Dog Jaunt

Aug 26 2013

Traveling by Berlin public transit with a pet dog

Reader Simone’s reference, in a recent post, to taking Spock, her Cavalier, on Berlin’s subway and buses reminded me that Dog Jaunt has a collection of posts about public transit pet policies, and Berlin needs to be on it.

Berlin’s public transit menu includes rapid transit and commuter trains (U-Bahn and S-Bahn), regional trains (Deutsche Bahn’s Regionalbahn and Regional-Express), trams, buses, and ferries.

The BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) operates the U-Bahn, the city’s trams and buses, and much of the ferry system. Small dogs in carriers travel free of charge; larger dogs are free with a Day Ticket (and please note that you can travel with more than one dog, for the price of a reduced fare ticket). Here’s the link to BVG’s Travelling with Dogs page (translated into English), so you can see the exact language.

Here’s Spock on public transit in Berlin — it looks like the carrier rule isn’t strictly enforced

That leaves the regional trains, operated by Deutsche Bahn, and the S-Bahn, operated by a Deutsche Bahn subsidiary. On the regional trains, again, small dogs in carriers travel for free, while larger dogs will cost half fare. Please note that dogs not contained in a carrier will have to be muzzled. Pet dogs are allowed in overnight compartments, but only if you book the entire compartment (there is a 30 € pet fee). Here is the link to Deutsche Bahn’s “Hinweise für die Mitnahme von Hunden” page, with the details. The rules for the S-Bahn look identical to those for the U-Bahn — here’s the link (I used Google Translate to work my way through — strangely, I could not find a pet policy page in the English version of the site).

Please note that there are a number of small ferries in Berlin that are not under the BVG umbrella, and they’ll have rules of their own. The ferry to Die Pfaueninsel is one example — pet dogs are not allowed on the island, so that’s a ride you won’t be taking together.

For other posts about traveling with dogs on public transit, take a look at Dog Jaunt’s handy guide!

Aug 23 2013

Reader’s report: Taking Spock to Berlin, from Miami, via Lufthansa

Simone first wrote to me back in April, to tell me that she was planning to take Spock, her 14-15 lb. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, from Miami to Berlin, via Frankfurt, on Lufthansa, and needed a pep talk about logistics. I cheered her on, and asked if she’d let me know how her trip went — and sure enough, she sent a marvelous report, packed with pictures of Spock in Berlin.

A little background: Spock was 8 months old in April, so he was just shy of a year old when they traveled in July. It was his first time flying. Simone bought him a large SturdiBag, and she “put him in for all our car travels and to go to stores etc. to have him comfortable with it.” The first leg of their trip (Miami to Frankfurt) was on a Lufthansa A380, and their second leg was on a “smaller plane.” As you’ll see, by the time they flew, Spock weighed 17 lbs.

Checking in at the Miami airport

Simone was concerned that Spock + carrier would be too heavy for Lufthansa (which has an official 17.6 lb./8 kg. maximum for in-cabin dogs). I suggested that she take the shoulder strap off her carrier, and to take everything else optional off, and out of, the bag (pocket contents, ID tag, hard foam “floor”), before he was weighed (if, indeed, it turned out that he was weighed — it doesn’t always happen). The large SturdiBag weighs 3 lbs., so I hoped that, trimmed to a minimum, the whole assemblage would squeak through.

Here’s what happened: “At Miami airport Lufthansa check-in I placed the SturdiBag with Spock on the scale and held on to the handles keeping it steady at 7.5 kg. Got the approved in-cabin luggage sticker and paid my $100.” Wait a moment, I said — tell me more about the part where you held onto the handles! Turns out that Spock + carrier was a little over the limit, so Simone had to fudge a bit:

“During weighing I had a sweater on top of the bag , so of course I had to hold on to the handles of the bag so my ‘heavy’ sweater wouldn’t collapse the bag…. I did let go for a bit when the agent walked away and it was 21 lbs, about 4 lbs over the allowed weight. But frankly I don’t think they cared.”

On the plane (inc. under-seat space on a Lufthansa A-380)

Simone and Spock (and Simone’s daughter — thank goodness, as you’ll see in a moment) had Economy seats on their A-380. Given her description, they were either in Seats A&B or J&K (here’s a floor map of a Lufthansa A-380 for your reference). Economy is usually a workable choice for travelers with pets, but not this time:

“The surprise came inside the plane. It’s an A380, largest plane everywhere … But there is no way to fit any type of dog, with or without carrier under an economy seat. The space is about 10” high but there is the life vest under every seat which takes up about 2.5” — plus window and middle seat have an electrical box of some sort that are taking up most of the leftover space…..

