What is the best airline and hotel for small pets?
October 22, 2019 7:27 PM Subscribe
Do you have any experiences you can tell me you had with small pets on an airline? I am considering Delta or American Airlines. I have a small dog that I will be putting in a small kennel and have her with me under the seat ahead of me for the flight.
If you have had a good or bad experience with either one of those airlines, please let me know. Also, it's my understanding that you don't have to have vet papers unless there is actually something wrong with your pet. I just wish I could hold her once the plane is up in the air because she will be scared.
Also, could you recommend a great place for a hotel if you have stayed in the Buffalo New York area and had a small dog in a hotel. Or even if it was not in Buffalo, maybe you could tell me if you had a clean environment at any certain hotel. I am concerned I will be in a room full of fleas.
thanks in advance!!
If you have had a good or bad experience with either one of those airlines, please let me know. Also, it's my understanding that you don't have to have vet papers unless there is actually something wrong with your pet. I just wish I could hold her once the plane is up in the air because she will be scared.
Also, could you recommend a great place for a hotel if you have stayed in the Buffalo New York area and had a small dog in a hotel. Or even if it was not in Buffalo, maybe you could tell me if you had a clean environment at any certain hotel. I am concerned I will be in a room full of fleas.
thanks in advance!!
If you have a letter from your doctor stating you need to fly with your pet for emotional support, your pet can fly in your lap and travel out of the carrier. If you don't have that letter (I do not), you pay a pet fee and your dog is effectively under the seat luggage.
I fly with my dog most of the time I fly. Never on AA but I have a lot of experience on Delta and Southwest. I prefer Southwest because they have a cheaper pet fee and I don't have to connect through Atlanta which is always stressful to me.
Most airports have indoor pet relief areas now which is great. My dog won't use them because they have too much pee smell, but I bet he would figure it out if he really really had to go. Do some research on your airports before you fly, especially if you have a connection and layover somewhere.
The best part about flying with a dog is security. It's like all the bullshit rules go out the window. You carry your dog in your arms through a metal detector like it's 1998 and they bomb paper your hands--that's it. No pornoscanner, no patdown. (Because no one with a sweet puppy could ever have ill intent.)
I've only stayed in a hotel with my dog once. It was a Loews, they charged a fee, but they were very accommodating to my dog and the room was no different than any other room at a nice hotel.
posted by phunniemee at 3:33 AM on October 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I fly with my dog most of the time I fly. Never on AA but I have a lot of experience on Delta and Southwest. I prefer Southwest because they have a cheaper pet fee and I don't have to connect through Atlanta which is always stressful to me.
Most airports have indoor pet relief areas now which is great. My dog won't use them because they have too much pee smell, but I bet he would figure it out if he really really had to go. Do some research on your airports before you fly, especially if you have a connection and layover somewhere.
The best part about flying with a dog is security. It's like all the bullshit rules go out the window. You carry your dog in your arms through a metal detector like it's 1998 and they bomb paper your hands--that's it. No pornoscanner, no patdown. (Because no one with a sweet puppy could ever have ill intent.)
I've only stayed in a hotel with my dog once. It was a Loews, they charged a fee, but they were very accommodating to my dog and the room was no different than any other room at a nice hotel.
posted by phunniemee at 3:33 AM on October 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I've had good luck at multiple Westins with my dog - many even have dog beds available to borrow!
(But honestly, I wouldn't be too afraid of fleas regardless - there's no reason that they'd be more flea-infested than anywhere else, I'd think. You can always give a flea and tick preventative just in case, if you don't already.)
posted by mosst at 6:33 AM on October 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
(But honestly, I wouldn't be too afraid of fleas regardless - there's no reason that they'd be more flea-infested than anywhere else, I'd think. You can always give a flea and tick preventative just in case, if you don't already.)
posted by mosst at 6:33 AM on October 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
I haven't been to Buffalo, but when we drive from Chicago to Daytona, we stay at LaQuinta Inns with our 2 dogs. They generally don't charge any extra pet fees, unlike the Marriott we stopped at.
