Okay, I move to the USA next month and am taking my cats with me. I have two of them and am looking into taking them as hand baggage on my Delta flight, rather than them going in the cargo hold. Less stressful.

My son is coming with me too, so we plan on taking one each...

Does anyone have any experience with doing this? How did you get through airport security? Did you have to take the cats out of the carrier(s)? I just find this a little strange, that you check in for your flight...and then spend the next 2 hours wandering round the airport with two cats in a bag!

After having to spoken to a Delta employee he reasuures me that my cats do not need to have a "fit to fly certificate" as they are hand luggage and not going in the hold. Did anyone else manage this? Is this correct? Sometimes I don't trust these damn employees.....

What type of carriers did you use? I'm considering these:

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dep...&pf_id=1406

Any stories and experiences would be greatly appreciated. Any tips would be great too!

The carriers are cute, but I'm not sure about them being carried on as hand baggage. I've flown all over the world for years now and actually I've never seen animals on the plane. What happens when the animals goes to the bathroom? Or worse, what if there is someone that is highly allergic to cats on the plane? Have you tried contacting the airline? I'm sure they can give you more insight on this.

Yeah, but how much stuff could you possibly get inside a cat. I suggest a travel bag. LOL

I'll pay that one

Are you absolutely sure you can take them as hand-baggage? I was reading over the Delta website and they say 'Your pet can travel with you in the cabin for a one-way fee of $50 (to be collected at check-in) when traveling within the United States (except Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.'.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations...tions/index.jsp

mags



I never knew that any pets were allowed as carry-on items. I checked Delta's website and the information given to you is *ALMOST* correct. Personally, I don't like the idea of having animals on board the aircraft. As others have pointed out, what happens if someone is allergic or your pet needs the bathroom? I think you will be travelling from the UK, so your flight is going to be atleast around 8 hours, thats a long time!



It depends on the State you are travelling to if you need a health certificate or not. Some states require it, so you need to get this info from the state you will be travelling to. If you will be changing flights that include other airlines, will they take your pets on board? I am very surprised that Delta do this but very few other airlines (if at all) will allow this. I have been travelling since I was 2 months old! Never seen a pet on a flight.

On Delta, your pet will count as one piece of hand luggage and they must fit comfortably in a kennel under the seat directly in front of you. Maximum carry-on kennel dimensions are determined by your flight. You must contact Delta Reservations to determine the appropriate kennel size.



Your pet must remain inside the kennel (with door secured) while in a Delta boarding area (during boarding and deplaning), a Delta airport lounge, and for the duration of the flight onboard the aircraft and you may not carry on more than one pet.

Also, there will be a charge of I think atleast around $100 for each pet (you can only carry one but as you say, your son can carry the other) but I am **NOT** sure on this, check with Delta Pet Travel Options

Jahan.

I've seen someone carry a pet on a short internal flight but not long haul. Are you sure they would let you take a cat long haul in such a tiny bag? I know the regulations for pets in cargo are very strict with the size of the crate etc. That bag seems way too small for a long haul flight plus all the waiting around. If you check the BE website there are loads of Brits who have brought their pets over.

Yes, but I'm flying from the UK. I spoke to a UK Delta emplyee. Cabin=hand baggage.



You'd be surprised......one of my animals eats anything....



The idea is that you don't feed them for at least 4 hours before hand. That way...they are mostly "out of juice".

8 hours is also a long time stuck in a dark and very noisy cargo hold too. At least if I can talk to them and touch them through the carrier they can be somewhat reassured. Plus, there is no handling by vets, which is done at both ends if they fly via cargo/in the hold.



It's $50 per pet, payable at the check in desk.

Everything I have quoted in my first post was told to me by a Delta employee and is backed up on the website. I'm really just looking for anybody who has had experience of doing this themselves. That way I can weigh up the pros and cons myself.

Thanks guys.

