I'm told that America West and Air Canada both permit ferrets in an
underseat carrier.  Last December, I managed to convince Continental to
grant me a special exception, although their policy doesn't allow ferrets
either.  I just called up the customer service line and talked to the
representative long enough (he didn't even know what a ferret was; I said
thinks like, "They're really small, and quiet, and friendly, and healthy")
that he went off to ask a supervisor.  After a time, he came back to say it
had been approved, and made a note in our reservation record.
Unfortunately, the weather interfered with our flights and we ended up
driving instead, so I don't know how it would have worked out, but it looked
good.
 
Best of luck, and if you have any success, please drop me a note so I can
put it in the FAQ.
 
--
- Pam Greene
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
[Posted in FML issue 1494]