Airline travel with your GSD - Page 2

when you travel with your dog, make sure to bring zip ties to secure your crate - zip tie the door shut, and also the top to the bottom.

the dog must not have a collar, any treats or toys and cannot be sadated, it must have a health certificate less then 10 days old, sorbent material (towel), and a dish for food/water attached to the crate. The crate must be large enough that the dog can sit and its ears do not touch the top.

if you can fly nonstop it is best - drive or pay extra -

you will have to get your reservation from a live person who works at the airline and not a discount internet service.... the size and type of plane is very important.

before getting the reservation, get the correct size crate, so you will have the dimensions at hand.  each model of airplane has different sized cargo doors and crates are required to be placed without tilting or turning..... larger kennels will not fit on all planes..

OH, and its best to get your reservations early.

My friend has 2 GSD's (German Shepherds) both are SchH titled and one is a "service" dog.  The "service" dog flies on the plane in a seat. 

Airlines are becoming more vigilant about what a "service dog is" and some are now asking for documentation 48 hours in advanced so they have time to verify with the service dog organizations.

Used to be, all that was needed was a vest, tag and easily obtained fake papers.

Oh ok, yea service dogs are always the exception.

@sitasmom...yeah Im sure they are aware of the whole vest and everything with people faking it all just to bring their dog on the plane...lol. 

LOL@ Slamdunc, what a lucky dog, the service one, I bet he brags about the joys of flying First Class to the cargo dog, huh?

That is not necessarily true regarding the service dogs.  All you need is the proper documentation and they can not ask what the dog does or what the physical or mental handicap or issue with the handler is.

When you call Continental, you have to call cargo and ask for the Quik Pak rate.  They have one flat rate for anywhere in the "continental" United States.  The reason Continental Airlines is the preferred carrier is that they keep the dogs indoors until the last possible moment before they bring them to the tarmac.  Other airlines commonly place the crates outdoors, many times under the plane or it's wing until loading time.  The planes themselves are identical in design and construction so the stories about one airline having temperature or pressure controlled compartments are false.  How the merger of Continental and United will affect this practice remains to be seen. 

I have to disagree with the statement that airlines are the same except for those details. I say this as the daughter of one pilot, the girlfriend of another, and good friend of another, who won't even put their own pets on their own flights if they can't ride in the cabin. Otherwise, they ship them Continental. They do have a different set-up and are far more careful.

That's odd, because if you call Continental and ask them, they will give you the same answer.  It's not the design of the plane (Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Airbus etc.) but the way they handle the pets.  Call 'em and ask 'em.  The airlines don't manufacture their own planes or have specific planes just for pet transport.

Nowhere did I say they have different planes. I am perfectly familiar with most common jets.