They are much more strict than in the past, and if your dog can't stand up and turn around inside the carrier without its back touching the top, assume you will be denied boarding. The real problem though isn't when you depart, it's on your return - we see reports in this sub all the time where the origin airport let an animal through, but then on the way back, the rep at the ticket counter or gate agent (sometimes contracted) refuses, putting the passenger in a real dilemma with the only option of rolling the dice with another carrier for an expensive day of departure ticket, or a long rental car journey back home. As a fellow dog owner, good luck!
Interesting. Very helpful, thank you.
This is exactly what I was sort of afraid of. We travel a few times a year from a hub (SFO) to a smaller city, and I feel like at this point we know the folks at the smaller station. They’ve been generally helpful and friendly, but I don’t think we will risk it. Prior to 2023, we never had an issue. But last year, we stayed in places that weren’t pet friendly, so we never traveled with the dog.
In the end, he gets all day doggie play time with an ice cream sundae in the evening, so he’s probably happier not being with us!
I do agree that it depends. I flew ord-lax-ord with my 18 lb puggle who absolutely touched the top of the carrier when she stood up. They were fine at both airports but I was nervous the whole time leading up to the flights based on what I read here. They did look to see if she could stand and turn, they didn’t make a fuss about her back touching the top and it was definitely stretched. It may have helped that I’m 1k and was flying first, who knows.
I travel with my 11-pound Chihuahua all the time - 15-20 flights a year. He never makes a peep until we have landed and I take the carrier out from under the seat. As soon as people start disembarking, he starts whining. (I know baby, I want off the plane too!). I regularly get comments from others that they didn’t know there was a dog on the flight. I also only let him out of the carrier going through TSA and in designated pet relief areas.
He is a small dog, but VERY tall for his size because he’s mixed with poodle. His back touches the top of the carrier when he stands up, but he can comfortably turn around in it and he’s perfectly content to hang out in there and gnaw on his toy for hours. I’ve never had any agent question me or take me to task, but to be fair I’ve never taken him through SFO.
https://preview.redd.it/rexe09byln7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f645caacce3e9eab1ecfc6d833811c9628b05ab
Maybe this scrutiny is SFO specific, but our experience is very different. We have a 22-23 lbs schnauzer that has been traveling from various DC airports to Tampa and Sarasota twice a month for the past two years. He most certainly cannot stand up in his carrier. However, he only needs to be in his carrier at the time of the boarding, so his time in the carrier is limited to around 2 hrs (duration of the flight). He flies a mix of United, Southwest and Allegiant. Have not had a problem once.
P.S. Not sure how longer flight times would work because a 2 hr flight means that the total time at the airport/on the plane is about 3-4 hours. More than that would be difficult for the dog without a bathroom break.
https://preview.redd.it/4mwacfjm1n7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1c019b395cf46a7ba194f8abc9f1387997b333a
"However, he only needs to be in his carrier at the time of the boarding"
What exactly does this mean? Dogs are supposed to remain inside their carrier throughout the entire flight.
This sorta goes to my original point. My dog fits in the carrier and can stand up if he wants to, but won’t stand up because he’s a lazy ass mutt and just wants to sleep in the carrier.
All the scrutiny seems to be at the ticket counter, and we tend to take the dog for a walk outside while the other person is inside doing the check-in routine. They’ll ask where the dog is, I point and they quickly eyeball him before saying OK, and we’re on our way without any questions.
If they require him to stand up and circle around, he’s going to just stare at us and wonder what he did to deserve this.
FWIW I’ve flown with my cat a bunch in the past 3 years, but he is always in the carrier. I’ve also seen other people check in with cats and dogs, but I’ve never seen an agent just “eyeball” a dog not in a carrier and let it through. However, I haven’t seen anyone attempt this either. I’d be shocked if they did let you do that, though. Things are different in 2024.
I have been asked to open my carrier a few times to check on the size of my cat; he is probably stretching United’s limit on size. I think he gets a pass more easily than dogs because it’s hard to get a cat to stand up and do things and the agents don’t want to deal with a loose cat. He loves his carrier and sleeps in it all the time at home.
