Traveling with pets may be more trouble than it's worth

• Pet-travel rules vary by airline
• Finding places that welcome pets

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Travel Editor

If you want to travel with your pet, like Webster here, you'll have to invest in a pet carrier as required by the airlines. Advertiser library photo

Dr. Mark Caspers of Feather and Fur Clinic in Kane'ohe says if you're going to the Mainland for less than a month, the planning, expense and stress to the animal are not worth it. "You have to look at it from the animals' perspective: They do better when things are the same — when they're upset by travel, they don't eat well, they're just not right. They would rather stay home."

The issues:

• Carrying animals in the baggage compartment or freight hold is risky. Most airlines will not haul animals to or from Hawai'i and West Coast destinations in the hold during the summer. Both the Humane Society of the United States and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service caution against transporting animals in the hold unless travel is absolutely necessary. Also strongly advised: Avoid connecting flights.
• Many airlines don't allow pets in the passenger cabin, or restrict the number that can fly at any one time. Only animals small enough to fit in a carrier under the seat are allowed in the cabin.
• Some animals should not travel, including very young and very old animals, nervous animals and breeds prone to breathing problems.
• Preparing a pet to travel means a visit to the vet; acquiring a proper carrier; packing food, water, dishes, bedding, leash, collar and tags; carrying the pet's health certificate, proof of rabies vaccination, medications and, in case the pet is lost, a recent photograph and a written description.
• Planning is a must, said Janelle Saneishi, public information officer for the quarantine division of the state Department of Agriculture. An animal can be eligible to re-enter the Islands without quarantine if it has an implanted microchip for identification, a rabies shot and booster no less than three months apart and no more than one year apart, a blood serum test carried out 120 days before re-entry and a veterinarian's health certificate issued within 14 days of travel. (If you travel for longer than two weeks, you will have to visit a veterinarian before your return; make copies of the certificate and give a copy to the airlines, reserving the original for Hawai'i inspectors.) A fee of $165 is charged for re-entry without quarantine.

"If you're thinking of traveling with your pet this summer, it's already too late unless the pet already has the rabies vaccinations," said veterinarian Caspers.

Pet-travel rules vary by airline

Island pet owners are celebrating the easing of quarantine restrictions for traveling with pets. But how easy is it to take your companion animal on vacation? How do you arrange for their air travel? And what about when you get there — how can you find a place in Las Vegas, for instance, where Pooch can put his paws up and rest while you take in the buffet?

We checked with airlines often used by Islanders:

Aloha Airlines

"We don't carry pets on Mainland flights because the cargo holds of our 737-700 long-haul airplanes are not temperature-controlled," said Stu Glauberman of Aloha Airlines. Aloha is not considering changing this policy in the near future. However, pets often fly interisland. "Aloha is well-used to shipping animals in cabin and cargo throughout the Islands year-round," he said.

Animals can travel in the cabin if they are small enough to fit in an airline-approved container underneath the seat, or in cargo if they're bigger.

Required: A health certificate signed within 10 days before travel.

Cost: Animals travel free in the cabin. Cargo shipping rates are determined by the container size.

Reservations: 434-1111.

Hawaiian Airlines

Keoni Wagner of Hawaiian Airlines said the airline is not anticipating any changes in its pets policy. Hawaiian will carry cats, dogs, birds and rabbits in the cabin if they weigh less than 20 pounds and fit in an under-the-seat container; otherwise, animals fly in cargo. Animals may be pre-booked 30 days in advance and a minimum of two days before the date of travel.

In general, Hawaiian will not ship any animal when the temperature is forecast to exceed 85 degrees F or if the temperature is below 20 degrees F at any point in the animal's trip. Hawaiian Airlines will not fly animals on the following routes between the following dates: Honolulu/Las Vegas, April 15 to Oct. 15; Honolulu/Phoenix, June 1 to Oct. 15; Ontario to Honolulu, May 15 to Sept. 15; Sacramento, Calif., to Honolulu May 15 to Sept. 15.

Required: A health certificate signed within 10 days of travel.

Cost: Animals travel free in cabin; cargo shipping rates are determined by the size of the container.

Reservations: 838-1555, Hawaiian Airlines Cargo Capacity Desk (877) 422-2746, www.hawaiianair.com/cargo/pets.

Omni Air International

Omni Air International, which operates Vacations Hawaii and Worry Free Vacations, does not allow animals on charter flights.

United Airlines

United Airlines will carry pets in the cabin and in cargo between Hawai'i and the Mainland and to international destinations. For cabin travel, animals must fit in an airline-approved kennel that fits under the seat. Kennels are available from the airline.

United will not transport animals when the cargo hold temperature is forecast below 40 degrees F or above 85 degrees F.

Required: A health certificate signed within 30 days of travel.

Cost: $80 per flight for cabin or cargo passage; international costs vary by destination. Book in advance; only a small number of animals are allowed per flight.

Reservations: (800) 241-6522, www.ual.com. For unaccompanied pets, www.unitedcargo.com.

American Airlines

Pets are not allowed to travel in the cabin between Hawai'i and the Mainland. Pets may travel in the cabin on Mainland domestic flights if they weigh 20 pounds or less and fit in an under-seat container measuring 23 by 13 by 9 inches.

Dogs and cats only may travel in the airplane's cargo hold between Hawai'i and the Mainland, except May 15 to Sept. 15.

Pet owners may purchase travel containers from American beginning at $45 for the smallest, 19 by 12 by 7 inches, for use in the cabin.

Required: A health certificate signed within 10 days of travel.

Cost: $80 per flight for cabin or cargo passage.

Reservations: 833-7600, www.aa.com.

Accommodations: We checked with several hotels in Las Vegas that are popular with Islanders and found none that allows pets. Check books or Web sites for referrals (see story this page).

Finding places that welcome pets

Books

• "Traveling with Your Pet — the AAA PetBook: 5th Edition"; AAA, paperback, $15.95. Available at AAA offices, bookstores, online book sources.
• "Pets on the Go: The Definitive Pet Accommodation and Vacation Guide" by Dawn Habgood and Robert Habgood; Dawbert, paperback, $21.95. Recommended for specific, reliable information; researched in person.
• "Pets Welcome" by Kathleen and Robert Fish; Bon Vivant Press, paperback, $20.95. Lists hotels, motels and inns based on ambiance, guest amenities, pet friendliness.
• "Vacationing with Your Pet: Eileen's Directory of Pet-Friendly Lodging in the U.S. and Canada" by Eileen Barish; Pet Friendly Productions, paperback, $19.95. More than 25,000 listings of inns, hotels, motels and B&Bs that allow animal companions (Barish also has some state-specific guides, e.g., "Doin' California with Your Pooch").

Online

• The Hawai'i Department of Agriculture: Checklist for pet owners. www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa.
• Humane Society of the United States: All manner of companion-animal-related material, plus travel guide, airline-by-airline policy guide. www.hsus.org.
• U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services: Guide on traveling with your pet, information on quarantine and importation to and from other countries. www.aphis.usda.gov/travel/pets.html.
• TakeYourPet.com: Straightforward, well-designed, free online newsletter; requires registration. Offers detailed advice on safe travel with pets, a guide to pet-friendly lodging with 20,000 entries; membership discounts for hotels that accept pets. www.takeyourpet.com.
• Petswelcome.com: Quirky, humor-tinged online newsletter. No membership required to see lodging list of 25,000-plus locations; "Traveler's Choice" offers feedback from readers; searchable by type of animal (cat, dog, etc.), lodging type; includes emergency vets. www.petswelcome.com.