>From:    Renee Ryerson <[log in to unmask]>
>Ok.  So I'm about to head back East from Berkeley, CA to embark on the
>Great Ferret Caper (moving my weasels cross country to live with me).  I'm
>looking at all these flights into Reno from New York, and they're really
>expensive.  ...
>Of course I wouldn't want to do anything to endanger the girls, but I'd
>kind of rather put the extra $1,000 in the bank for vet bills.
>
>Am I crazy?
 
No, you're not crazy, but there are a *lot* of problems with this plan,
whichever one of these ways you decide to run it.  One, you don't mention
which airline you're taking, or whether you've even checked if they allow
ferrets in the cabin.  (Not to rehash an old topic, but DO NOT, NOT EVER
stick a ferret in the cargo hold).  That has to be your first priority,
regardless of which airline has the best routes, times, or fares.
 
Two, if you're checked through to Reno, and you vanish from the plane in
SFO, probably it won't be noticed (airline security is a joke), but if it
is, you may find yourself dealing with the police very fast, as they will
suspect you left a bomb on the plane.  It's not you walking out with a
pet carrier that will alert anyone, it's you not being on a plane you're
ticket's checked in for.  Also, your checked luggage will be checked
through to Reno, and you'll have to go there to get it anyway.
 
Three, bringing a rental car from Reno to CA is going to set off a red flag
at the agricultura l checkpoint.  They ignore CA drivers heading home, and
NV drivers going for a little vacation in CA, but why would someone get
a rental car at Reno's expensive little airport, when there are cheaper
airfares straight into CA?  That's asking for trouble.  Besides, it's
cheaper to just drive to Reno than fly there.
 
My suggestion is to get a direct round trip (no stopovers if possible,
despite the cost) from Reno to NY on an airline that allows ferrets in the
cabin.  I think Southwest has a good reputation for pet carriers in the
cabin (someone with more recent experience with them can correct me if I'm
wrong on that), and they will go straight from Long Island to Reno if I
remember their routes right.
 
Also, *let them know when you buy your tickets that you'll have your pets
in the cabin with you*.  It'll probably cost $50 extra, but they will turn
you away if you haven't let them know.  *Drive* to Reno, put your car in a
private long-term lot near the airport, and conduct the entire air portion
of the trip from there.  I live about 4 miles from SFO, and my brother
lives in Carson City; the only time I'll fly rather than drive there is
when Donner Pass is snowed in and the highway's closed.  Driving out there
also lets you scout the route so you'll be able to memorize which exit in
Truckee to get off at to avoid the agr icultural station completely (the
first Business Route 80 exit, BTW).  Lastly, plan your trip so that you do
not travel on the weekends; the Reno-SF drive is an easy 4.5 hours without
traffic, but I've had it take almost 8 hours with.  Heck, in Berkeley,
you're almost an hour closer to Reno than I am already.
 
No, it's not cheap (although skipping the SFO-Reno round trip flight and
the car rental will help offset the direct flight cost somewhat), but your
ferrets' lives are worth it.
 
Feel free to write me directly if you want more detail on any of this.  I
go between Reno and SF every couple of months at least.
 
Eric A. Schwartz
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 3174]