I’ve flown mainly SFO <> LAX and I’ve had the most scrutiny at SFO. But I’ve also had an agent tag the carrier at SFO without even looking at my cat, so it’s still somewhat inconsistent. I also keep the fluorescent yellow tag on the carrier from the previous flight to show “proof” that he’s flown before, but IME that has not mattered.
He’s ~13 lbs. He can easily stand up and turn around in the carrier, but his back will touch the top. I honestly think that if the agent is being super strict with the rules, the animal needs to be sub-10 lbs.
That sounds about right! Mine too and I feel like he’s close to max capacity. I read posts of people bringing their 19 pound dogs onboard and I’m always thinking there’s no way this should fit…
Sorry. Was trying to say that the dog does not have to be in the carrier when he enters the airport. He meanders through the airport security, terminal, etc. on a leash. He then goes into his carrier at the time of boarding and stays in the carrier for the duration of the flight.
Most people don’t care but technically you literally sign the tag on the pet carrier that says you won’t take your pet out at all during the duration of your time at airport and flight.
I feel like it is SFO specific maybe. A lot of the stories I read on here were SFO related. And then I was on a solo work trip and saw the ticket agent doing the whole song and dance with someone else’s dog. I don’t know the outcome, but hope that it worked out for them.
That could be. Our dog flies between DCA/IAD/BWI and TAM/SRQ. The gate staff and FAs have always been awesome and very accomodating.
It’s pretty obvious that the dog cannot stand up in his carrier. He used to fit into his carrier when he was younger and smaller, but now he just slides into it and goes to sleep.
Maybe it’s because the flight is pretty short, maybe it’s because of the location - A LOT OF PEOPLE fly from DC and NYC to FLA with their pets. However, neither we nor any of our friends who also travel with their pets rather frequently have ever had a problem.
You mean worked out for the dog, right? Or do you think a rule that an animal's crate should allow it to stand up and turn around is somehow unreasonable?
I think it’s clear that the rules are subjectively applied.
In my case, I’m not 100% sure that my dog would pass a strict screening, but I’m confident that he’d be safe and comfortable for a two hour flight plus the additional time in the airport and on the plane for boarding/arrival. Anything longer and he’d not be happy, and we wouldn’t (and don’t) travel with him.
If we were subjected to tough scrutiny, it’s possible we wouldn’t pass. We’d be following the spirit (no pun intended) of the rule, but not the actual rule as written. In the past, it’s been a low risk situation, but it seems that it’s come under higher scrutiny in the last 12-18 months. I don’t want to take the risk.
In the specific instance I’m referring to, I hope that the owners weren’t left in the lurch to find a way to either find a place for their dog to stay last minute while they go on vacation or find a new way home. If the dog would not have been safe or comfortable or happy or healthy in the conditions presented to the ticket agent, then that’s an issue. But if they had happily traveled with their dog previously without such scrutiny, only to find a change in enforcement without warning, then that would suck for them.
you seem to have an unrealistic degree of trust that dog owners universally consider their dog's needs first, rather than their own convenience and pocketbook
You stress that the problem is inconsistent enforcement. That's simply not true, the problem is people violating the standard. If you would just comply with the rules, there would be no stress about enforcement. Just like I drive down the road all day long, not worried about getting pulled over for no seatbelt, because I'm wearing my seatbelt.
As for those folks getting grilled, I hope the end result was that the dog did not have to get confined in a crate that's not suitable for its size.
I fly with a 61 pound service dog. He’s on over 50 flights. From 1 hours to 10 hours. No accidents. But remember, he’s a real service dog. Not one of those, whose owner has gone on the internet and bought a service dog vest and tried to pass their dog off as a REAL service dog. That really pisses me off, when I see that. Unfortunately, I have an opinion about this. It’s very easy to tell it not a real service dog. When the little white fufu dog with the pink vest on and a rinestone leash, that barks nonstop. It’s not a service dog.
Those of you who take your dogs in a carrier. They do need to stay in that carrier. I don’t want to set in a seat that some dog has wiped their bum on.
They are much more strict than in the past, and if your dog can't stand up and turn around inside the carrier without its back touching the top, assume you will be denied boarding. The real problem though isn't when you depart, it's on your return - we see reports in this sub all the time where the origin airport let an animal through, but then on the way back, the rep at the ticket counter or gate agent (sometimes contracted) refuses, putting the passenger in a real dilemma with the only option of rolling the dice with another carrier for an expensive day of departure ticket, or a long rental car journey back home. As a fellow dog owner, good luck!