The SturdiBag did fit in the foot space with determined shoving and my legs were crossed in a skinny way to the middle seat (my daughter sat there). The good thing was, nobody cared…. I had a newspaper opened to cover the fact that the legroom was completely occupied by the puppy bag but I don’t think it mattered….

The flight Frankfurt /Berlin was easy, smaller plane, plenty of room for large SturdiBag even with life vest.”

I’ve seen someone camouflage a too-large carrier with an artistically-draped shawl, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a traveler getting away with an entire carrier out in the foot space. Impressive use of a newspaper, Simone! I’ll be avoiding those seats, myself, since my nerves aren’t what they used to be.

That was the only worrisome part of the trip, since it turns out that Spock is an excellent traveler: “Spock slept through most of all the flights and just woke up to sample the on board dinner (yum — a little mashed potatoes and gravy are always welcome).”

At the Frankfurt and Berlin Tegel airports

Simone report that the Frankfurt airport (FRA) has “no pet relief area but they have huge private bathrooms for families and babies and even showers so I occupied a family room for 20 minutes but Spock didn’t use the peepee pad but waited till we stepped outside Berlin airport [TXL] to pee. That airport is the best, you have to keep your dog on a leash and that’s all the restriction there. Pet relief area not needed since you can step out to the curb easy until you go to the boarding area.”

I love this shot from the Berlin Tegel airport not only because the sign on the door indicates that leashed dogs are allowed inside (so rare!) but also because you can see the reflection of leashed Spock (just to the left of the dog sign)

The payoff: Doing stuff together in Berlin

This is the part that really thrills me. Simone was a worried woman before she left (“Am I too anxious? Probably but it’s giving me nightmares…”) — and she’s such a happy one now:

“Berlin is the perfect city for dog lovers. In the restaurants and pubs dogs are not just welcome but waiters even ask if they can bring a bowl of water for the pooch. Everywhere! Only grocery stores prohibit dogs. So there was plenty of shopping possible from shoe stores to Ikea and boutiques — as long as your dog is leashed and behaves reasonably well, no problem.

We went on the subway and the public bus and due to Spock’s size (17 lbs.) he didn’t need to buy a ticket.

We visited some nice castles but just from the outside and enjoyed the castle gardens and parks.

I can’t wait to go again. Thank you for your valuable tips and reassurance. It was very helpful. I love taking my puppy everywhere!”

I love taking my puppy everywhere — isn’t that what it’s all about? Here are Simone’s pictures from their trip:

With Spock at the Neues Palais, in Potsdam’s Sanssouci Park

Simone points out the putto "is holding a globe and a book. Very fitting for the world traveler!"

Simone points out that the putto “is holding a globe and a book. Very fitting for the world traveler!”

Spock on the subway, I’m guessing

Spock hanging out with her people at a café

Spock hanging out with his people at a café

Simone even included a scoop law sign for me — and one to cherish, since that pup is clearly a spaniel (look at the ears and floofy tail!):

Please note, too, the added, um, possum (?) scoop law graffito just below the official sign….

I’ll leave you, though, with the iconic shot of Berlin:

Spock in mid-air, Berlin’s Fernsehturm (an enormously tall 1960’s TV tower) in the background

Thank you so much, Simone, for the great info and all the wonderful pictures! Please do keep us in mind on your future trips to Berlin — we’ll always want to see what you and Spock get to do there together, and your tips are so appreciated. I’m adding this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements.

