Traveling with a Pet? These Hacks Will Ensure You Don't Lose Your Mind (Or Your Travel Buddy!)

Traveling is awesome. You get to see new places, new things and even make new friends! Or, if you're visiting home, there's nothi...

Traveling is awesome. You get to see new places, new things and even make new friends! Or, if you're visiting home, there's nothing like that hug from a family member that you haven't seen in forever. Whether traveling for pleasure or by necessity, those of us with pets are in a tough spot when faced with the prospect of travel. While wanting everything that travel holds, it's often a difficult choice as a pet parent on how to keep your pet cared for and happy while you are away. Luckily, these days there are more options than just leaving them at home with a stranger in your house.

Traveling with a pet can be slightly more stressful than going solo, but it doesn't have to be. If you're prepared and have some killer hacks up your sleeve, traveling with a pet can be a breeze. This article will make sure that you have the tips that you need to successfully win pet travel, without even breaking a sweat!

Getting Your Paperwork Sorted

When traveling with a pet, it's imperative that you get all the papers in order a long while before you travel, let's say a month, minimum. There's two ways to travel with a pet on an aircraft, as an ESA, if you have clearance from your therapist, or simply as a pet, by paying an additional fee to an airline. Whichever option applies to you, before you fly, you'll need to check a few things off in terms of paperwork.

If you're flying with a pet, you'll need to check out your airline's policy for flying with pets, as to what paperwork they need to come aboard. Domestically, paperwork will most likely be minimal, but international flights can require much more documentation. If your pet is not a service animal or ESA, you will most likely need to pay a fee to the airline to allow your pet to travel with you.

If your pet has been assigned to you as an ESA, then you won't have to pay a fee to have your dog or cat travel with you. However, as an ESA, your pet must have the relevant documentation to be able to travel alongside the owner they are supporting. This means that before even thinking about travel, you need to ensure you obtain your ESA letter, if you don't already have one.

Essential Paperwork Tip: If you don't already have an ESA letter, and you're not sure when you can obtain one, don't book a flight noting your animal as an ESA. Instead, if you need to fly, register your animal as a pet and pay the fee. If you notify the airline you’re flying with an ESA but fail to produce the correct documents (ESA letter), then you may not be permitted to fly with your pet.

Preparing Your Pet For Travel

So, you've got your papers ready and you're set to fly! Well, onto the next step of essential preparation. The groundwork for your flight is best done in the comfort of your own home. Awesome right? Here are the ultimate tips to help you to prepare your dog or cat to fly.

Tip #1: Carrier train your pet. By training your pet to be comfortable and cooperative in their carrier, you’re more likely to have a safe and happy flight yourself. Start with small stints inside the carrier, building the time up until they are completely comfortable for the amount of time you’re flying (plus two hours for waiting times). Remember that many flight carriers are now starting to limit the length of flights that animals can take, so check that out before you leave too.

Tip #2: Ensure your pet is familiar with airport noises. Another great tip for a calm owner and pet, is some familiarization with the bizarre noises of the airport while still at home. Simply playing a track of ambient airport noise at home with your pet is a great option to desensitize your pet to pesky things like overhead announcements and loud passengers. This can help your pet to stay calm when they arrive in the stressful environment of an airport.

Tip #3: Hit the dog park. If you're flying with a dog, having them well socialized around other pets (and humans!) is a must. Head to the dog park as much as you can before your flight to get them accustomed to strangers.

Tip #4: Back to School. While it's not strictly necessary, it could be a great idea to put your dog through some basic obedience training before heading off on your trip. This can make both you and your dog far more relaxed in a variety of situations. Remember dogs have a sixth sense of their owner's emotional state—so if you're chilled, they are more likely to be too.

Tip #4: Make it a cat party! If you're traveling with a cat, it can be difficult to find avenues for socialization. A great idea is to experiment with having a number of friends over to get your cat comfortable with noise and groups of people. If you keep a cat only household, it's also a smart idea to borrow a friend or family member's dog that loves cats to get your cat used to them. Another idea is to take your cat to stay at a 'pet hotel' in order to get them used to sight, sound and smell of other animals.

Tip #5: Pack it up. To ensure your flight (and trip) are completely hitch-free, it pays to take a little time to pack everything your pet may need. Try noting everything that your pet needs day-to-day and then bulk it up with the help of pet-travel packing lists, easily found online.

Hitting the Airport

Great, you're all set for the big day! But before you arrive at the airport, we've got even more tips of goodness for you to win travel with a pet.

Tip #1: Become an Airport Expert. Before you depart from your local airport, and arrive at your destination airport, it's essential to familiarize yourself with the layout of both. Traveling with a pet means you should have a good understanding of where pet relief areas are and what the airport's special requirements for pets are (if any).

Tip #2: Arrive with time to spare. Pets can be anything but predictable. So having plenty of time up your sleeve, just in case, is the perfect fail-safe advice to deal with anything that may go awry.

Tip #3: Get ready for your TSA screening. Getting through TSA can be daunting, even for those of us who know the drill. So how do you think your pet is feeling?! Be prepared to take your pet out of their carrier and walk them through the metal detector either in your arms or on a leash. You will need to put the carrier through the x-ray machine, but won't be asked to put your pet through it. Remember to take a leash without metal is key for a smooth ride through the detector!

Tip #4: Aim for Priority Boarding. When you arrive at the check-in desk with your pet, it's definitely worth asking if you can board earlier than other passengers. This will give you an opportunity to settle your pet and get prepared for the flight.

At Your Destination

It's important to remember that unfortunately traveling with a pet is not quite as adaptable to spontaneity as traveling without. Ensure that you check thoroughly whether your hotel to ensure your pet is able to share your accommodation with you before you travel.

Other Travel Methods

At this time within the U.S., the laws that cover pets and ESAs being allowed on aircraft do not extend to transport like buses and trains. Some companies may allow it, but you'll have to contact them individually to work this out. Generally, air travel or private car travel is the best way to travel with pets.

You and your pet deserve to have awesome adventures together, so we hope these hacks see you on your way to making many happy memories together!