posted by sarajane at 9:13 AM on October 23, 2019
posted by sarajane at 9:13 AM on October 23, 2019
Seconding LaQuinta if there is one nearby. They are unofficially the dog hotels, and the upgraded ones are perfectly fine.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:16 AM on October 23, 2019
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:16 AM on October 23, 2019
I flew Delta last month with my small dog, and even though they said they'd need to see vaccination records for her to fly, I was never asked for them. She sat on my lap the whole time (she is not an emotional support animal, if anything, I'm her emotional support human). Also, having driven across the country twice with two cats and a dog, I know that Super 8 is pet friendly and pretty reliably clean.
posted by Fuego at 10:47 AM on October 23, 2019
posted by Fuego at 10:47 AM on October 23, 2019
I have never flown with Winston, but when we stay out of town, we usually stay at a Marriott Residence Inn. They are pet-friendly for a reasonable fee and have outdoor areas and poop bags and tile in the kitchenette for doggie water bowls and often we’ve met many other dogs. It’s very relaxed and the staff are used to accommodating pets.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:18 PM on October 23, 2019
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:18 PM on October 23, 2019
The last time I flew in the US with a small-ish dog, it was on a Delta A320 or A330 that had a center aisle flanked by two seats on each side.
There were two things about the plane that made it great for flying with a pet under the seat. First of all, there wasn't any in-seat entertainment (with the corresponding equipment boxes under the seats). Secondly, the two-seat units didn't have legs in the middle so it was sort of like a bench that allowed for the maximum possible amount of under-seat space. So you could try to find that kind of info about your flight options on a site like seatguru.com or possibly talk to the airlines directly.
I'd also recommend familiarizing yourself with your departure and arrival airports ahead of time so you know where the nearest pet-relief areas are.
As far as hotels go, I've had great experiences in various cities with Westin and Sheraton, which have been very clean and welcoming. They don't charge any additional fees, though there might be a small refundable damage deposit. When they know a dog is coming (and you should definitely check with them ahead of time) the've provided food and water bowls, comfy-looking dog mattresses, and sometimes even welcome bags with treats. This was before the Starwood group merged with Marriott, so I don't know if policies have changed in the last couple of years.
When you bring a pet a lot of hotels tend to put you on the ground floor so it's easier to get outside, so if they don't you might want to request that ahead of time as well.
posted by theory at 7:17 PM on October 23, 2019
There were two things about the plane that made it great for flying with a pet under the seat. First of all, there wasn't any in-seat entertainment (with the corresponding equipment boxes under the seats). Secondly, the two-seat units didn't have legs in the middle so it was sort of like a bench that allowed for the maximum possible amount of under-seat space. So you could try to find that kind of info about your flight options on a site like seatguru.com or possibly talk to the airlines directly.
I'd also recommend familiarizing yourself with your departure and arrival airports ahead of time so you know where the nearest pet-relief areas are.
As far as hotels go, I've had great experiences in various cities with Westin and Sheraton, which have been very clean and welcoming. They don't charge any additional fees, though there might be a small refundable damage deposit. When they know a dog is coming (and you should definitely check with them ahead of time) the've provided food and water bowls, comfy-looking dog mattresses, and sometimes even welcome bags with treats. This was before the Starwood group merged with Marriott, so I don't know if policies have changed in the last couple of years.
When you bring a pet a lot of hotels tend to put you on the ground floor so it's easier to get outside, so if they don't you might want to request that ahead of time as well.
posted by theory at 7:17 PM on October 23, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
Regarding the vet clearance - I always get a certificate of health and have it handy just in case a flight worker isn’t well versed in regulations and causes a stink. That said, however, no one has ever asked for the health certificate.
I’ve had both good and not so good experiences traveling with pets on all the major airlines. It’s kinda a crapshoot. Some airline employees are super friendly and accommodating and understand the rules fairly well. Others, not so much. But, I’ve never been denied passage with my little dog and once with my 75 pound lab.
posted by Sassyfras at 7:45 PM on October 22, 2019