I thought there was a thread on this before. I thought a pet can be carried on in state flights only. Do some more checking mags, this info from the Delta employee just doesn't sound correct.

I will, I might phone them again and see what a different employee says.....


I also found this quote from a previous thread, which is what started me onto this whole idea:

Sure hope you can take them on the Cabin. Where are you flying into?

I'm flying from Gatwick to Cincinnati.

I've just spoken to a woman from the UK Delta phone line and she has just verified that you CAN take them from Gatwick to Cinncinati as hand baggage. They can only do this from Septmeber to May though due to an embargo. Suits me fine, I'm flying in December...

ANd I have found out they get x-rayed with the rest of your hand baggage....

I've seen a couple of people travelling with (small) dogs, and one person travelling with a cat - all on Delta flights. I think one guy must've booked his 'hand baggage' (dog) a seat, too - either that or he was very lucky and happened to be sitting next to the only spare seat on the otherwise full Gatwick - Atlanta flight!

Good luck - hope the cats enjoy their flight!

Great! Good thing about that flight, it's straight through they will do better.

Cat as hand-baggage.....

When that little cat of mine has scratched your leg to pieces I hope you feel as smug....

There is a terrible cat carrier photo, I am not going to be the guilty party to post the picture!

The one you mention was the one I was actually looking for.... LOL

NOOOOOOOOO the furry kitty club would be all over you!

I just booked my fiancee and her dog on an Aerosvit flight from Kiev to NYC. It was only $100 and yes you can bring them on board. They also said that each airline has it's own rules regarding the number of pets on the airplane. For mine - they only allow one dog per plane - good thing I booked her ticket a month in advance There are also size limits and they need to be under a certain size.

The airline made it very clear that they did not have an issue with the size of the carrier. Only as long as it would fit under the seat. However, they did say that as soon as you arrive in the US you will now be under the jurisdiction of various animal cruelty laws. If your carrier is not an approved one then you may be busted.

Since they do not sell FAA approved carriers in Ukraine I had to buy her one here and mail it to her. The postage for the soft carrier was almost as much as the carrier itself.

I just got an answer from the government yesterday regarding this so I will share with everyone her responses.

Dogs, cats, and most other warmblooded animals transported by air are
protected by the Animal Welfare Act. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
Animal Care (AC) enforces this law. Their web site is:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac.

For additional information, see their brochure:
Traveling by Air with your Pet
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/travel.pdf


These IATA cat and dog container guidelines meet or exceed those
required by USDA:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/LAR_33rd_CR1.pdf

These are USDA standards for primary enclosures used in the
transportation of dogs and cats:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/publications/AWR/9cfr3.14.txt

Each airline may have its own set of standards as well.

Additional information on international importation of pets can be found
at these 2 USDA sites:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/pettravel.html

http://awic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index...amp;tax_level=2
&tax_subject=181&topic_id=1131&placement_default=0

I remember seeing the one you are both talking about now I can't get that picture out of my mind.

I hope your cats have a safe and happy flight.

It was interesting to read that they allow cats in the actual cabin area. A friend of mine is coming to visit from the UK soon. He is so alergic to cats that his eyes run, he can't stop sneezing, he itches all over and breaks out in hives, if there is a cat in the house. I will have to mention this to him - not that he's flying Delta, but he may want to check whether BA or Virgin has the same policy. It would be a nightmare for him to spend 7 or 8 hours on a plane with a cat.

i had a cat shipped to me cargo frieght once and she was freaking out. im glad u will take them on board with u.

It depends on a pet and airlines.

I flew from Poland to Washington and bringing chinchillas with me appeared more difficult than flying to the moon (I checked several different airlines). However, somebody on VJ said they brought a chinchilla on board from UK.

In most of the cases (there are always exceptions) you need to make a reservation for a pet prior to your flight. Even though small dogs can travel on your knees, the airlines might refuse taking one on a specific flight simply because "dog allowance" for the flight is used up. I imagine it would be similar with cats.

