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rizhuha

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Hello,

I am moving across the country (NYC to San Fran) and am trying to find an airline that accepts chinchillas on board (so that my 5-yr old Chinchilla can fly with me). Has anyone had experience with this? American, Jetblue, Virgin don't accept chinchillas at all. Delta and United are a bit vague but don't seem to accept them onboard- just as cargo. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
United used to let them fly in cabin, but most airlines stopped doing that. Continental has excellent climate controlled shipping that you might want to check into. They seem to be pretty much specializing in the shipping of that type of animal now. I don't know if you'll get on the same plane, but they will ship the chins in a day now, no overnight stays anymore.
 
Your best bet is to ship the chin prior to your travel on a climate controlled flight. That way you can ensure the animal was cared for prior to the flight. Just have someone you trust at the other end to care for the animal until you arrive.
 
Back in April when i was moving from CT to CA I checked into Continental...seems good with me. I would suggest checking into it.:thumbs:
 
You should be able to have the chins on the same flight as you, just in the cargo section, not the cabin... I've had mine with me on the same exact flights as I was on, with both Westjet and Air Canada...just they were in cargo not in the cabin. And yes they do quite fine in the cargo...just make sure whenever and wherever you are travelling to, that it is not too hot or too cold. :)


Some airlines... the cargo is not temperature controlled, so whatever temps are on the ground, are what the chins will have in the cargo for the duration of the flight...
 
Rebecca said:
The air pressure doesn't bother/harm them?
Click to expand...

airlines will only fly live animals if they have pressurized/climate controlled cargo compartments.

lilchinchilla said:
just make sure whenever and wherever you are travelling to, that it is not too hot or too cold. :)


Some airlines... the cargo is not temperature controlled, so whatever temps are on the ground, are what the chins will have in the cargo for the duration of the flight...
Click to expand...
i believe the issue is not the temp on the ground during flight since it is much colder but the load time and wait/taxi time etc. not sure though and will ask.
 
rizhuha said:
Hello,

I am moving across the country (NYC to San Fran) and am trying to find an airline that accepts chinchillas on board (so that my 5-yr old Chinchilla can fly with me). Has anyone had experience with this? American, Jetblue, Virgin don't accept chinchillas at all. Delta and United are a bit vague but don't seem to accept them onboard- just as cargo. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
or you can find a carrier that does a good job transporting animals and send them on an earlier flight than yours. they will wait for you at the other end that way.
 
Out of curiosity, why won't they allow chins in the cabin? It's not as if they are going to escape and bite people or be used as a weapon or something...
 
i believe the issue is not the temp on the ground during flight since it is much colder but the load time and wait/taxi time etc. not sure though and will ask.
Click to expand...

Well I've shipped several times (since 2001 to be exact!) and always have been told by the airline reps who have explained it to me, that because there is no temperature control (no heat or a/c) in some of the planes, whatever the temps are on the ground are what the cargo will have for the duration of the flight. It is why they have embargo on certain flights during certain times of the year, like too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter...

I'm actually experiencing this issue right now with shipping to NY. Only one flight a week goes that is heated, the rest are not. And there is no live animals allowed on the ones that are not heated, due to it being too cold in the cargo hold.

It was very difficult to even make the flight arrangements and ended up having to make them later in order to get them on one particular heated flight.

The rest would be too cold for the chins to travel in. You can ask Air Canada reps at 1-866-615-1155 (press 1 again for english or 2 for french)
They are the ones who always tell me this.
 
I've had chins shipped to me via Continental and American and just shipped one out on Continental. Not sure about in cabin but I suggest you call and ask. What is on the site I think is primarily for dogs, for example it says you MUST have a health certificate but when you call and talk to them chinchillas do not require one unless you want to insure it. So I suggest calling and asking specifically about chinchillas. The people at Continental didn't even seem confused or anything when I said chinchilla and were very nice.
 
What about moving overseas?? I've just accepted a job in Greece and will have to get my chins from Dallas to Greece. Will they hold up ok for that long distance? I have two chins, brothers, who depend very much on each other. They seemed very unhappy when we had to keep them separate after one had a leg removed. Most airlines I'm noticing state only one animal per carrier. I assume this is mostly of course for cats/dogs.. you think they would be ok with the chins being in the same carrier together? I think it would be harder on my babies to be apart from each other.
 
I'd suggest maybe having them in the same carrier and separate compartments?
Then they know they have their buddy with them... I've had more chins feel more comfortable and less stress when shipped in those kind of carriers, not to mention with all the new rules like the IATA act stuff for the carrier, those are actually the best carriers to get that comply with the regulations. Judy of JPChinchillas makes them or Ryerson's.

Though for international travel, they do have extra tweaks they expect on the carriers now(seems to have been something they recently came up with this year - 2009.). The carriers have to have bars or handles on the sides as well as the tops-at least 10% of the length of the side, to keep the ventilation holes uncovered during the flight in the cargo(so nothing can cover up or completely block the vent holes). I attached a couple pics to show how we had to make our last carrier in order for it to comply with the recent IATA Act regulations for shipping kennels.

If you don't have them, you can be fined. I know, because they were basically threatening the person I was shipping to in the US, with fining her if the carrier was without the handles/bars on the sides. And these rules are specifically from the US Fisheries and Wildlife which they deal with all shipping of chinchillas in and out of the United States.
Below are also the pages describing the carrier requirements from the US FWS.
 

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And just the last page of the carrier requirements from the United States Fisheries and Wildlife....
 

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Luvmybears, you should also check with regulations in Greece. I know of peson who was moving from Canada to Belgium and decided not to bring her parrot as they asked for a quarantine over there, so the animal had to stay at the airport for over a month after its arrival. Some countries will do quarantines outside the airport though.
 
Whoever said that a non-climate controlled cargo care is the same tempurature is very mistaken. The temp there is about -30° because the plane is so high in the air. That explains why there is ice on the windows.
 
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