Tag Archives: airline

Checking pets to and from Hawaii

Question from a reader: What are the airlines’ rules for kennels to transport pets as checked cargo/baggage to and from Hawaii?

Answer:

American Airlines provides the most specific details on which size of pet (dog or cat) kennel / crate they allow. According to their website:

Pets Traveling as Checked Baggage

The maximum size for checked kennels is a series 500 kennel with the following dimensions: 40″ long x 27″ wide x 30″ high. However, this size kennel is not accepted on the Boeing MD-80 (S80). Kennels checked on MD-80s must be able to fit through the cargo door while remaining in an upright position. MD-80 cargo doors are 29″ high x 53″ wide.

Series 700 kennels are not allowed on any aircraft.

The maximum weight of a checked pet and kennel (combined) cannot exceed 100 lbs.

Collapsible Kennels (those which can fold down flat) can not be accepted due to the risk of collapse during transport.

Pets Traveling as Carryon

The maximum size for cabin pet carriers is 23″ long x 13″ wide x 9″ high.

Other domestic airlines are likely to have similar guidelines, but they aren’t posted. I suggest calling your desired airline to check before booking a ticket.

Remember that the FAA also imposes runway temperature restrictions for pets. Generally, pets are only allowed to travel when the runway is not more than 85 degrees F and not less than 45 degrees F. An exception can be made to 20 degrees F, if a veterinarian certifies that the pet is acclimated to lower temperatures. No exceptions are allowed over 85 degrees (think Dallas in summer) or under 20 degrees (think Boston in winter).

Basic health requirements must also be met, including original proof of vaccination for rabies for pets departing Hawaii. For pets traveling to Hawaii, stringent health rules apply. Learn more about those from the state quarantine office. Due to state budget cuts, the inspection facility at Honolulu Airport has reduced its hours as follows:

Effective December 1, 2009 inspection hours for dog and cats at Honolulu International Airport (HNL) will be between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays. This information is particularly important for those who are qualifying their pets for direct release at the airport.  Pet owners should be sure to arrange for their flights to arrive by 3:30 p.m. because it may take up to one hour for the airlines to transport a pet to the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility and animals not arriving at the facility by 4:30 p.m. will not be released at the airport that day.   Pets arriving in the late afternoon and evening will be held overnight until inspections are completed the following morning.  Pet owners who are connecting to neighboring islands should pay particular attention to the change in inspection hours.  (An advisory was posted on this website on August 17, 2009 to advise pet owners of the probability of reduced inspection hours.)

Flying with an Empty Seat Next to You

Here are some strategies and tips on how to end up with an empty seat next to you on the airplane. In other words, how to get more elbow room for the same money.

This comes in response to a previous post “How to Find the Best Seat on the Airplane”, which generated a lot of questions from readers. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.

  • How do I choose my seat on a plane in such a way I end up with an empty seat next to me?

Choosing a seat so that you end up with an empty seat next to you is the Holy Grail of seat selection. It’s even better if you score an exit row seat, so you end up with extra leg and elbow room. But with many airlines cutting flights to save costs, airplanes are typically more crowded these days and often oversold. On many popular flights during peak seasons, you’re lucky to even get a seat assignment. So flying with an empty seat next to you is becoming ever more rare. Despite this, there are some strategies that you can use to increase your chances.

  1. When selecting your seat, consider how close you are to departure and how full the flight is at the moment. If you are months away from your flight, the plane will likely look empty, and you’ll probably score a good seat (sites like seatguru.com and seatexpert.com can help you figure out which of the available seats are the best). At this point, you have to plan on the reality that the plan will fill up. So choose your seat accordingly.
  2. Two-seat rows almost always fill up, but middle seats in three-seat rows are the last to go. If you want to press your luck for an empty seat next to you, grab an aisle seat in a three-seat row *if* there is already someone sitting in the other aisle seat. Do not choose a three-seat row that is empty because a couple will probably take the other two seats.
  3. If you don’t have a tight connection, choose seats further in the back of the plane. Most people like to be in front, and the airlines typically assign seats front to back. So if there is an empty seat, it’s most likely in the back.
  4. As you get closer to the flight (or book within two weeks of departure), chances are the plane is already full or very close to capacity. Check the your seat selection again on the airline’s map and see if someone is next to you. You might be able to shuffle into a three-seat row with only one other person.
  • Does it mean that I should choose the least desirable seat, or sit next to the least desirable seat?

