I posted about a month ago (roughly) about my family (wife,daughters &
fuzzies) and our up-coming trip to Vegas (4/24/94-5/6/94) to visit
family (my side).  We're flying America West, I have reservations made
already and AW know up-front that our two sharks will be traveling with
us.  They gave the specs they require for a carry-on/under-seat pet
carrier, after some confusion with different AW people (call the 800
number you get whoever picks up, never the same person) as to the
charge, first I was told both our sharks COULD travel in the same
carrier and the cost would be $50.00 each way. Sounded good to me,
I go to the Travel Agent to book the flights, told her what AW told
me about the ferrets, she calls to make the pet reservations and is
told if they're over 6 months old, they must travel in separate carriers
and it's $50.00 each way PER carrier (PLUS there's a two per-carrier limit
per flight, standard with most airlines methinks?).  We booked our (humans)
flights and kept the pet reservation number although I was extremely
miffed (too put it mildly).  I called the 800 number when I got back to
work and told the poor woman I spoke to how angry I was that I was given
information regarding the ferrets and based on that information booked
4 round-trip tickets (Boston-Vegas-Boston) to the tune of roughly $1500.00
ONLY to be given a different set of rules for bringing the ferrets. She
(The AW person) apologized and said that my Travel Agent was given the
wrong info by the AW rep she spoke to but what I was originally told was
correct. I had her put it into the ferrets' reservation (record?) that
there would be 2 (two) ferrets traveling together in 1 (one) pet carrier
and the the charge was 1 (one) $50.00 charge each way.
 
Now, the REAL test is going to be when we arrive at the airport.  I'm very
apprehensive about what I'll encounter when we arrive at the airport. Two
things have me nervous. 1.) What grief I'll encounter when I get the the
check-in counter for the airline and 2.) Boston being in Mass., being a
FFZ, will I encounter a hassle from the law there?  We live in NH but
Boston (Logan Airport) is the most convenient airport to make this trip
from (non-stop).  I'm not looking for answers here (unless someone else
has run into a very similar scenario before), the answers will come soon
enough I suppose.  Our game plan is to arrive at the airport EARLY that
evening, our flight leaves at 10:30PM, we are planning on getting there
around 6:00pm.  This will help us if we do encounter enough grief that
we just decide to forget taking them, I can take them back home and get
back to the airport in time (a neighbor has already agreed to watch them
if we run into this type of problem, they'll be watching our cats anyway).
Secondly, if we get there early enough we won't have to sweat the two
pet carrier limit being filled already.  Chances are that won't be an issue
(not many people take thier pets to Vegas I would think...) but the flight
does continue on to CA so there is a slight possibility that someone might
be taking a cat or small dog with them.
 
Well, my main purpose for this posting was that someone asked if any airlines
will let you take ferrets onboard.  My answer is yes, America West but I
must qualify that by saying that they have told me they do, what awaits me
at the airport may be a whole different story. I do plan to give a trip
report upon our return, we'll see if AW gets thier wings for being Ferret
Friendly!   8-)
 
Oh, and quick hello and welcome to Dick Bossart!  I've spoken to Joan Bossart
a few times regarding literature for a presentation I made to my daughters'
elementary school classes and also the Bossart's Four Paws shelter in
Merrimack, NH.  Hi Dick, welcome to the list!
 
Mark Ouellette
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[Posted in FML issue 0764]