Flying pets in 2009
First, I'm not trying to defend the airline. A lot of regular posters on here will vouch for the fact that I would be the last person to do so. That being said one has to understand the reality of domestic air travel nowdays. Unlike 40 years ago almost every coach seat, on most "mainline" flights, are filled. There is rarely an abundant supply of vacant seats. Animals in the cabin can be a source of complaint from customers. I'm sure the flight attendants don't want to have to hear it. So the airline may have, deliberately, set an unnecessarily high fee, for animals riding in the passenger compartment, to discourage people from bringing their pets on. As to:
I do have some medical problems that she assists with
I'm sure if you go through the certification process the airline will probably have to allow you to bring your dog with you as a "service animal." However, I wouldn't be surprised if you and your doctor wind-up with a lot of paper work. During a long-distance Amtrak trip I saw an example of abuse of the "service animal" rule. A woman's "emotional support" dog crapped all over her sleeping compartment. She brought her dog into the dining car and wanted it almost on the table. A conductor had to come and tell her to put the dog on the floor or leave the car. Still, if you are determined to travel with your pet, you will probably find Amtrak more hospitable as long as the dog is kept in a kennel while on board the train. On long-distance trains the stops at some stations are long enough for you to walk your dog outside—just don’t venture much more than 50 feet from the train.
I live in a very rural area. Yet there are vets/kennels within 2 hours of my home. When I go on vacation if I can't afford to board my cat, I don't go.
Finally, as to the idea of pets riding in the lower deck cargo hold: With all due respect to Countrynewsman, I've heard too many "horror" stories to believe that putting a pet in a cargo hold is safe for the animal. Indeed the US Dept. of Transportation is now making airlines report all instances of animals dying while travelling in the cargo hold. If you're an oil rig worker and Alaska Air lets you put your pet in the main deck cargo hold, of a "combi" aircraft on a flight from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, that might be a safe bet. Unfortunately, I don't think this situation applies to many air travellers!
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