Aug 19 2013

Pet carrier picture: Large SturdiBag on Virgin America A320

I’ve reported before about the dimensions of the under-seat space available (in the main cabin) on a Virgin America A-320, but I neglected to take a picture of Chloe’s carrier in position. This time, I got the shot. Please note that I was sitting in Seat 14C, an aisle seat in the main cabin (here’s a floor map of a VA A320 for your reference):

Large SturdiBag (with Chloe inside) in the under-seat space for Seat 14C

Large SturdiBag (with Chloe inside — you can just see her nose) in the under-seat space for Seat 14C

When I started writing this blog, I always oriented Chloe’s carrier left-to-right — it sticks out less that way, but requires a wider under-seat space to fit. These days, I orient her carrier front-to-back, since that allows me to keep a good eye on her, through the front panel, during the flight (plus it’s a little easier to reach my hand in to her during takeoff and landing, the parts of the flight she dislikes). That means her carrier sticks out a little more into my foot area, but it hasn’t been a problem. When the fabric flange on the front of the SturdiBag is patted flat, the front of the carrier is even with the metal seat legs. No flight attendant has ever expressed concern about that, but if you are concerned, I’d choose the middle seat instead on this plane, and orient your pup’s carrier left-to-right. I took a picture of that space too, for what it’s worth:

The under-seat space for Seat 14B — significantly wider, so Chloe’s carrier would fit oriented left-to-right (and would project slightly less into the foot area)

I’m tagging this post to add it to Dog Jaunt’s growing collection of pictures of carriers under plane seats, which will help people prepare for travel — and address gate- or ticketing agents’ concerns about the workability of a carrier. I’m also adding it to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements.

Aug 15 2013

Travel clipper for long-haired dogs

Those of you with Boston Terriers or smooth-haired Dachshunds won’t care a bit about this, and I recommend that you instead check out Edie Jarolim’s post about taking Frankie into a cactus patch for a late-night bathroom break. I’m talking to the Cavalier owners, the Papillon owners, the (heaven help them) Sheltie owners — those of us with generously-coated and deliriously active dogs, who return from even a short walk a mass of burrs and pine needles and other debris.

At some point, it all gets away from you and you have to remove a wad of matted hair from your dog. At home, we use the astonishingly expensive Andis 65340 Super AGR (purchased because our vet uses them), but it’s too huge to pack. The travel trimmer that has worked well for us is the Wahl Touch Up Trimmer.

We're staying in Marin, on a property where fields of foxtail, ornamented with ticks, sway over a carpet of burrs. The travel trimmer has seen a lot of use.

We’re staying in Marin, on a property where drifts of foxtail, ornamented with ticks, sway over a carpet of burrs. The travel trimmer has seen a lot of use.

It’s slender, light (my scale isn’t at hand, but the Wahl clipper has about the same heft as my cell phone), and powered by two AA batteries. It’s noisier than the Andis clipper, but it works well and doesn’t seem to bother Chloe. I recommend taking the batteries out when you’re not using it — I pack them and the clipper in a small mesh pouch I found at REI.

Why not just pack a pair of scissors, you’re asking? I started out using scissors on Chloe’s mats, until my vet told me what a bad idea that was. Your dog might move at the wrong moment, and some mats are quite close to the skin — she didn’t go into details, but I got the picture and put the scissors down.

Amazon link: Wahl 9990-502 Touch Up Pet Trimmer

Aug 13 2013

Reader’s report: Traveling to England from the Continent via pet chauffeur

It’s not straightforward to get into the U.K. with a pet dog, you’ll recall from a June 2013 post — and you may recall, too, that one reader’s approach was to hire a courier or chauffeur on the Continent who would take her and her pup through the Chunnel on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle. Reader Tammy wrote to me after her trip to let me know how it all went, and kindly agreed that I could pass the information on to you.

The pet chauffeur she engaged is named Denise Brown, and Tammy found her reliable and easy to work with. Tammy and her pup Bruno arrived in Amsterdam, and while Denise offered to pick them up there, take them to a Dutch vet to get a pet passport plus the tapeworm treatment the U.K. requires, and then drive them to London, Tammy opted to meet her in Paris: “I felt it would be too long a car ride from Amsterdam, given also that we are doing a v long flight from Singapore. + I also thought I could manage a vet trip by myself, and did not mind a side trip to Paris.”

That sounded good on paper, but in retrospect, Tammy would have handled it differently:

“My mistake was I should have waited/rested a few days before simply pressing on. We took the Thalys from Amsterdam to Paris, and Denise picked us up from Gare du Nord. We had arrived in Amsterdam 2 days before this, from Singapore. It really took a toll on us. Also, long distance driving isn’t exactly the same as interstate driving in the US (where I learnt to drive, and have lived for about 10 years). The freeways seemed smaller! There is also v miserable traffic in Paris and London. I think what I would do next time if I used her again would be to rest a few days before doing this journey.”

