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Old 04-15-2009, 12:21 AM
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OneMoreTime OneMoreTime is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 310
15 yr Member
OneMoreTime OneMoreTime is offline
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OneMoreTime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 310
15 yr Member
Poll Travel - Regarding Airlines & Hotels

Regarding traveling with your emotional support or psychiatric service animal, there is no standard process for all airlines, nor will all airline employees you encounter respond in the same way - of this you can be certain!

The best thing to do is to first (before you buy a ticket) check the airline's website for their guidelines and rules governing your animal. But then call them and ask what the rules are. Ask for a supervisor unless the person at the other end is reading outloud from an official document. Ask them where online you can access that document (the url) and then print it out. It can help save you time and employee confusion at the check-in counter.

Arrive early, go thru all the search and seize stuff, and immediately take your dog or cat (IN THEIR CARRIER) to the check-in counter at your departure gate. Have all your documentation sleeved within page protectors and in a binder so you can hand over the folder so they can see that you have all your paperwork in order. Just smile confidently and be relaxed. You and your pet WILL be allowed on as long as they are crated and not barking hysterically or meow/screaming like you're trying to drown them. If your pet has not been acclimatized to being confined to the softmesh-sided over the shoulder crate you will need, then start getting them used to it, seeing it as a friendly comfortable retreat... and take them for car rides until and carry them around a mall or down a sidewalk or whatever until they feel and act secure and relaxed.

If you are changing planes between legs of your trip, find out how close the doors to the outside grassy areas are to the gates. If you have doubts about your physical ability to tote your carry on bag(s) and your pet, you can request (before landing) to have transportation waiting for you. If they aren't waiting for you, waste no time in getting someone to summon an attendant. Some airports have electric carts with flashing blue lights, but at some the best you can hope for is a wheelchair. Regardless, In 6 lay-overs, I never had a bad experience.

FYI-- hard-sided crates are generally not allowed - too dangerous in turbulance or accident as they cannot be firmly wedged beneath your seat, tucked securely behind your legs)

My dog is large for a toy - 13 pound Pekingnese - and so she is not able to stand up in her crate, so I unzip the "peek out" end so she can stand up and stretch her legs during stops where I am not changing planes. Actually, she wakes up only upon landing and falls asleep the minute we get out of the initial take off. Her only problem is a running nose, both onboard all planes, and both inside and outside the terminals. I presume it is caused by general air pollution of some sort as she does the same if we visit some one who smokes cigarettes. Jet fuel is kerosene.

If your dog is a service animal, a hotel is not allowed to charge you extra for the room. I am not familiar with pet deposits, but it seems fair unless you don't get it back til it arrives in the mail somewhere in the future - which does seem inevitable unless you can demand an english-speaking maid to do a walk thru and sign off on something you can carry to the desk that the dog/cat did not soil or wet the carpet or shred the shower curtain or claw the drapes.

Regardless, don't book the room thru an online service (if you wish to) until after you have called the hotel direct and spoken to a manager (don't call during their busy check-in, check-out times - middle of the night is great).

They can tell you what the hotel's policies are, can book you a downstairs room near a door if you like for walking your dog. For that matter, they can let you know how far you will have to walk to find a place for your dog to eliminate. Tell them you will be bringing baggies for clean up after your dog and that you will dispose of it outside (most all hotels have a lined waste can outside the front door for fast food wrapper and beverage disposal, et al.

Good luck with all your traveling with your pet....
OneMoreTime
ps: I've never even been frowned at for bring my pet's carrier into a McDonald's. Suspect there are a lot of friendlies out there. WalMarts always love her and never even seem freaked by a dog in their store - even the ones with grocery sections.
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