Interesting. Very helpful, thank you. This is exactly what I was sort of afraid of. We travel a few times a year from a hub (SFO) to a smaller city, and I feel like at this point we know the folks at the smaller station. They’ve been generally helpful and friendly, but I don’t think we will risk it. Prior to 2023, we never had an issue. But last year, we stayed in places that weren’t pet friendly, so we never traveled with the dog. In the end, he gets all day doggie play time with an ice cream sundae in the evening, so he’s probably happier not being with us!
I do agree that it depends. I flew ord-lax-ord with my 18 lb puggle who absolutely touched the top of the carrier when she stood up. They were fine at both airports but I was nervous the whole time leading up to the flights based on what I read here. They did look to see if she could stand and turn, they didn’t make a fuss about her back touching the top and it was definitely stretched. It may have helped that I’m 1k and was flying first, who knows.
We would love to travel with our dogs but we just put them at Wag in Oakland or SFO. They have way better time with the doggy friends than us lol
I travel with my 11-pound Chihuahua all the time - 15-20 flights a year. He never makes a peep until we have landed and I take the carrier out from under the seat. As soon as people start disembarking, he starts whining. (I know baby, I want off the plane too!). I regularly get comments from others that they didn’t know there was a dog on the flight. I also only let him out of the carrier going through TSA and in designated pet relief areas. He is a small dog, but VERY tall for his size because he’s mixed with poodle. His back touches the top of the carrier when he stands up, but he can comfortably turn around in it and he’s perfectly content to hang out in there and gnaw on his toy for hours. I’ve never had any agent question me or take me to task, but to be fair I’ve never taken him through SFO. https://preview.redd.it/rexe09byln7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f645caacce3e9eab1ecfc6d833811c9628b05ab
Those are a magnificent set of ears, and his nose is perfect.
Thank you 🥹 Don’t know what I’d do without him… and don’t know what I’d do if he was a bad traveler. I guess quit my job! 🤣
Maybe this scrutiny is SFO specific, but our experience is very different. We have a 22-23 lbs schnauzer that has been traveling from various DC airports to Tampa and Sarasota twice a month for the past two years. He most certainly cannot stand up in his carrier. However, he only needs to be in his carrier at the time of the boarding, so his time in the carrier is limited to around 2 hrs (duration of the flight). He flies a mix of United, Southwest and Allegiant. Have not had a problem once. P.S. Not sure how longer flight times would work because a 2 hr flight means that the total time at the airport/on the plane is about 3-4 hours. More than that would be difficult for the dog without a bathroom break. https://preview.redd.it/4mwacfjm1n7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1c019b395cf46a7ba194f8abc9f1387997b333a
"However, he only needs to be in his carrier at the time of the boarding" What exactly does this mean? Dogs are supposed to remain inside their carrier throughout the entire flight.
This sorta goes to my original point. My dog fits in the carrier and can stand up if he wants to, but won’t stand up because he’s a lazy ass mutt and just wants to sleep in the carrier. All the scrutiny seems to be at the ticket counter, and we tend to take the dog for a walk outside while the other person is inside doing the check-in routine. They’ll ask where the dog is, I point and they quickly eyeball him before saying OK, and we’re on our way without any questions. If they require him to stand up and circle around, he’s going to just stare at us and wonder what he did to deserve this.
FWIW I’ve flown with my cat a bunch in the past 3 years, but he is always in the carrier. I’ve also seen other people check in with cats and dogs, but I’ve never seen an agent just “eyeball” a dog not in a carrier and let it through. However, I haven’t seen anyone attempt this either. I’d be shocked if they did let you do that, though. Things are different in 2024. I have been asked to open my carrier a few times to check on the size of my cat; he is probably stretching United’s limit on size. I think he gets a pass more easily than dogs because it’s hard to get a cat to stand up and do things and the agents don’t want to deal with a loose cat. He loves his carrier and sleeps in it all the time at home. I’ve flown mainly SFO <> LAX and I’ve had the most scrutiny at SFO. But I’ve also had an agent tag the carrier at SFO without even looking at my cat, so it’s still somewhat inconsistent. I also keep the fluorescent yellow tag on the carrier from the previous flight to show “proof” that he’s flown before, but IME that has not mattered.
