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Flight Attendents Prepare for Takeoff

Cicero's Mummy

Well-known member
Hey everyone! I am super fretting over what carrier to buy for airplane travel with my little one!!

Do you have any suggestions?

I don't want to get a small carrier now (she'll be less than 10 lbs on her first trip) and then have to buy a new carrier (i'm a penny picher-sorta) when she becomes full grown. Because well, my hubby just wouldn't stand for it either... the airline carriers we remotely have any intrest in are all $100-$150 dollars.

We don't really care for the Sherpa's (just personal preference, they can collapse!).

I have a few sites I have looked at:

www.petflys.com
www.celltei.com

and there was another one I couldn't think of...

We are headed towards a Petflys (and I know for a fact they are airline approved, and the large can be put on it's side under the seat... but we are having trouble deciding....

Any thoughts, suggestions, or such!?!

:lotsaluv: Raven
 
Never seen those before!!

I love the petaflys

How come I can't see where to choose large? I only see it going up to medium.. what am I doing wrong?
 
The medium is actually the large... it goes from Mini, Small and Medium

I know wierd... right? But the Medium can take up to a 20lb dog.

If you email petflys, Tammy is really great and if she is in town usually gets back to you in about a day or two... Tell her you were refered by me! Bowser was our Chihuahua and we had a pet flys for him, but sadly the lil guy is no longer with us (see page 8 on happy customers).


We loved the petflys we had for Bowsie!
 
Ohh I really really like the second one. Do you know how much your little one will weigh when she's full grown?

Oddly enough I'll be going through this same situation soon. I'm going to be flying from Toronto to Washington State *gasp* and I hope to take Kosmo on the plane with me as long as he can fit in one of those things. My worry is that his legs are too long and he's too tall to stand up comfortably though.

Have you thought about that for your little one?? He's 14lbs now and he's not growing anymore..
 
My little one should be about 14-16lbs full grown. Given that I maintain a proper diet and such...

They say that the carriers are quite comfy even on the little long leggers... and my experience with most airlines, try to ask or book your seat at the very back of the plane or the very front of coach (right after first class, if you are not sitting in first class) and try to get a window seat. (especially if you are traveling with someone). This gives you a greater chance of appealing to the dog lover of a :D flight attendant :D (hopefully) and you can get your little one out after takeoff (but dont forget to put him back (for convience safety and peace of mind) before you land.) Remember to always ask for permission before you get your pup out.

I have always had great flying experiences in the past, and have always been allowed to take Bowsie out provided that he sit quitely in my lap and that the other passenger next to me didn't mind (hope not it was my hubby).

So, good luck in your travels... I think I am going to go with the second bag, it seems more flexable, but not as easily collapsable as a Sherpa (again, sorry if you like sherpa, dont mean to offend, just personal preference).

The petflys are less "bendable" and actually have really no give.

Oh, and if you bring your carrier and for some reason it is not approved, DO NOT PANIC! :yikes Delta and a few other airlines sell carriers for dogs up to 20lbs. Don't worry! Your little one will ride in cabin with you! (I read a horror story about a woman having to put her dog in cargo because she didn't open her mouth and ask for an alternative when she was told that her snuggle sac didnt count as a carrier ((duh)) :sl*p: !! oh my!!) You can even rent on some, but I don't recommend that!! And you still have a cute one for everyday/car travel! :drivecar:
 
hehe since my vacation is not until June then you can be my guinea pig!! How does that sound? :lol:

I would love to let Kosmo travel up with me.. Do you know if the second carrier is airline approved?

I got a sherpa in the mail and I had one he!! of a time getting it to stay together so that it didn't collapse on me, so I am with you there. I tried to put Kosmo in it but it completely squished him. :shock: I can't use that for a 5 hour flight plus customs or whatever.

I think the laws are now that you can't let your little one out during the flight due to allergies of some people, etc but I would sure love it if I were able to. God knows Kosmo would be one happy little clam snoring on my lap the whole time.

In your experience, how have the pets been on the airplane itself?
 
Oh, I know you aren't allowed, but flight attendents are on a case-by-case basis... and they will sometimes let you. (i've had a 100% success rate, Bowsie was a cute dog).

I myself have some mild allergies (nothing that frequent baths for pooch and some allerpet-d doesnt take care of) and this woman infront of me on a flight this past Thanksgiving (like 2 weeks ago) asked to take out here Havanese (s?p) and the flight attendent let her... now this dog was a mESS! I so wanted to lecture her on the proper grooming of a long haired dog (it was sooo nasty with mats and such when I petted him!)... I was itchy eyed the whole drive home from the slc airport to my in-laws in Vernal (3 hours).

But, I digress... ask everyone around you and the flight attendant... there are always special cases...

I would be happy to be your guinea pig... I am going to be traveling around March, I will let you know what kind I get and if there is ample room...

There was a bag on LouisDog that I was looking at, but again, was questioning the flight standards (even though it says approved).

http://louisdog.com/detail.php?c_code1=16&c_code2=&c_code3=&pr_code=16_10000055


Let me know what you think?!
 
The cavalier in the sutrdy bag looks like it's STUFFED in that bag! :yikes :yikes They are nice though.. :flwr:

I personally still like the second one - the camo is so stylish!! Any word on whether or not that's airline approved? I have to "follow the guidelines" especially because I'll be travelling internationally.
 