My experience is also that if you call 4 different times you might get 4 different answers.

Ana

I once brought a hamster with me in my pocket, but he ate my free peanuts and pooped in my pocket .

Good for you for looking into bringing your cats in the cabin with you. I have been on several Delta flights with small animals - twice with a small dog in a carrier for the person sitting next to me. As an animal lover I was delighted to have them near by. In all cases the animals were virtually unnoticeable by anyone else and kept very quiet. I would do the same thing myself if I had to fly my cats - fortunately, we were able to drive which was stressful enough.

For those with allergies to cats it is almost always to the saliva which is on the cat hair and dander. Just having a cat in the same environment will not set off allergies unless he/she is exposed to the cathair and dander - extremely unlikely under these circumstances. If your friend ends up sitting next to a person who is hand-carrying a small animal in the cabin all he needs to do is mention it to the attendant and ask if he can have another seat - he will NOT experience difficulties unless he is directly exposed to the animal's environment - which will not happen with the animal inside its carrier. He is more likely to experience difficulty from a fellow passenger who has cathair or doghair over their clothing sitting next to or up air current from him.

The carrier would have to be ventilated for the animal to breathe. In the case of an allergic reaction the pet owner (and the pet) should be asked to move, not the allergic person.

I brought my dog with me from Atlanta to Paris and back from Paris to JFK. She flew with me in the cabin with Delta Airlines and it was no problem. I talked with my vet at length prior to the trip, and she prescribed a mild sedative. She was totally fine in her carrier as long as I was by her side.

I tried to use Continental on the way back as their return trip was cheaper and via their website they allowed reservations for pets, but I was told after reserving the ticket that the service had been discontinued, and they were going to charge me $700 to have my dog fly in the cargo hold. I went back to Delta, and had no problem reserving the spot for her in the cabin with me on the return trip. They usually allow 2 pets in coach and 1 pet in first class for each flight. It's first come, first serve, so I just had to find the flight I wanted online, and I called the customer service number and verified that the pet quota for that particular flight had not been filled. Then I booked the flight and reserved the spot for my dog.

If I recall correctly, the fee was $75 or so one-way. They only allow 1 pet on board per person, so you would have to have your son or someone else flying with you take your other cat. We used a Sherpa bag for my dog and it worked just fine.

As far as vaccination/health certificate rules, I would be sure to have the rabies vaccine given at least 30 days prior to departure, but no more than 6 months prior to departure, if possible. I had a little check-up done for my dog in France before I left (we were there for a year, so her previous check up and vaccine had long expired). They provided me with paperwork at the vet's office and I showed that to the customs officer when I arrived in the U.S.

All in all, I had a pleasant experience and no big issues with bringing my dog with me. Delta was very helpful, and I would recommend using them when bringing pets over.

That's funny! (the piture of the cat as carry-on)

I saw several cats on my flights from CA-Germany (vice versa) and Frankfurt-New York. Also, the cats are mostly sedated (you can buy a sedative at the vet) and sleep most of the time of the flight.
The cats were super - no noises, no "accidents".
As for allergies, why do they hand out peanuts if people are allergic? On my flight to NY a girl had an allergic reaction because people next to her ate them. It is life - if you are allergic to peanuts or cats, tell the flight attendants and you will be reseated.
I also agree it is horrible to put the cats into the cargo area. OMG!

Good luck Mags!

My vet told me not to give an animal a sedative when you fly because it can cause problems in high altitudes -- does anyone know about this?

Well, I've now spoken to two Delta airline employees and got the SAME information. Yes, they do have an allowance of pets per flight, so I'll phone them to make reservations AND check at the same time. It IS first come, first served which is fair enough. It is $50 each way, per pet.

As it is my son and I flying we will be sitting in two seats together (Delta flies 767's, seat layout is 2-3-2) so hopefully it will mininise any potential distress to other humans who may hate cats or be allergic.

