Experiences with Pets flying to Hawaii (Honolulu: live, dangerous, versus)

[gone2maui]

Hi,
I was hoping to get some insight on what options people chose to get their pets to Hawaii. I've been considering Pacific Air Cargo so that my pet can sit in the cabin but she will be without me. However, I've also heard some bits and pieces about Continental Airlines being good with pets in the cargo part of the plane. I would love to hear from people about bad/good experiences that they have had with shipping their pets to Hawaii whether it be with the two companies that I've mentioned or other ones. Also, I've checked into Dog Travel Company but they are just too expensive for me. Mahalo!

[hotzcatz]

If you are shipping a dog, get them a nice comfy airline crate and get them accustomed to it. Dogs LIKE crates, once they have one available, frequently they will choose to sleep in it. Then, when it comes time to ship the dog, it will be in it's "home" and quite comfortable whether it is in cargo or the cabin. It doesn't care about a window seat, they actually prefer small den-like spaces. The whole shipping of dogs in the cabin of an airplane is mostly because the owner is nervous, not because of the dog's nerves. Also, if you stay calm and matter of fact about the whole thing so will the dog.

[gone2maui]

Actually, its a cat I'm shipping. She is on anxiety medicine since she was small because she can get really nasty at times. hotzcatz... did you use a certain airline or which route did you go?

[KonaKat]

We shipped our cat from Las Vegas to Hawaii (Honolulu then Kona) as cargo. We also shipped 4 parrots on the same flight with my daughter & granddaughter prior to that. No problems except for my near meltdown.

Please talk to your vet about that medication. It can be very dangerous to sedate an animal for a flight.

Remember temperature restrictions when you make your plans. Also, go to the Hawaii Dept of Ag. site for all the information, print it out, call them with questions and take all that to your vet. The dept and the animal station in Hawaii is very helpful and patient.

Just curious, w/ Pacific Air can your cat be in the cabin if you're not also on the flight?

Best wishes for a smooth move for you and your cat.

[Sweetbeet]

We sent out two kitties on Continental from Newark to Honolulu (11 hrs. nonstop). We were not with them because we drove across the country and flew (3 weeks later) from Oakland. My sister came over to Oahu from Kauai to pick up the kitties. They did well (one is about 10 and the other 7, no major health problems but the 10-yr-old is a big guy, about 15 lbs. and none of it muscle). I was impressed with the attitude of the folks at Continental. I do not think they will take animals that have been sedated, but I don't think your kitty's medication would fall into that category (unless it really wipes her out!). You should call the Petsafe program and talk to someone, they are real people, very nice and knowledgeable. You can ask them about medication, how do they handle it if an animal needs medication en route, stuff like that.

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by KonaKat

Just curious, w/ Pacific Air can your cat be in the cabin if you're not also on the flight?

Is that Air Pacific out of Fiji or Pacific Air Cargo out of CA?

Pacific Air Cargo's planes are all cargo so there is no cabin. Imagine a passsenger plane with no first class, business or coach, all open front to back. I don't know where they transport the animals, but it's likely to be in one area close to the front.

Our's is similar but we have a first class style section afterwhich it's flat open all to the rear. When we transport animals, they are located just behind the crew section, unless they are large livestock, wildlife or marine. This way we can visually check on them (and with shipper's permission, take them out to stretch their legs, and pass the hours away).

"Cargo" can have two meanings depending on the airline. One is shipment as "cargo" versus checked/excess baggage, the other is "cargo" as in on a cargo plane.

[gone2maui]

Pacificflights-
Which airline are you talking about that transports animals just behind the crew section? It was Pacific Air Cargo out of CA that I was talking about. Do you know anything about them, or have you used them? Just trying to learn from peoples experiences. Thanks for your help!

For everyone else, I'll ask my vet tomorrow about the anxiety medicine that she is on. Her medicine doesn't really sedate her it just helps her calm down when she is ready to go into attack mode. She's been on it for 7 years now. I can't imagine if I took her off the medicine and then put her on a plane, she's liable to never calm down again! But I'll ask just to make sure because I don't want to jeopardize her safety. Thanks everyone!

[PacificFlights]

I know that they have a darn good rep for hands on care of shipments including animals. They ship all sorts of animals between the mainland and Hawaii. What many like about them is their schedule. leave just after midnight, arrive Hawaii just after dawn. No heat issues what so ever. Their bird is fully pressurized and climate control. No worry about too cold or too hot. I don't know how they load so can't say where the animals are carried, but since the mid and aft section is container or pallets, odds are the animals are carried up front. Since this is a cargo craft, they would be roughly where a first class cabin is located. You can call them and ask them where on the aircraft the animals are carried.

[DROB944]

We are shipping our great dane to Hawaii in the cargo hold of a commercial passenger plane this summer. We will be leaving from Raleigh, NC. Does anyone know if we will be able to see her at the airport in LA after we get there so she can be walked before our flight leaves for Honolulu? It is a total of about 10 hours flight time, and we just want her to be as comfortable as possible. Mahalo.

[KonaKat]

How long is your layover? I would ask the airline and check LAX website about being able to get her out for a few moments, but where you'd walk her at LAX is the question I have. However they may have a place for pet owners to do that, be sure to ask.

Again, be sure to check temperature restrictions especially since you'll be flying in the summer.