This is definitely one strategy that works, but I wouldn’t use it straightaway because, afterall, you’ll end up sitting in that crappy seat. Would you rather be able to recline or have elbow room? You make the call.

  • Do I choose a flight near capacity? Is 2/3 on average the near capacity ratio?

These days, planes typically fly at 80-90% of capacity. More expensive fuel and other costs means airlines are cutting the number of planes to keep capacity high. If you can be flexible with your choice of flight, this is a great way to increase your chances of scoring an empty seat next to you. Often airlines offer discounted fares on several flights the same day, but certain flights fill up faster.

Consider your routing. For example, if you’re flying from ORD to BOS, chances are the morning flights will be packed to the gills with business travelers trying to make meetings. If you can take an afternoon flight, you are more likely to score some elbow room.

  • Are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the best day to fly?

In most US markets, Mondays (except holiday weekends), Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to fly. Saturdays have become filled with families traveling over weekends (think lots of people gate checking baby strollers). Use kayak.com and farewatch.com to compare the days and find the best price. Then consider the cities your flying between to pick the least trafficked times of days.

  • Are late night or early, early morning vs. late morning or mid day/mid-evening the best time to fly?

Again, this really depends on the cities. Certain airports, like LGA and JFK, run so behind that unless you get an early morning flight, you’ll never make your connection (and you’re still likely to experience a 45-minute delay sitting on the runway waiting for take off). So at those airports, what’s most important is just getting out in any seat. The later in the day you fly, the more backed up they become.

But other airports have better on-time records so flights later in the day are typically less crowded. Again this is market specific. For business hubs like Dallas, Denver, and Los Angeles, it is generally true that flights later in the day are less crowded.

Holiday destinations are different. Consider Honolulu. Nearly all flights to the Mainland leave at night (the red-eyes) so people can make morning connections on the West Coast to the East Coast. Nearly all evening and nights flights out of Hawaii are packed.

Flights earlier in the day are typically less crowded for several reasons: (1) Most people want to maximize their time in Hawaii and prefer to leave as late as possible (think one more round of cocktails at sunset); (2) The kids will sleep on the plane on a night flight; and (3) Most people don’t want to pay for an extra hotel night at a connecting airport. You’re most likely to score extra elbow room flying during the day from Hawaii to the Mainland.

Airports with predictable, extreme weather also follow their own patterns. Consider San Francisco. When the fog rolls in, it typically happens as the day heats up. So flights taking off (or landing) in the late afternoon or evening are usually delayed. This is an example of another airport where morning flights are most reliable, even though you’ll compete with business travelers. In this case, you may want to consider using another airport in the area, like San Jose or Oakland, that don’t typically have weather issues.

Method of Last Resort to Get an Empty Seat Next to You on the Plane

Finally, if all of that planning and strategizing still does not score an empty seat next to you on plane, the method of last resort is to sit where you are assigned until all passengers have boarded. Once everyone is in their seats, look around for the empty row. There is a very small window between when the airplane door closes and when the plane pushes back from the gate that you can quickly switch seats. Just make sure you’re seated with your seat belt on before anyone notices.

How to Find the Best Seat on the Airplane

You’ve spent a wad of hard-earned cash on an airplane ticket. Now where to sit? Don’t leave it to the airline to decide because chances are you’ll end up in the middle of a row that doesn’t recline. There are several resources to to use that can help you land the best seat available.

There are two free web sites to visit for seat maps: seatguru.com and seatexpert.com. Seatguru’s graphical interface is slightly easier on the eyes, but both offer seat maps of individual aircrafts operated by most airlines. They show graphical layouts of the cabins and pros and cons for various seats on the plane as reported by passengers.

  • Tip #1: You’ll need to know which type of plane the airline will be using on your flight. You can generally find this information in your reservation.

To see seat maps on specific flights that show which seats are occupied or not, try expertflyer.com. This site is not free (they charge a $4.99/month subscription fee), but you can access the information the first time by using their 5-day free trial. Armed with one of the free seat maps, you can also call the airline directly.

  • Tip #2: Remember FEBO (Front Even Back Odd) — This is how several major carriers, including American Airlines, take meal orders in premium class based on flight number. For Even flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Front, and for Odd flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Back. Pick your seat accordingly if you want to ensure your meal choice.