They will be travelling in sherpa bags which, although they have airholes, actually won't cause too much hair shedding. PLUS you have to remember it is winter, hair loss is minimal on cats this time of year.

Any poo/pee issues can be sorted out in the toilets I expect, and I will make sure there is plenty of newspaper in the bottom of the bags aswell.....

Cats don't need any vaccinations to enter the USA, but once you get to the state you will be residing in you need to take them to the vets to get them up to date with everything.

I spent many an hour researching this, ending with this email :



And:



The Delta employees also told me that to take a cat on as cabin baggage they don't require a vets cert to fly. It is only if they are going on a cargo that that is required. I guess because it is you handling them the whole time and not Delta employees.

Roblinklake ~

They no longer recommend sedatives. They can have a potential adverse effect when used at high altitude. It can be quite risky so I have heard. Most airlines won't let you give your pets a sedative now.

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL

1. Grasp cat firmly in your arms. Cradle its head on your elbow, just
as if you were giving baby a bottle. Coo confidently, "Thats a nice
kitty." Drop pill into its mouth.

2. Retrieve cat from top of lamp, and pill from under sofa.

3. Follow same procedure as in 1, but hold cat's front paws down with
left hand and back paws down with elbow of right arm. Poke pill
into its mouth with right forefinger.

4. Retrieve cat from under bed. Get new pill from bottle. (Resist
impulse to get new cat.)

5. Again proceed as in 1, except when you have cat firmly cradled in
bottle-feeding position, sit down on edge of chair, fold your torso
over cat, bring your right hand over your left elbow, open cat's
mouth by lifting the upper jaw and pop the pill in - quickly. Since
your head is down by your knees, you won't be able to see what
you're doing. That's just as well.

6. Leave cat hanging on drapes. Leave pill in your hair.

7. If you're a woman, have a good cry. If you're a man, have a good cry.

8. Now pull yourself together. Who's the boss here anyway? Retrieve cat
and pill. Assuming position 1, say sternly, "Who's the boss here,
anyway?" Open cat's mouth, take pill and...Oooops!

9. This isn't working, is it? Collapse and think. Aha! Those flashing
claws are causing the chaos.

10. Crawl to linen closet. Drag back large beach towel. Spread towel
on floor.

11. Retrieve cat from kitchen counter and pill from potted plant.

12. Spread cat on towel near one end with its head over long edge.

13. Flatten cat's front and back legs over its stomach. (Resist
impulse to flatten cat.)

14. Roll cat in towel. Work fast; time and tabbies wait for no man-or
woman.

15. Resume position 1. Rotate your left hand to cat's head. Press its
mouth at the jaw hinges like opening the petals of a snapdragon.

16. Drop pill into cat's mouth and poke gently. Voila! It's done.

17. Vacuum up loose fur (cat's). Apply bandages to wounds (yours).

18. Take two aspirins and lie down.

Old ones are the best.....

Cats on a Plane!

Oh gawds, half of me is going "ahhh" and the other half is going

I am sure we have all had different experiences, when it comes to bringing our pets over to the US. I brought my dog and chinchilla and both traveled in the cargo hold - they were absolutely fine and neither seemed too disturbed by it at all.

I have a cat also, which we "acquired" when my daughter brought home 3 kittens that were only days old. I bottle fed them all, for weeks, every three hours. I kept one, one was re-homed and, unfortunately, the other was killed on the road outside the house. I absolutely love cats, as I do all my animals, and don't know what I am going to do when my friend comes to visit. He only has to step inside a house, where there is a cat, and he suffers terribly. I guess I could always make him up a bed in the garage!! lol

I had to have a "Health Certificate" from my vet in the UK for the pets to travel - just a quick check-up to see that they were fit to travel. I think this is an "airline requirement" so it depends on who you fly with. I was glad I had them checked over, just to put my own mind at rest. The BA staff were absolutely wonderful and I couldn't have asked them to care for my animals any better.

