Karla Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hey guys/gals I would just like to know a couple of things regarding traveling on an airplane. 1. Is it safe for the bird to travel in an airplane? 2. What tipe of cage should i use that will be the safest? 3. Will anything bad happen? Okay thats all i wanna know for now. We are going away for the weekend and i DONT want 2 leave Tequila at home because here is nobody i can ask to take care of him while I'm away. I have a smaller cage that i can put him in as that is the cage we used 2 put him in when we drove for 6 hours and he was fine. The flight we are taking is only 1 hours flight. Will he be okay in that cage or should i purchase a special cage? Please respond because we are leaving in a week and i need to plan everything. {Emotions-0002011C} Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tari Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 They don't let pets travel when it is this cold and a grey is to big to go under you seat. You'll need to find a place to board him. Your avian vet maybe? If not maybe they know where. If not it is only one night your bird should be ok at home for one night. Just make sure he has enough food and maybe put a light and radio on a timer. If the airline well allow him in with you not in the baggage car way to cold for that. You'll need a pet taxi you can get them at Walmart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hmm Tari, actually that's not been my experience. If the bird can fit comfortably in an airline approved carrier that can slide under the seat in front, the bird can travel in the cabin. Bella (14 inches long and 500g) fits very comfortably into her carrier (bought the carrier at Petsmart - it is actually a cat carrier, Karla, look for the lable "airline approved"). She can stand up without bonking her head, and she has plenty of room all around. If a small dog and a large cat can go into the cabin, then a grey can go as well. :cheer: Karla, I've traveled wtih my conure on an airplane. He actually slept once we became airborne. The only thing you need to be prepared for is the security screening. The carrier has to go through the x-ray machine and at that point you need to take your bird out of the carrier. On my trip to my destination I wasn't prepared for that, and had to take Jiggy out of his carrier without any kind of support and he bit the petudies out of my hand because he was anxious!!! Returning home, I put his aviator harness on him, was able to safely let him out of his carrier and he sat on my shoulder while we went through security. That was MUCH better then getting bitten to death!!! Be prepared for lots of attention :woohoo: When I took Jiggy into the ladies room with me, he got so much attention from everyone, I had a hard time making it clear to people that I really needed to go to the bathroom! We happened to be traveling during "Pirate's week" (which I had no idea) and ran into several people thinking we were doing a pirate thing :laugh: And Children - children, children - they loved Jiggy! Well, Jiggy is quite the clown, so he was haming it up with all the attention. I think with Bella I'd put a cover over the cage while waiting in the airport for transfers. I'm not sure she'd appreciate that much attention. In terms of how I handled his accomodations at my destination - I have one of those travel cages from Avian Adventures. For staying in an hotel or at someone else's house, it's really perfect. I shipped that head to my destination and set it up when I got there, and then shipped it back when I left. I could have put it into my luggage, but I decided to do it like that. I hope that helps. Like I said - if your grey fits comfortably into an approved airline carrier, you can bring him/her into the cabin with you. Cheers! Terri<br><br>Post edited by: Nychsa, at: 2008/01/26 15:44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Forgot something Karla - when you make your reservations you need to make the reservations for your bird at the same time. Be prepared for some extra charges! I don't know if all airlines charge signifiantly more for pets in the cabin, but I flew from Baltimore to Jacksonville Fl - my flight was $80 - Jiggy's was $160!! Go figure! He was under the seat! That was U.S. Air - so, you do want to make sure you make your reservation for your bird as well. You don't want to be turned away at the gate because your bird doesn't have a ticket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibibi Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Here is some more info http://www.infosuperflyway.com/articles/travelingbird.php And there are links to the major US airlines at the bottom for more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Great info Kibibi! Booked mark that one and Karma to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tari Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 While maybe you could cram a grey in a taxi cab small enough to go under your seat why would you? JMO And then when you go to where your going where is the bird going to stay? In that tiny crate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Tari wrote: While maybe you could cram a grey in a taxi cab small enough to go under your seat why would you? JMO And then when you go to where your going where is the bird going to stay? In that tiny crate? Tari, as I mentioned in my post - Bella, who is not exactly a small grey has plenty of room in the crate. I also mentioned in my previous post how I took care of Jiggy when I got to my destination - he didnt' stay in his travel crate. Kibibi's web site is very good - check it out! It gives exact dimensions for the space on the plane etc.. It's really good. All one has to do is the math! