Travelling with a Dog

[AuxBatOn]

Hi guys, I'm travelling with my Doberman for my vacation on the 19 June and I have a question.

She's obviously a big dog, but she's below the 100 lbs limit for crate + body weight. However, the crate I have is 2in larger that the max width allowed, only because of the ledge going around it. It is approved for airline, but I think the dimensions were for a few years ago. I did travel with that crate and the dog back in 2006 and it was all ok.

When I talked to the reservation agent today and inquired about it, she said "we're westjetters, we are nice people". I still booked the dog, but now I'm wondering what the hell does that mean. Does that mean "2 inches, you'll be fine and we'll take the crate" or "well, you may get to the airport and depending on the counter agent, you may be told that your dog can't travel".

I want to know, because if it's going to be too much grief, I'll buy a proper crate (it's actually harder than it seems, away from a big center), but obviously if I could avoid it, I will.

Thanks,

[flystraightin]

- Pets cost $50 plus tax to fly. It comes to $52.50.
- Pet must be able to stand up and complete one full revolution in kennel before being accepted for carriage.
- Must weigh under 100 lbs. including kennel. Anything over must be shipped as cargo.
- Kennel must be 64 inches in combined dimensions, meaning Height + Weight + Depth < 64". Anything over is Oversized resulting in a fee of $40 plus tax. It comes to $42.
- Kennel must be under 50 lbs. Anything over is considered Overweight resulting in fee of $40 plus tax. It comes to $42.
- Kennels that are oversized and overweight cost $40+$40+tax=$84, plus the original kennel fee.

If you follow the above rules, you'll be fine. If you don't, you're taking a chance. It really depends on the agent. Everyone is empowered to do what they wish. Obviously, discretion is used for one-off type situations.

All this information is on the Westjet website. We are Westjetters and we are nice people, but that doesn't mean we won't charge guests for failing to follow these guidelines.

[AuxBatOn]

So, all I'm going to get is an extra fee? They won't refuse to load the kennel?

Oh, and your requirements are a little off from what the website states :

Price: 50 (each way)

Total # of animals allowed per flight: A maximum of three kennels in checked baggage will be accepted per flight.
Total # of animals allowed per guest: Six (in three kennels)
Weight restrictions (animal & kennel combined) : Up to 100 lbs (45 kgs)
Size restrictions (per kennel): 36” L x 24” W x 26” H (91 cm x 61 cm x 66 cm).
Kennel requirements:
-It is recommended that the animal's carrier must be large enough for the animal to comfortably lie down, turn around and stand in its natural position
-Hard-sided kennels only
-Designed for airline travel
-Your animal must be able to stand up and turn around.
-Kennels must be leak-proof, and be lined with absorbent material (like a towel) Materials such as straw, grass, or hay are not acceptable materials with which to line the kennel.
-Kennels must be secure, and well-ventilated.
-Please remove any wheels from the kennel before check in.
-Secure the kennel with the device originally intended by the manufacturer, but do not lock the gate.
-Mark your kennel with directional "this way up" arrows on two sides. If possible, please label the kennel with your animal's name, as it will assist us in caring for your animal.
For your animal's safety, we cannot allow:
-Kennels made of wire mesh
-Welded mesh
-Kennels with a plastic door

http://c3dsp.westjet.com/guest/travelTips.jsp#pets

To me, someone that tells me : "We're westjetter, we're nice people" when I ask "what if my kennel 2 in too wide" implies that you would take it. I'm smart enough to take precautions and actually ask if it's pretty common to take kennels that are slightly off limitation.

[sepia]

I looked into shipping my dog last year with any carrier by any means. The dog was to heavy and the crate was too big. So all airlines required the dog to fly as cargo. To fly the dog as cargo the price went from do able to insane. We drove 17hrs rather than sucking up the $900 to fly the dog out. It was just way too expensive, and the big guy hates airports more than I do.

So the moral of the story there, is if they bump your dog into the cargo division you're gonna be paying a lot more than just a little fee no matter who you fly with.

I truly wish you better luck than we had.

[AuxBatOn]

I looked into shipping my dog last year with any carrier by any means. The dog was to heavy and the crate was too big. So all airlines required the dog to fly as cargo. To fly the dog as cargo the price went from do able to insane. We drove 17hrs rather than sucking up the $900 to fly the dog out. It was just way too expensive, and the big guy hates airports more than I do.