The dog didn't need a rabies vaccination before leaving the UK (probably because it is a rabies-free country) but I had to get one for the dog within the first week of us arriving. This is soooooooooo important, I didn't realise that so many animals here can contract rabies and, especially living right in the forest here, it ensures that my dog won't contract rabies should he be bitten by anything. Peace of mind, again.

Anyway, I hope that you and your cat have a very safe and enjoyable trip!

Wow, that's great!

I didn't bring my cat and he now lives in the lap of luxury with my mum. But I have aquired another cat and will be taking it back with me when I return to the UK in a few years. We were comtemplating going by boat to avoid her traveling in cargo. We travel up front when we fly as we have so many airmiles so she would have plenty of room and won't get so stressed.

Never sedate animals when they fly. It's very dangerous and I know for sure Heathrow won't even accept sedated pets as they have had so many deaths to deal with.

For anyone thinking of moving back to the UK with their pet be warned you have to be prepared well in advance. It starts about 7-8 months before to get shots and the all clear to travel. Plenty of $$$ for the vet.

I've already begun preparations for taking the cat back to the UK -- not kidding about the $$$.

It's my understanding that no airlines will allow pets in the cabin travelling inbound to the UK (feel free to correct me if anyone hears differently) -- I believe Air France will allow you to take pets into the cabin, so when the time comes we will probably fly to Paris and then drive up and take ferry/tunnel back to UK from there.

I don't know about no animals being allowed in the cabin going back to the UK so can't comment. I can't see Sharon Osbourne et al settling for that though and allowing her MiMi (dog's name, not some slang for parts of her anatomy...before anyone can even think of commenting on it! ) to go into the hold...can you? Maybe if they have a pet passport they can go in the cabin...it may just be animals that are not covered by that scheme that can't. *shrugs*

BUT, unless your cat is on the pet passport scheme it will be subject to quarantine upon arrival in the UK. That tends to be 6 months and all costs are to be paid by the owner. It can run into thousands of pounds.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

Incidentally, I have now booked my flight and both cats are booked on with me! There was no problem and the Delta representative was polite and really helpful. He said though that I do need a fit to fly certificate for the cats. So, regardless of whether I do actually need one for them, I shall get it done anyway. It can't hurt and may save potential problems occuring.

Two animals allowed in Economy and one in First Class. Hmmm.

Bummer Mags if the cat gets upgraded to First Class and you don't.

Imagine you're asked Chicken or Beef and the cat Trout or Fillet Steak!

When are you going back? Good for you.

Thanks for the tip off on Air France. The BE board has a moving back to the UK forum if you need to search for more help. I can't imagine anyone who would bother bringing their pet back without getting them a pet passport. Quarantine is outdated and a HUGE waste of money.

I took my cat to the vet here for the first time yesterday and I was amazed at how cheap it was compared to the UK. $35 for exam and $9 for the drugs without any pet insurance. $300 for teeth cleaning in a few months.

We don't have any definite date for going back, but it will probably be in a year's time or so -- I thought I'd plan ahead and get all the work done, so if something happens (like a job offer) that we need to leave at short notice we will be able to do so and be able to take the cat. I would not subject her to quarantine.

She just had her blood work done, so she should get her passport in about 6-7 months time!

Well, hope it all goes well for you!

Oh worse -- you ask for chicken or beef and they bring you cat steak, medium rare.

