiosity got the better of the cat and it decided to explore the airplane a little.
Then there was my sister’s flight where the person flying with their dog had a kennel that was too big to fit under the seat they were assigned and so the plane could not take off. Then when the flight attendants finally found an appropriate seat and everyone was settled in an hour late the plane took off. Off comes the fasten seat belt sign and along with that comes the same dog running around the cabin. This was no accident as the person opened the crate themselves to give Fluffy some extra space and well Fluffy who is usually happy to rest in its crate at home with the door open was too nervous / excited / adventurous to rest and started running around the cabin. The flight crew already at the end of their ropes with this person who brought a kennel on the plane that was too big alerted the passengers that they were in a holding pattern until the dog could be caught or they would be forced to turn around and land the plane. The dog was finally contained and the plane was able to continue on to its destination an hour and a half late. My sister is in Veterinary school so she obviously loves animals she just hates stupid people and with 1 hour 45 minutes to make her connection in the first place she was not at all amused and neither will the people on your flight if you decide to open your pets crate to give them more space or air and they start running around the plane.
A few lessons here unless you are using a very soft carrying bag that allows you to squish it under the seat make sure it is the right dimensions for your flight. If you bag can squish without hurting your dog you will need a blanket to cover your legs and the carrying bag so the flight crew cannot see the bag sticking out. Before booking your seat be sure to check to see if there is an electrical outlet in the seat in front of you if there is your appropriate sized carrying bag will not fit choose a different seat. My recommendation is to get an aisle seat. If that doesn’t work try for a window seat and ask to be seated early so that you can maneuver the bag to get it to fit. I have not had very good luck with middle seats then again our carrying bags are over sized.*
*Not all carrying bags including Sherpa bags are actually airline correct. Yes Sherpa bags are approved for planes but only certain sizes. The small is approved and the medium in some cases is the correct size as well. The large is not the right dimensions. Yes it says airline approved but that is the brand and not the individual bag size. If you get the large you will have to squish it and use a blanket to cover it and your legs.
** No fail when we go to the airport the girls love to pretend they need the entire bag which makes the person at the ticket counter tell me that the girls are too big for their bags. Of course if they want to they will both get into the same bag and cuddle up with each other with room to spare for me to close the bag.