So the moral of the story there, is if they bump your dog into the cargo division you're gonna be paying a lot more than just a little fee no matter who you fly with.

I truly wish you better luck than we had.

I called WJ Cargo today and it's 250$ each way to fly the dog, so that's out of the question. We'll see if we can find a crate that will fit WJ's requirements. Something I'd like to avoid, but I don't want hassle at the check-in...

[arsenal]

You could try bringing the carrier to the airport few days before and ask them if they will accept it. Doesn't mean that they will guarantee it the day of, but you might be able to get them to leave a note on your file...

[AuxBatOn]

You could try bringing the carrier to the airport few days before and ask them if they will accept it. Doesn't mean that they will guarantee it the day of, but you might be able to get them to leave a note on your file...

The airport is 400 km away, a little hard

[rex sterling]

If you are flying out of Edmonton, I would be wary. They seem to have a thing for denying dogs at the check-in. Its happened to 2 of my friends. The first one was traveling home to see a dying family member, dog and crate ended up weighing 109 lbs, they refused to take it as baggage. Supervisor said the dog was to heavy and baggage handlers would refuse to load it. They ended up having to send it cargo which cost another $400. They went down to YEG a day early, otherwise they would not have made the connection, since they were traveling out of YZF. Check in agent would not even call cargo to see if they could bring the dog over and get it on that flight, just gave them the number and said good luck, even suggested that they kennel their dog for 2 weeks. Needless to say, they ended up getting the dog on the flight through cargo, and got to the gate just in time to see the dog being loaded by the same baggage handlers who would have refused to load it if it were baggage due to the weight. The funny thing is this dog and crate had traveled on WJ 5 times before with no problems.
The second incident happened just last month, friends moving from the north, 2 babies and baggage galore, and a dog. Get to the check in, agent refused to take the dog because it was 6 pounds overweight. Not enough time to get him on as cargo. Had to get a hotel room for the night, and leave the next day. Ended up costing them an extra $700. This happened in YEG as well. According to the WJ'ers that I have talked to since, just happened to get the wrong agent. Other said they would not deny a dog, and found it ridiculous that these situations arose. YEG seems to have a bad track record with pets.
Sorry for rambling, but the point of the story is: WJ seem to be pretty good about pets, but not in YEG. Hope this helps.

[fortis risk]

Not in Calgary either!

[AuxBatOn]

If you are flying out of Edmonton, I would be wary. They seem to have a thing for denying dogs at the check-in. Its happened to 2 of my friends. The first one was traveling home to see a dying family member, dog and crate ended up weighing 109 lbs, they refused to take it as baggage. Supervisor said the dog was to heavy and baggage handlers would refuse to load it. They ended up having to send it cargo which cost another $400. They went down to YEG a day early, otherwise they would not have made the connection, since they were traveling out of YZF. Check in agent would not even call cargo to see if they could bring the dog over and get it on that flight, just gave them the number and said good luck, even suggested that they kennel their dog for 2 weeks. Needless to say, they ended up getting the dog on the flight through cargo, and got to the gate just in time to see the dog being loaded by the same baggage handlers who would have refused to load it if it were baggage due to the weight. The funny thing is this dog and crate had traveled on WJ 5 times before with no problems.
The second incident happened just last month, friends moving from the north, 2 babies and baggage galore, and a dog. Get to the check in, agent refused to take the dog because it was 6 pounds overweight. Not enough time to get him on as cargo. Had to get a hotel room for the night, and leave the next day. Ended up costing them an extra $700. This happened in YEG as well. According to the WJ'ers that I have talked to since, just happened to get the wrong agent. Other said they would not deny a dog, and found it ridiculous that these situations arose. YEG seems to have a bad track record with pets.
Sorry for rambling, but the point of the story is: WJ seem to be pretty good about pets, but not in YEG. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the Head's up. I need to go pick someone up in Edmonton next week, so I may bring the kennel along to see if they would actually take it. Otherwise, I'll try to find a kennel that is advertised to be 24" wide. I found one, but oddly enough, it's actually 25" wide, the same size as mine right now, and mine is advertised as 26".

It's not so much about the weight (dog + crate is 90 lbs), but the crate size.

Any WJ CSA (From YEG would be amazing!) could tell me how they judge the size of the kennel?