Pet Travel Advice

We receive all kinds of pet travel questions here at PetRelocation.com, and a common one has to do with cabin vs. cargo - that is, is it better for a pet to fly under the plane or in the cabin with the human passengers?

A recent news story, in which a USAirways flight was actually forced to make an emergency landing after a dog bit two people while the plane was en route from Newark to Phoenix, illustrates why the debate continues on. In this case, a passenger released her dog from its carrier (which is against airline policy), and the dog proceeded to bite a flight attendant and another passenger.

Presumably wishing to err on the side of caution, the pilot then decided to land the plane in Pittsburgh so that the injured parties could be treated. Though no one was seriously hurt, 122 passengers were subjected to an inconvenient delay due to the actions of one rule-breaking passenger and her distressed dog.

Pet travel doesn't have to be so hard. We consistently recommend that pets fly in the cargo hold rather than in the cabin -- in fact, nearly all of our the pets we transport fly in the cargo hold of pet friendly airlines. As we've previously discussed, the cargo area is pressurized and temperature-controlled, which provides a more comfortable experience for high-flying pets. Though many passengers like the idea of being able to see and talk to their companion throughout the flight, the noises, the smells and the energy of the cabin may be overwhelming for an already-nervous dog or cat.

Pet friendly airlines like Continental have made pet travel easier by establishing high standards for their cargo hold procedures. Check out this video for a behind-the-scenes look, and read more about the pet travel in cabin vs. cargo discussion on our blog.

Each situation should be evaluated based on its own particular circumstances, but air travel decisions must be guided by more than just myths. It's true that many pets have flown in the cabin without incident, but this particular USAirways mini-debacle could have been avoided altogether if the owner had considered the safe, and in most ways superior, alternative.