Alternatively, Tammy might have opted for renting a car and driving herself (not every car rental agency will let you take a car one-way into the U.K., but Hertz does, and others might). The cost savings of engaging a pet chauffeur (over renting a car and paying the gigantic one-way surcharge) ended up evaporating: The basic fee Denise charged for driving Tammy and Bruno from Paris Gare du Nord to South Kensington was 500 €, but “there was also a VAT fee I had to pay.”

Tammy noted, too, that Denise was “quite strict with having the dogs crated — so post-international flying Bruno was really pissed with being in a crate, and not on my lap, and protested ALL the way — something he did not do at all on a 13 hr flight. For some reason, that also strained me!” [Editor’s note: I can certainly see Denise’s point, especially given that her livelihood depends on keeping her charges safe. But I can also sympathize with Tammy (and Bruno!) — in their “own” car, Tammy could put down a sheet to protect the seat, and give Bruno some room to sprawl (while securing him with a harness and strap “seat belt”).]

Please note that the next time Tammy makes the trip, she will not be driven all the way into London: “Ideally is to drive myself across the Channel, and then leave car there, and get on train to London. The drive into London is ridiculous.”

She had nothing but good things to say about Denise:

“I would have no qualms recommending Denise, or Den as she prefers to be called. She was waiting for me at least 30 mins before we arrived at Gare Du Nord, she knows the deal, v good driver — sharp, alert, and really just hand-held us through pet control etc. She was v professional, warm, and easy to be with for the journey. Her van is well-equipped for dog travel.”

As I mentioned, the cost of the trip Tammy took was 500 €, plus VAT. Tammy paid Denise a deposit of 250 €, and the balance when they met in Paris. The price of the alternate trip Denise suggested (picking Tammy and Bruno up in Amsterdam) was “slightly more.”

Tammy wrote about the trip herself, it turns out, on her own blog. Here’s the link — her account has a picture of Bruno vigorously objecting to traveling in his crate, and more details about the actual drive. Thank you, Tammy, for your feedback about Denise and the service she provides, and for your thoughts on how you’ll handle future trips!

Aug 9 2013

Photo Friday: Emma, Bailey, and Nina at Yosemite Falls

If you’ve “liked” Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, chances are you’ve seen these three Cavaliers before — reader Priscilla has posted photos of the trio from many of their road trips together (most recently, I think, from the entrance to Canada’s Waterton Glacier International Peace Park). Here are Emma, Bailey, and Nina, artistically arranged in front of Yosemite Falls:

Every picture I’ve seen of these pups has been equally perfect — Priscilla tells me her secret is treats, but I think magic must be involved

Priscilla was prompted to send me the photo by my post about our visit to Mt. Rainier, and my observation that national parks are generally not particularly pet-friendly. She loves Yosemite, a glorious national park, and wanted me (well, all of us) to know that there is fun to be had there too for pet dogs. Here’s the comment she left on my Mt. Rainier post:

“Yosemite is the same way — dogs only on paved areas — but then several years ago they paved the trail to Lower Yosemite Fall and didn’t change the rules. Plus they closed the paved road to the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoia to cars, which means you can walk down the road with dogs; but you can’t leave the road and walk through the grove, which isn’t paved. Also, you can walk all over the Valley on paved trails. The dogs have a ball because they get so much attention. Japanese tourists regularly ask to take their picture and then ask me to step aside. I love the idea of all of those people going home and showing pictures of my dogs in front of the Lower Fall to all of their friends in another country.”

In the message that accompanied the photo, she added that “I’ve been exploring this Park my whole life. Since I’ve had the pups, they go with me when I’m not on a hike. The Valley provides a lot more opportunities for them than the rest of the Park, though there is a trail down at Wawona that dogs can go on. In summer, a kennel is offered at the Stables at the eastern end of the Valley.”

Thank you so much, Priscilla, for the gorgeous picture and for the good news that pet dogs can find enjoyment in Yosemite — indeed, it sounds like there’s significantly more for them to do at Yosemite than there is at Mt. Rainier. It’s back on my list, and I hope soon to take a Cavalier-and-waterfall picture of my own!

Aug 7 2013

Reader’s report: New, second pet relief area at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI)

Since I visited BWI in December 2011, the airport has added a second pet relief area — happily, more centrally-located — and reader Gery sent me an excellent report about visiting it with his pup Alfie. Please note that the pet relief area Chloe and I visited (at one far end of the terminal, by the light rail station) is still there, and would be a convenient choice for passengers arriving on international flights.