I brought bot my cats to the us in soft sided carriers . I had to pay alot more then 50 each tho !
Delta only had one flight per week and only a certain time available to fly them in cabin. The carriers had to fit in the "test" box at the airport that you put your normal carry on luggage in to see if the carriers would fit under the seats. Even tho they were under my daughter's & my seat I had to pay for their "seats" full person price. As for what if there's a person with allergys.... a guy came on and sat down beside us and seen that there were 2 carriers. He said "Are those cats?" I said "yes they are." He looked at me and rudely said " Well, I hate cats and I might be allergic so get them off the plane!" I politley said, Sir, I paid for these cats to fly with me in this cabin as much as you paid for your seat, they have tickets and they are staying right here." He then called a stewardess over and complained that I had 2 cats in the cabin. The lady asked me if I had tickets for them. I presented her the tickets and she said, "Thats fine! Sir, these cats have paid tickets and are allowed to be on this flight. You'll just have to move if you don't like the cats." HA HA HA!

I was asked for the Health certificate when we went thru customs. Both cats had up to dat vacinations. They didn't need a rabies shot. Only would need that if they leave the states. Each cat had to be taken out of the carrier as the carrier had to go thru the xray machine. then I could put them back in. The line up to get thru customs was long and many people comented on my beuatiful Long haired Tuxedo cats.
The flight wasn't a problem and and both cats flew very well. Didn't hear a sound out of them at all. My vet told me not to sedate them as the altitude and the sedative could cause problems with their breathing.

I can only say that times have changed. You can now travel on ANY Delta flight with pets coming into the cabin as long as there are no other animals booked on before you. As mentioned before I think it is 2 in cabin and 1 in Business (although if you had two cats like me I guess they would let you). On the telephone I had to give the sizes of my carriers so they knew they were of the correct size.

Delta don't allow pets in the cabin between May and September. They said it is due to an embargo. I can also assume it is because it is the busiest time of year over the summer and the planes are more full (maybe that's the embargo? ).

there is an embargo but when we flew , we were told thsat it was from may to september that animals can't go in Cargo , not cabins. We flew done July 1st on Delta flight with no problems.

The embargo is actually because of heat as they won't allow pets to travel when its over 80F. Please do get a health check done prior to flying. Its important to be done for the kittys well-being to ensure she is fit to fly, in addition to the fact that you will most likely be asked for one and this should include that the kitty has been strategically dewormed and treated with flea preventative.

Additionally its better to get a rabies vaccine done before you go to the States as rabies is rife in certain states and its not a problem we deal with in the UK. It could only take one encounter with a rabid possum/racoon/pick your rabid animal and your kitty could be infected and there is no treatment for rabies once an animal is infected with the virus. You know hat you will have to get it done anyway as the majority of US cities have it as mandatory regardless if the kitty is indoor or not, so why not just have it done while you are in the UK, so you have 1 less thing to do when you get to the U.S. Another thing which is vitally important is to get your kitty onto heartworm preventative as soon as you get to the states. This is another disease that we don't have to worry about in the U.K but its all over the U.S. At the veterinary hospital where I work, we use Revolution which is a topical liquid and acts as a preventative for heartworm, fleas, gastro-intestinal parasites, ear mites, skin mites including demodectes and sarcoptes.

I hope your flight will be safe and calm with your kitty

Kat

Revolution..... that's what it was. I was trying to remember what it was that Lyrus (my cat) was treated with at the vet.

I'm sure we'll get Elmo and Ziggy (Sian's cats) treated with it also. They are both indoor cats, as is Lyrus, so I doubt the risk of rabies is very high. I can't even remember when the last time I heard of a rabies case in this area was. I'm sure we'll probably still get them vaccinated, though.

That's cargo though...not in cabin where the temperature is controlled better. Delta actually don't fly pets in the winter either in some places due to the cold...so I'm sure the embargo is more related to planes being jam packed with people who may complain about dogs or cats being in the cabin. If it was due to temperature they'd never fly any animals at all....



I would have got them vaccinated for rabies beforehand...but from start to finish it takes roughly 3 months. Initial injection, then 4 weeks wait, then blood test, which can take up to 4 weeks to get back the results. Time I do not have...

As Larry said (PlatyPius) we will get them done once I am over in the States but, as they are indoor cats, the risk is minimal.