Best Airline For Bully Travel

erikashea

We are getting ready to relocate from Washington state to Florida. Bianca has never flown before and we are SUPER nervous! I have another small mixed breed pup but he has always been under our seat so this is very new and scary for us. I have heard horror stories of pups flying and I want to make sure we take all the necessary precautions to make her as comfortable and safe as possible. I know a lot of you have transported your bullies via airplane and am curious what your experiences are and if you prefer a specific airline over the other and why. Obviously cost is not a problem as we just want our little girl safe and as comfortable as she can be! In addition to the flight I am wondering about sedatives? Thank you in advance for your help and advice!

Djammy

A fully grown Bull Terrier sadly will probably have to travel in the luggage compartment of the plane and not in the cabin because of the size. Most planes have ventilated space for pet kennels in their luggage area.
I am not so sure however, IF I would risk the transport via plane to Florida at this time of the year.

Some airlines even deny to transport pets to and from areas such as Florida during the hot summer months, simply because of the risk of health problems or even death from heat.
And I have heard that many areas in the U.S. are pretty hot currently.

There are many things that can happen and expose the dog to the heat ... such as delays or technical problems for example.
I am not sure, if at this time of the year I would rather consider to take the time and make the distance by car, if the move would be necessary right now. Make it a nice trip with several stops at pet friendly locations. At least during summer that option would feel much safer to me, even despite the trip will be A LOT longer.

I know that there are airlines that are specialized in organizing pet transports. Maybe that would be a more reliable option in terms of heat protection than a regular commercial flight.
Sadly, I do not have a specific recommendation. Sorry.

Hubby brought Djamlia from Arizona to Florida in the month of August with American Airlines.
BUT at that time at the age of nine weeks she was still small enough to fit in a carrier that was allowed to travel in the cabin. So, she did not have to check in with luggage. And that's a whole different story.

BulliesofNC

@erikashea - I can completely understand your concerns because many have the same concerns when puppy flight shipment is required due to geographic location.


On a good note, canine flights through companies like Delta are conducted with great concern for the well being of all animals flying. The temperature within the state you are flying to or from has no merit what so ever in regard to the safety of your Bullie flying. In order to fly any dog during the summer months they can only be flown through airports which are on the "summer month programs" for animal shipments. This means that all animals have to be under a temperature control from the time they leave your hands until the time they reach their final destination.

Additionally, you also have the option of conducting in cabin flights no matter what size or weight that your Bull Terrier is. Our Bullie Nitro actually has an authentic passport because he has flown to Poland and England and back to USA while he was being shown for champion titles. He flew in cabin flights during every trip.


We have puppies which require flight shipment often and we have never had an issue with flights. We flown puppies to many states around the nation and sent quite a few outside the nation. Again, I can understand your concerns in regard to flying but once you dig into the details and policies provided by the airlines you will soon realize they actual accommodate to the welfare of animals traveling more than you could imagine. To be honest, I'm a lot less concerned about a puppy leaving us that is being shipped via canine flight transportation than I am on someone who chooses to come miles across state lines to transport their puppy back to their home. We, as humans, are used to driving in cars since the day we were born. The sudden stopping, accelerating, left turns, and right turns have no effect on us. However, to a dog nothing could cause motion sickness faster than a car ride. An airplane ride is much less stressful on any dog regardless what people would love to imagine in their head.

erikashea

Aww he's a little VIP up there! Thank you both for your input. Steve, do you usually use delta when you ship or do you recommend other airlines as well? We won't be leaving for another month. Also do you generally give any sedatives before flight?

BulliesofNC

If it's not going to be an in cabin flight I recommend Delta. However, if you plan on scheduling an in cabin flight it really doesn't matter because you will with your Bullie.
No sedatives have been given to any puppy or adult flown out.

Djammy

@Steve, just out of curiosity: Do you have any names of reliable airlines that organize pet transports admitting pets in the cabin without any restrictions due to size or weight?

BulliesofNC

In cabin flights with large adult dogs are becoming harder and harder to find. Each year each one of the airlines change their regulations to some degree so I'm always having to review the policies for pet flights. Many of the airlines will allow in cabin flights for dogs if you are using the dog as your carry on which needs to be small enough to fit under your seat.

These are a few if the airlines that I know allow in cabin flights. Again, some have restrictions to size and some will only allow a certain amount of dogs or cats on any one flight.

• United
  
• Southwest Airlines
  
• US Airways
• JetBlue
• Spirit Airlines

Djammy

Thank you for the info, @Steve.

erikashea

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I am reviewing all of the policies and will let you know who we decide to fly with and how it goes. We will not be leaving for another month or so. I also read not to give sedatives as the altitude may have bad side effects.

philsergeant

Where in Florida are you destined?

erikashea

Indian harbour beach, Space coast