Per BWI’s website, the new pet relief area is located “in front of the Hourly Garage. It can be accessed three ways.” Click here for details about reaching the area from Concourses B, C, and D, but Gery summed it up as follows: “Take the elevator to the Upper Level, cross the sky-bridge and then take the garage elevator to level 3. There are two entrances (but one is blocked – well, sort of, Alfie and I got through anyway) by some orange barrels and yellow ‘caution’ tape… The entrances are near ‘isles’ 3B, and 3E, respectively.”

Gery thoroughly approves of the new spot:

“This is an absolutely wonderful pet area – the only thing that might make it better would be a location INSIDE the ‘secured’ area. I suppose that an espresso bar would be nice also 🙂 There is a super nice ‘golf course quality’ grassy area, an equally nice concrete pad, a park bench, and a source of water, with a nice stainless dog dish. The area is completely fenced in, so I had no issue letting Alfie just wander about off-leash while I relaxed on the park bench.”

When you arrive at Level 3, follow this white-lined path to the right.

The orange barrels mark the entrance to the pet relief area (see the edges of the red awning just beyond them?)

Entrance to the pet relief area, near Isle 3E. Please note the red awning, mentioned in the airport's directions.

Entrance to the pet relief area. Please note the red awning, mentioned in the airport’s directions. This is the spot Gery mentions sheltering under in rainy weather (see below).

Once past the entrance, that path you saw in the last picture hugs the building and leads to the pet relief area proper.

And here’s Alfie, having a drink. I believe the red wall is the same one that’s just visible on the (distant) far right in Gery’s last picture.

In case it’s raining, he noted, “The entrances have little overhangs, so the pet can still take care of ‘business’ in the adjacent plants, while the owner (and luggage) remain protected. Following a short paved walkway, however, will lead you the pet-area ‘proper’.”

Please note that it’s taken me almost a month to post Gery’s message, so by now the orange construction barrels may be gone — but that red awning will continue to be a good landmark. Thank you so much, Gery, for the update and the great pictures — and for bearing the glad tidings that travelers won’t have to schlep all the way to the end of the terminal (or risk dashing across the roadway) to give their pets a break. I have added this information to Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

Aug 5 2013

Reader’s report: Under-seat space on Delta CRJ-900, and pet relief areas in Salt Lake City (SLC) and Nashville (BNA)

There’s just so much useful stuff in the report loyal reader Heike sent me about picking up Seren, her new Havanese puppy, in Salt Lake City. She flew from Nashville, and they returned together, on a Delta CRJ-900, in First Class (here’s a seat map from SeatGuru for you).

Under-seat space on a Delta CRJ-900

Heike, no doubt relieved after mulling different carrier choices, led off with “There is room for the large Sturdibag!” Please note that while she sat in First Class, she took a good look at the under-seat spaces in Economy, and she comments on both. Here are the details:

“First Class has exactly the same space under the seats as the Economy class. The seats are fastened to the floor with the ‘universal’ seat rails system used for all classes — it’s just that the seats attached to those ‘legs’ are bigger (wider) in First Class.

Seat 4A (1 single seat) worked great for me since I traveled alone. The life vest under the seats steals about an inch or so in height (sorry didn’t have the time to actually look under the seat, the other passengers wouldn’t have been happy with me) so you do have to squish a little bit. I think it may have been the external ‘ribs’ of the Sturdibag getting caught rather than the actual carrier being too big. I wish there was a way to place the ribs inside of the carrier!

Seats B + C share an under-seat space, but the aisle seat has a small extra space (maybe 8 inches or so — sorry, no measuring tape or camera ) between the seat leg and where the edge of the seat reached down to the aisle floor to stretch out your feet or at least a foot, not that you need it in 1^st class. And you still have the regular under seat space where you can park the carrier.

If you’re traveling with somebody the doubled under-seat space of the B + C seats is a big plus! (You also have the same shared under-seat space in Economy class!) Traveling alone I’d go for the A seat, just because that way you’re not bothering anybody with the carrier in your lap during the flight.

Overall, I would say that both small and large SturdiBags should work under all the seats (First Class and Economy).”