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karla Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 hey, Thx for all the replies, Well they told me that I can use any cage so I'm thinking of using a cage that is about 70cm high 47cm wide and the side is 37cm. All we have 2 do is cover the cage leaving only one side open. Will this be fine and i think I should cover him because he doesnt get along well with other people and if strangers come close to him he screams! Unfortuanatly pets aren't allowed to be in the cabin with me so he'll have to travel in the cargo bay. Will he be okay? The flight is only one hour. We will be gone for 4 days so i cant leave him at home. Lol I have booked a ticket for tequila allready and it is very cheap to transport him. R50 so thats about 3 USD. Once again thx for the replies and please feel free to leave more comments. Ps Im from South africa.<br><br>Post edited by: Karla, at: 2008/01/27 15:47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Hi Karla, No idea if he'll be ok - I think that depends on what part of the country you're in. If you're up north, I'd be very concerned it would be too cold. The cold at the higher altitudes can be quite extreme and the cargo hold has no heating. I wouldn't risk it in the cargo hold. In fact, I'm not sure I'd ever really let my birds travel in the cargo hold. I don't think my birds would do well in that situation. Good Luck Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibibi Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Most airlines have minimum temperature requirements and will not allow animals in the cargo bay if the temperature is going to be below a specified limit. But will that be an issue in South Africa? Covering the cage is a good idea. It will help keep your bird calm(er). And leaving some of it open to allow good airflow is also a good idea. Please check back with us after your trip and share your experience with us . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 When my grey was shipped to me she was in a basic little doggie pet taxi. The breeder put some extra wires around the holes cause she didn't want anyone sticking their fingers in there and she cut a doll rod to fit in there so she would have something to perch on. But there is the question of it being too cold. I know they won't ship if it's too cold. And no 1 hours isn't bad at all, what my bird went through was very bad, ended up being a 13 hour flight! Long story and she's still getting over it! But you will be with her and it's not a long flight! So good luck and hope you have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazyAK Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Karla: I've flown with my grey and cockatoo. The kitty carrier is the thing they fit just fine under the seat and your voice will be calming for your bird through the travels. As others have said just let the airline know you have a bird and that he will be traveling in a carrier that WILL fit under the seat. Good luck Bruce & Mazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karla Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thx again! I'll let you know how things went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karla Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 hey, So here is what happened, When we left and got to the airport Tequila was a little scared and had a fright of people walking by, I just spoke to him the whole time and sat down and patted him. That seemed to calm him down. During the flight I was a bit worried and just prayed that my baby would be okay. When we landed I just rushed over to the place where we receive our luggage. Something funny happened as we were waiting for Tequila, A lady came to ask us if we are waiting for a dove....lol. So I thought the flight must have changed him into a dove...hehe! Anyway we got him and everything was fine, he was a very quiet and seemed stressed. I just gave him a lot of attention and as soon as we got to our families house and I gave him water and food he started with his funny noices so I knew he was Okay. Our flight back was even better, Tequila wasn't so frightened at the airport this time. He was climbing around in his cage and didn't look stressed at all. When we landed and went to get our luggage they brought Tequila to us and when he heard my voice he started wistling and saying hello. That was so cute, it was almost like he was getting used to this. Everybody at the airport just looked at us and I knew they all wanted to know what was in the cage. So ya everything went fine, Tequila is still a happy birdie and still does his thing as usual. I'm so happy! {Feel-good-00020114} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Glad everything went well for you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfectparrots Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 I am glad all went well for you. I am an Aircraft Despatcher in the UK. I have to say we do not see parrots that often on flights over here. What I can say about the aircraft holds is, that if the airline allows the carriage of animals then for us generally they travel in the aircraft hold. Certain airlines allow for certain animals to travel in the cabin. What happens is that certain holds can be heated. The captain is advised of live animals travelling and will monitor the heat of the hold during the flight. I hope this little bit of information is useful to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Karla, I am glad it turned out well for you traveling with Tequila and now if you have to go again he will be fine with it. Thanks for updating us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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