When you travel with your pet on an airplane, it’s important to consider certain factors that affect their health and well being while they travel. Factors such as whether they can ride in the cabin or in the cargo hold, how busy the airports are and how long your flight is can be especially important during the wintertime. Consider the following reasons not to fly your pet in the winter when you’re making your travel plans.
1. Flight Delays
Winter weather is notorious for causing flight delays. You may have even experienced such a delay yourself where you board the plane, get nice and cozy with your seatmates, only to hear the announcement over the speaker that a wintry mix is holding up takeoff. While this is an inconvenience for you, it can mean serious discomfort for any pets down in the cargo hold. The climate control in cargo holds often doesn’t kick in until the plane takes off of the ground. That means that while you’re toasty in your cabin seat, until the weather finally allows you to take off, your pet is left waiting in the cold temperatures of the cargo hold.
2. Luggage Handling Mishaps
Mishaps can happen anytime of the year when baggage handlers misplace your luggage, send it to the wrong location or damage it along the way. When these kinds of mistakes happen during the winter, though, your pet may be subjected to prolonged periods of frigid temperatures. A delay in loading the luggage into the plane from the tarmac leaves your pet out in the cold and possibly in the freezing cold rain, sleet or snow.
3. Issues After Takeoff
While most issues in flying with pets happen on the ground, issues while you’re in the air are still important reasons not to fly your pet in the winter. There can still be mishaps after you’ve taken off. These may not affect you and your pet if you are both riding the cabin, but they can be dangerous if your pet has to ride in the cargo hold. If the climate control or air pressure regulation fails in the cargo hold, your pet may have to ride out the rest of the flight in uncomfortable or even life-threatening conditions.
4. Holiday Chaos
The bustling holiday season, or any major holiday in the winter, is another one of the important reasons not to fly your pet in the winter. The chaos that ensues from holiday travelers can cause major delays and mishaps at the airport. There’s more of a chance that your pet might get lost or placed on the wrong flight in such hectic conditions. Additionally, your pet is more likely to be stressed because of all the extra stimulation. Avoid the stress for both you and your pet by opting to not fly with them during the holidays, if possible.
Traveling with your pet via plane is at times unavoidable. But when you can, look into alternative methods for transporting your dog or cat, particularly during the winter. Contact our expert pet movers here at Pet Van Lines, and let us make the traveling experience as easy on you and your pet as possible.