And here’s a very helpful heads-up regarding your other in-cabin bag:

“One point of warning: The overhead bins on this plane are tiny! If your carry-on is on the bigger side (anything above a laptop bag or a smallish backpack) check it at the gate! You don’t want to stow your pup’s carrier under the seat and then discover the carry-on bag doesn’t fit in the overhead, because you’ll have to go back out (past all the people trying to get to their seats) and drop the bag off with the other ‘pink-slips,’ all while your pup is alone under the seat. (No, thankfully it didn’t happen to me. I saw how small they were on the way to Salt Lake.)”

Pet relief area alternative at Nashville International Airport (BNA)

The official pet relief area at BNA appears still to be the same one I visited, and jeered at, in September 2011. Heike ended up not going there:

“I couldn’t find a sign for the relief area. I asked a nice security person at baggage claim, who told me it was way at the other end of the (long) airport terminal and that there were some bushes and a bit of green just across the road from the baggage claim area and right in front of the parking garage where the car was parked. We opted for the fast option since Seren had been an awesome puppy and hadn’t had an accident in the carrier.”

It’s good to know about that alternative, because some pups don’t respond well to Astroturf and the grassy plot Chloe and I found in 2011 takes a little while to walk to. If I weren’t in a hurry, I’d opt for the leg stretch; otherwise, I’d seek out the spot Heike found.

Pet relief area at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

SLC turns out to have six pet relief areas, shown on this map of the airport. Three are on the land side of security, and Heike and Seren visited “the middle one, closest to the rental car area:”

“It was the easiest to find because it’s right across from the check-in area and because of the big signs directing you toward the car rental. Just walk out the door (of the rental car area) and down the sidewalk. It’s not the small patch of grass right outside the door, which will work in a pinch if you carry your own poop bags. Or from inside the terminal, you can brave the traffic and walk across the road, bypassing the sky bridge.

Heike took this photo from the pet relief area, looking back at the skybridge and the door to the car rental area (on the far right). The main terminal is on the left.

Heike took this photo from the pet relief area, looking back at the skybridge and the door to the car rental area (on the far right). Terminal 2 is to the left.

The relief area has grass, gravel, bushes, walls, rocks and even a fire hydrant for those pups that just have to have the right kind of motivation. Sadly it is right next to the road, so PLEASE! watch those pull-out leashes! What it lacks and (from what I saw) what the other spots lack too, is a fence and a place to sit for the humans. The shade is so-so, we are talking about Salt Lake City! ‘Our’ spot had no shade at 3:30 pm, but there should be some in the morning.”

Standing in pretty much the same spot from which she took the picture of the skybridge, Heike turned around and took a couple of pictures of the middle land-side pet relief area:

That must be Seren in the foreground!

Same pet relief area, from a different angle

So why not just use one of the three spots on the air side of security? Unusually, they turn out to be not in the terminal building (as they are in Dulles, San Diego, and Seattle), but rather outside by the parked planes. You need an escort to visit them, and it sounds like you need to arrange that in advance: “For passengers with a tight connection, the ramp side areas by the concourses are an option for a necessary break, but it is a gravel area and will require an escort. Please contact SLC Airport Operations at 1-801-575-2401 or contact an airline representative for escort to the pet relief areas located near the concourses.”

Perhaps you could ask the gate agents as you deplane? I suspect it would take them some time to organize an escort for you, but it also takes time to exit the airport, find one of the outdoor pet relief areas, and return through security. If one of you manages to visit an air-side pet relief area at SLC, please let us all know how the process works!

How the flight went with new pup Seren

The evidence suggests that Seren is going to be an easy traveler: “Seren flew like a pro! Once we were up in the air she slept the whole flight, not even the bumps from a storm front bothered her. You have no idea (…or maybe you do) how happy I was about that 🙂 [Editor’s note: Yes indeed, I do!]

Heike encountered kind fellow passengers (“The people at the gate were all going oohh and ahh over the cute pup wagging her tail at them in her carrier, which is always good for public relations”) and a kind flight crew:

“l had the carrier on my lap (almost) the whole flight with my hand tucked inside cuddling Seren (more for my own comfort then hers since she was sleeping lol) . The carrier was safely stowed under the seat at the start/landing and when it got bumpy from the storm. The stewardess was very nice, she came by several times to ask how the puppy was doing and if I needed anything for her. Got to love 1st class!”

Thank you so much, Heike! How much you noticed and how kind you are to pass it on to me and other travelers with pets! I am adding this post to Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas and to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements.