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Topic starter
hi everyone!
i am coming to STJ in mid april to look for an apt. as soon as i find it, i intend to call the airline to buy my airfare to the VI to make my permanent move there. the only problem is that this call will take place no more than two weeks before the event, and i am bringing my 3 cats w/me. is this too narrow a timeframe to make flight reservations when you're flying w/pets? if it were just me alone, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but since i'm bringing my cats, i'm afraid the airline will complain because i didn't make my resv. sooner. but i don't think it makes sense to buy this airfare before i know for a fact that i'll have my STJ apt. any advice?
Posted : December 29, 2004 1:13 pm
I flew with 3 cats, but I came with my husband. The airline (ATA to SJU) would allow 2 cats per carrier, but there can only be 1 carrier per person. Not sure how you are going to make that happen with 3 cats if you are travelling alone.
Also, they do a charge a fee per cat, require reservations for the cats, and have a maximum number of cats per cabin. Given your late reservation, you may run in to trouble getting all 3 approved for travel. I would call the airline immediately and when you make your reservation make sure that you resereve and pay for all 3 cats so that when you get to the airport they can't claim they didn't know.
Good luck!
And watch out for the security checkpoint at the airport...they require you to take each kitty out of the carrier. If your kitties are anything like mine, this can get VERY ugly. Anti-anxiety meds are recommended. Lastly, be sure you have the required vet docs.
Posted : December 29, 2004 1:36 pm
Topic starter
thanks onika! duh, i should have mentioned that my fiance is traveling w/me, so there'll be one more person for the cats. don't worry, i will make sure to give my kitties meds b4 we leave so that they'll be sufficiently mellowed out for the flight. many thanks for your help! 🙂
Posted : December 29, 2004 1:59 pm
I found that most airlines have a maximum number of pets allowed in the cabin, the airline we used had a maximum of three carry-on pets total for the flight. Check with the airline that you’re planning on using about this before making reservations other than you should be fine. Good luck with your flight!
Lauren
Posted : December 29, 2004 2:50 pm
When we came down with our cat, they wouldn't let us reserve her "seat" until 10 days before departure. Suprisingly, the airline won't take earlier reservations. There are some regulations about how many pets can be in coach on each flight, they may not allow three cats in the cabin (due to some people's allergies). So you may want to call now just to make sure they could all be on the cabin.
Also, our cat was just a little over a year old when we brought her - our vet advised against meds. He said younger cats tend to do well w/o medication. Something I found very helpful was putting a towel over the carrier when we were at the airport/taxi/etc. If she could not see what was going on, she was fine. If she could look around her, she would start to cry.
Good luck!
Posted : December 29, 2004 4:49 pm
i'd make the reservations knowing that if you don't end up finding an apartment you may have to pay the cancellation fee. it would be awful not to bring all three with you if some complications arise. when i once travelled with my kitty (RIP Mikey) he sort of cried/moaned a lot, but the nose on the airplane drowned him out so it wasn't a problem. flying with dogs is much harder!!
Posted : December 29, 2004 5:52 pm
