Cats On An Airplane

In 2006 we relocated from Las Vegas to New Jersey. My main concern was finding the right airline for Strawberry and Suzanna. I did a lot of research and settled on Continental. All the airlines that I researched will only allow one pet, per person, to be carried on the plane. Another option for most airlines is to check them as baggage. But with that option, you are restricted as to the season of the year because of extreme temperatures. I wanted to protect them from discomfort as much as possible. But, a five hour flight in a cat carrier well, it was challenging. A third option is to ship them as cargo. In the cargo hold they are not subjected to outside temperatures. Continental also has a policy that an animal in cargo cannot be left unattended for more than one hour while the plane is on the ground. (I liked that) As it happens, we were on the runway for an hour waiting to take-off when the pilot announced that an airport attendant will be entering the cargo area of the plane to tend to "two four-legged friends down below". The best part is that our plane was moved to the front of the line for take-off. We all arrived unharmed, Suzanna enjoyed the adventure, Strawberry never forgave me for putting him through such an ordeal!