I called the company directly (it is run by just a few people) and they said that they have had people use that style on airlines and it is 100% airline approved, but as always they add the disclaimer to ask your airline.

I'll let you know what I end up doing... I know for a fact that the mini and small petflys DO allow for dogs to be transported comfortably on all the major airlines, but I haven't experienced the medium yet. I know it can be layed on it's side to go under the seat.

I agree with the sturdi product comment, they look great for smaller dogs, but I am questioning a larger (and by that I mean 15-16 lbs) dog. It is one of those products I would have to see before I buy.


(**Also, celltei has a return policy that I have not delved into yet, but it looks pretty forgiving**)
 
howairline.gif

This photo was taken in the coach class of a major airline company. It is the LARGE. This woman had no trouble putting it under the seat.

Except for the open-top designs, Celltei carriers are designed for airline travel. Up to the medium size, the carriers are suitable for airline travel. The large and XL size exceeds the length limitation posted by some airlines.

Shown above is a large size Backpack-o-Pet (photo courtesy of Janine J.). The Backpack-o-Pet is an ideal design for frequent travelers who may have other carry-on lugguages or people who are traveling with small kid(s). For occasional travelers, use the same pet carrier style you use at home and at your destination.
direct quote from http://www.celltei.com/usage.html thank you for letting me use it!

I found this information on the Celltei website. After talking to them (they are reallly reallly nice people) and finding this information, I think I am going to go with the Celltei (the cute camo one). I asked them what size would be good for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and they recommended a Medium. (my cavie should only get about 14-16 lbs I informed them)


Well, glad that headache is done.

Don't get me wrong, petflys are AWESOME and I love them (and Tammy is really cool too), but I just don't want to get to the airport and have them make me buy a new carrier because my $100+ dog carrier isnt going to work... (hubby would KILL me if I bought one for now, since she is small and then one for later).

I also thought buying her one she can use when she is full grown will help with the first long flight (about 4 hours) home. Just incase she has an accident, she can find a nice spot to get away from it (although I plan on taking a few puppy pads with me to line it with, JIC).

Oh, I hope I am not a mean mommy bringing her home on a plane!! At least I am not shipping her (no offence is made to those who do, I am just a huge worry wort!) and I will be there 100% of the time. I see how they treat my luggage in plain view... I would be totally worried about my pup!
 
Do those come with wheels at all? I have one I bought on ebay and I used those wheels when I couldn't carry it any longer. The sturdi carrier is used for Cavaliers so they definately can fit in one, in fact one of the pictures has a Cavalier in it. I did see one in person, an empty one that a show person was taking on board to the CKCSC nationals in order to take another back with her and she did like it very much.
 
I know that some of them come with wheels. I think it is the Backpack one. (i totally adore the green one, but it is just not my style)

The one I am getting is a messenger sling type which is not stressful on the back and evenly distributes weight. It comes with a carry handle, but is made more for "slinging." I have an actual backpack that I used to take with me on plane trips and I loved that, so I figured I would like this one too.
 
My new Celltei will be here tomorrow... so i'll be sure to write a review for you all to read (i'll post it in the online shopping area).

I researched this product very carefully!! So, it is airline approved!! (i feel like a dummy because it says all but thier open top carriers are designed for air travel) I still asked a million questions!

They are really patient and great customer service!


PS. Did anyone see the new Vera Bradley carriers? They are hecka cute, but way too small for a full grown CKCS!
 
thanks! Waiting for the review. :) I contacted the local dealer around here to see what htey would sell it to me for. ;)

Let me know how you get on!
 
Oh

and also regarding the Pet Flys when we tried that it was too small for Indy and she would have been very cramped in it. And I also like the flap on the side that can open up in the petote ... that way you can have access to pet your pup and give it treats etc.
 
Petote

When I flew with my pup in Oct we looked qiuite a bit at several different totes and I feel the best one is Petote http://www.petote.com/ It's a great size and very comfortable. One of the very imporant features to me was the strap inside that clips to your dogs harness that way they can't escape through the flap. Indy was perfect on the flights and the attendants even asked if I had drugged her since she was so good! The takeoff noises during the flight the first time we flied frightened her and she seemed to want out then for a couple of seconds so the strap came in handy but that was the only time she was uncomfortable. She slept for the rest of both flights. I also used the tote some during my trip and before it taking her in it into places like Hallmark to get her used it. I also gave her little treats when I put her in carrier and then after I took her out and that really seemed to help her actually like the carrier. I took her into a cafe where my sister works in it and none of her employees ever even knew she was there because she's so well mannered! Anyway, long story short I highly endorse the petote. We had tried Pet Flies and Sherpa but neither were near as nice as the petote. Good luck and have fun on your trip!
 
Yeah, I looked at practically every sherpa and found that they can collapse in on your dog very easily!! Didn't like this feature...

As far as the petflys, I wasn't so concerened about having it long term... just for her first few months (Tammy-the owner- is very good about giving discounts), but again... I didnt want the dog knapping possibility and those carriers scream I have a dog in here!

I went with celltei because I have asked my airline directly what was recommended and along with Sherpa and Petflys they said all the celltei minus the open top ones are airline compatable. I like the more Luggage look of the Celltei... minimizes the people who want to come up and see the dog and such... I think flying can be stressful on everyone involved so I don't want the added strangers touching my dog factor. I'm kinda a germ-o-phobe :yikes icon_whistling
 
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