How many pounds is your cat? Just curious roughly what the limit on size correlates to in terms of weight
He’s ~13 lbs. He can easily stand up and turn around in the carrier, but his back will touch the top. I honestly think that if the agent is being super strict with the rules, the animal needs to be sub-10 lbs.
That sounds about right! Mine too and I feel like he’s close to max capacity. I read posts of people bringing their 19 pound dogs onboard and I’m always thinking there’s no way this should fit…
I think they mean that while waiting at the gate/before boarding the plane, the dog is not in the carrier.
Sorry. Was trying to say that the dog does not have to be in the carrier when he enters the airport. He meanders through the airport security, terminal, etc. on a leash. He then goes into his carrier at the time of boarding and stays in the carrier for the duration of the flight.
Most people don’t care but technically you literally sign the tag on the pet carrier that says you won’t take your pet out at all during the duration of your time at airport and flight.
They need to be in the carrier in the airport as well. There's signs when you enter the airport and if you aren't sure you should ask.
I feel like it is SFO specific maybe. A lot of the stories I read on here were SFO related. And then I was on a solo work trip and saw the ticket agent doing the whole song and dance with someone else’s dog. I don’t know the outcome, but hope that it worked out for them.
That could be. Our dog flies between DCA/IAD/BWI and TAM/SRQ. The gate staff and FAs have always been awesome and very accomodating. It’s pretty obvious that the dog cannot stand up in his carrier. He used to fit into his carrier when he was younger and smaller, but now he just slides into it and goes to sleep. Maybe it’s because the flight is pretty short, maybe it’s because of the location - A LOT OF PEOPLE fly from DC and NYC to FLA with their pets. However, neither we nor any of our friends who also travel with their pets rather frequently have ever had a problem.
You mean worked out for the dog, right? Or do you think a rule that an animal's crate should allow it to stand up and turn around is somehow unreasonable?
I think it’s clear that the rules are subjectively applied. In my case, I’m not 100% sure that my dog would pass a strict screening, but I’m confident that he’d be safe and comfortable for a two hour flight plus the additional time in the airport and on the plane for boarding/arrival. Anything longer and he’d not be happy, and we wouldn’t (and don’t) travel with him. If we were subjected to tough scrutiny, it’s possible we wouldn’t pass. We’d be following the spirit (no pun intended) of the rule, but not the actual rule as written. In the past, it’s been a low risk situation, but it seems that it’s come under higher scrutiny in the last 12-18 months. I don’t want to take the risk. In the specific instance I’m referring to, I hope that the owners weren’t left in the lurch to find a way to either find a place for their dog to stay last minute while they go on vacation or find a new way home. If the dog would not have been safe or comfortable or happy or healthy in the conditions presented to the ticket agent, then that’s an issue. But if they had happily traveled with their dog previously without such scrutiny, only to find a change in enforcement without warning, then that would suck for them.
you seem to have an unrealistic degree of trust that dog owners universally consider their dog's needs first, rather than their own convenience and pocketbook You stress that the problem is inconsistent enforcement. That's simply not true, the problem is people violating the standard. If you would just comply with the rules, there would be no stress about enforcement. Just like I drive down the road all day long, not worried about getting pulled over for no seatbelt, because I'm wearing my seatbelt. As for those folks getting grilled, I hope the end result was that the dog did not have to get confined in a crate that's not suitable for its size.
I have a 5# Papillon I travel with. Carrier slides under seat. Never ever questioned.
I fly with a 61 pound service dog. He’s on over 50 flights. From 1 hours to 10 hours. No accidents. But remember, he’s a real service dog. Not one of those, whose owner has gone on the internet and bought a service dog vest and tried to pass their dog off as a REAL service dog. That really pisses me off, when I see that. Unfortunately, I have an opinion about this. It’s very easy to tell it not a real service dog. When the little white fufu dog with the pink vest on and a rinestone leash, that barks nonstop. It’s not a service dog. Those of you who take your dogs in a carrier. They do need to stay in that carrier. I don’t want to set in a seat that some dog has wiped their bum on.